Learning a new language is always a demanding task. There are so many things you need to cover, from grammar to conversation skills. The same goes for the Russian language, which has so many difficult segments we need to master. Those segments are writing, reading, listening, and speaking. Each one is challenging in its own way. This is why it’s a great idea to find online help with improving your Russian.
Luckily, different online tools can help us improve our Russian language skills and take it to a whole new level. If you’re interested in learning more about this, just keep reading.
Here are some online tools that you may use to improve your Russian.
Learn the Alphabet
The first thing you need to master to start learning Russian is the alphabet. The Russian language uses the Cyrillic alphabet. If you’ve never seen it or learned it before, it might be a challenge for you.
Russian for Everyone is a brilliant writing tool that teaches you:
- how to handwrite the Russian alphabet
- how to pronounce each letter
- how to use it in a word
It’s the ultimate resource for mastering the Russian alphabet. You can also check out the app called Cyrillic and try improving your alphabet by learning from your phone on the go.
Russian Keyboard
Since most of your writing will be done on your laptop or computer, you should get a bilingual keyboard.
This is the only way for you to:
- practice properly
- improve your Russian typing skills
You’ll also need to install the Russian keyboard to your mobile phone system to be able to practice wherever you are.
If, for some reasons, you don’t want to install a Russian keyboard yet, you may use online Russian keyboards:
Both services imitate an actual Russian keyboard and will give you almost a genuine typing experience in Russian.
Learn New Vocabulary
Language learning is complex and demands you to cover different segments of the learning process. And, adding new vocabulary to your language base is a necessity.
There are online tools and apps that can help you learn something new every day. Here’s what we suggest:
Each of the apps above allows you to learn Russian vocabulary and form new sentences and phrases. You’re the one setting the pace, so the app adapts to your current language skills.
Language Courses
Online language courses are among the most popular tools for learning a new language, including Russian. And one of the most popular and widely-known apps offering Russian language courses is Memrise.
Memrise has a Russian language course ready for their users to take. The course will help you:
- learn new vocabulary
- learn proper sentence structure
- learn punctuation
- improve your writing skills
It’s a complex and colorful process that will guide you through different tasks to ensure you’ve got it all covered. You can also check out Duolingo’s Russian course.
Improve Your Grammar
There’s no way for you to improve your written Russian unless you invest some serious effort into improving your grammar skills.
Grammar is the basis of all other language skills such as speaking, listening, and writing.
To improve your grammar by means other than reading textbooks and doing exercises, you could check out some great online video materials.
The YouTube channel, called Russian Grammar, might just be the perfect fit for you.
Here’s what they cover:
- types of signs in Russian
- conditionals
- verbs
- comparisons
- word order
- Russian cases
- etc.
The video lessons are simple yet highly informative and helpful.
Another great resource for grammar is Russian Lessons. They cover every single aspect of Russian grammar that you might feel confused about or simply want to learn more about.
Learn With Native Speakers
Native speakers are another powerful resource you could reach out to and insert in your process of improving your written Russian.
But, finding a native speaker of Russian isn’t exactly something you’ll easily do. Luckily, there are learning platforms such as Lingostan or Tandem that will help you connect with native speakers.
Once you do that, you’ll be able to:
- practice writing with native speakers of Russian
- receive their feedback
- adopt their advice and useful information they share
They’ll give you amazing feedback, just like the one you’d get from an academic writing company. It’s the best way for you to see where you make mistakes and learn how to correct them.
Final Thoughts
If you want to improve your Russian language skills, be prepared to invest some seriously hard work. Practice makes perfect, and the tools listed above will make your practice time much more efficient and enjoyable.
Use the tools we’ve recommended and improve your Russian quickly and easily.
About the author:
Daniela McVicker is an editor for the aggregator of top rated sites for students at AllTopReviews.com. She has a master’s degree in English Literature, and she is truly passionate about learning foreign languages and teaching. Daniela works with the students helping them reveal the writing talent and find one true calling.
Photo by Ilya Klimenko.
