The most renowned company in language software is Rosetta Stone. Lessons are available in a series of three compact discs. The first disc is designed to introduce students to the basics of Russian vocabulary. The second expands on the fundamentals to facilitate conversational skills, and the third aims at a more sophisticated proficiency. The discs are not inexpensive; as of July 2009, the introductory disc will run you $259, while the cost for the set comes in at $499.
The Plimseur Method software is a much more affordable alternative at $10 for four compact discs, which you may transfer to your iPod or MP3 player. This program guarantees that within ten days, you will have a complete mastery of your basic skills.
With information availability on-line at an all-time high, beginners are also able to learn basic Russian vocabulary via Internet games, lessons and quizzes.
Digitaldialects.com, for example, offers quizzes for a range of skill levels.
MasterRussian.com has dictionaries, as well as lists of essential verbs and nouns.
LearningRussian.net is a similar site, featuring an on-line translator, common vocabulary and verb conjugations.
Also visit LearnRussianFree.com for a list of 2,000 common Russian words.
RussianSpeak7.com presents tutorials for the basic pronunciation of common words, numbers, verbs and phrases.
Because one of the best ways to learn a language is exposure, label all objects and items within your house in Russian, which will familiarize you every day with basic vocabulary.
Another strategy to consider is watching Russian films with English subtitles. It may not seem so at first, but hearing the words spoken on the screen and, more importantly, in context encourages a more emotional engagement with the language. For the best selection, review foreign film festivals and Russian film reviews (see References 3).
Similarly, joining a Russian group or club is a helpful technique for learning vocabulary. Ask your local bookstore, community center or university for more information about these meetings. Hearing language spoken around us is the most effective way to grasp the basics quickly.
Finally, invest in Russian children's books. Children's literature is more easily accessed than adult literature--it is, we might recall, one of the first type of lessons we received with our own language. Adult literature may grow frustrating, as diction and syntax are often complicated. Look for titles such as "First Thousand Words In Russian: With Internet-Linked Pronunciation Guide" by Heather Amery or "Kot v Shliape," more familiarly known as "The Cat in the Hat." Some beginning language students appreciate translations of books that they knew as children, as it helps orient them in the text.