Italki Review: Russian Lessons

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What Are the Best Places to Take Russian Lessons?

Thinking about starting your study in Russian lessons, but you're not sure where to dive in? There are so many reasons to learn a new language. Whether you have family that speaks Russian, want to visit a new country, or just enjoy some Russian literature in its original language, it's exciting to jump into something new.

But it can be hard to figure out where you want to start (or continue) your studies. There is a seemingly endless stream of apps, videos, or online "bootcamps" promising the best Russian lessons on the market. However, picking the right language course and site is essential as it can affect your final level of fluency or conversational understanding of Russian.

The first thing to keep in mind as you start your Russian lessons is the Cyrillic alphabet. Unlike many languages you might be familiar with that use the Latin alphabet (you, know, your ABCs that you're used to), Russian lessons require learning a new set of alphabet characters to get started. Some platforms spend lots of time helping you master this new skill (both writing and sounding out your letters). On the other hand, other Russian lessons might ask you to jump into "transliteration," which is where you start by writing Russian words in English or Latin letters. This will help if you want to speak phrases quickly, but may not be great to rely on if you want to be able to read or get around in a country where the Cyrillic alphabet is standard.

The grammar of Russian can also offer some fun challenges as you get started. For example, the endings of words will change their meanings from case to gender to noun or verb usage. So, the order of words doesn't matter as much as it does in English, whereas knowing the word endings is going to be essential to understanding conversational Russian. Many more casual Russian lesson sites will gloss over some of these grammar structure rules to keep your learning fun, but over time, you can feel frustrated trying to understand grammar rules intuitively without direct instruction on the matter. More robust Russian courses will offer you explanations for the grammatical structures to help you build your own sentences with understanding.

Now, your goal for starting Russian lessons should help you make decisions on what time of app or course you want to go with (you may even choose a blend of a few options). Self-guided apps are ideal if you want to be a short-term "tourist" in a Russian-speaking country. This means you should be able to get around a train station, order a bowl of borscht, or exchange greetings and ask basic questions to native speakers. However, if you're looking for a more intermediate or advanced understanding of Russian, you might want to look for a more structured course. Russian lessons that are more detailed can help you enjoy Russian literature, work professionally in a Russian-speaking country, or gain complete fluency.

At the end of the day, it's your Russian lessons, your way. If you're ready and motivated to learn a new language, we're excited for you. Whether you're looking for gamified quizzes and short clips to review during a commute or a live instructor who can give you tips on pronunciation and colloquialisms you might not get on an app, there's something out there for everyone. If you're not sure where to start, here are some factors that can help you narrow the field:

• Trial period. Most places that offer Russian lessons will let you have a free trial period of some kind. Whether you're looking for private tutoring or checking out the newest language app on the market, you should be able to give it a try without fully committing to a long-term subscription. The only way to know if you click with a particular learning method is to give it a shot. So, try a few before you decide.
• Live options. Not all sites that offer Russian lessons will have live or synchronous learning, but checking on what kind of live help you can get will give you an idea of how much support you can expect if questions about your course pop up. Sites that offer live lessons with built-in tutoring may be better for you if you're hoping for intermediate or advanced fluency.
• Cost. Russian lessons are an investment in your future. There are so many benefits to learning a new language; the price is often worth it. However, make sure that you're getting an experience you love that offers the learning tools you need, so you know you're getting the right educational value for your cost.
• Refund options. If you do decide to commit to a site for Russian lessons (or you go with a live tutor option), sometimes things can go wrong as you get into the process. Make sure that the site you choose has a customer-friendly policy for refunds if you need them.
• Reputation. Of course, if you want to know the details of Russian lessons, you should check with the students. Third-party review sites with verified feedback from Russian learners can give you a solid idea of what you can expect from a course long-term, and which sites students gave up on within a few weeks. Looking through feedback on Trustpilot or the Better Business Bureau can give you a concrete idea of what to expect from your Russian lessons.

So, whether you're hoping to visit Russia in the next few months or you want to start parsing through Dostoyevsky works in their original form, there are Russian lessons out there to get you to your language goals. To make sure you get the best education you can, Top Consumer Reviews has researched and ranked the top sites and programs for Russian lessons available today. This way, you can start impressing your Russian friends with your new skills. Удачи (good luck)!