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.
Very Good
Rocket Languages is one of the older sites for Russian lessons on our review. It got started back in 2005, and it was initially a course specifically for Spanish. Since then, it has updated its roster to offer courses in 15 different languages. Rocket Languages is known for its interactive learning style with a mix of audio lessons, voice recognition, and an emphasis on cultural background for the language of choice. Rocket Languages wants to help you understand the "why" of Russian, not just teach you vocabulary.
Listen and translate from the beginning
During our test lesson with Rocket Languages, our first few modules included an introduction to the Russian language, the Cyrillic alphabet, and helpful tips on Russian culture. We also learned about introductions and meeting for coffee. So, the initial lessons were a blend of necessary starting material and helpful day-to-day topics of conversation. Most lessons range from around 15 minutes to 30 minutes. The primary part of the lesson is through a video/audio lesson where you listen to the course details first in Russian with an English guide, where you go through common conversations in both languages. Rocket Languages provides the necessary dialogues first in Russian, and then you'll hear the translation in English. You can follow along just with the audio, or you can read the dialogues alongside, depending on how immersed you want to feel.
Build on your luggage with a deeper understanding
Rocket Languages' teaching methods include pronunciation perfection using voice recognition software. You can listen to thousands of Russian words throughout your lessons, and study phrases recorded by real native speakers. You'll also be encouraged to speak back to the app. Rocket Languages asks you to practice both sides of natural Russian conversations that you might have with a native speaker. This way, you can go through the process in a stress-free environment before you go out and talk to your Russian friends or family. Rocket Languages' process is step-by-step, so you can understand the how and why of Russian, and build sentences on your own rather than just memorizing set phrases and concepts.
Includes detailed grammar directly in the module
Rocket Languages' modules will give you plenty of different ways to stay engaged as you progress through the course. Modules include listening exercises with photos, language and culture lessons, writing practice, and something that Rocket Languages calls "survival kit" Russian lessons. These are most helpful if you're planning on visiting a Russian-speaking country. With cumulative courses that range from introducing yourself to buying plane tickets to discussing your personal health, every topic is covered in Rocket Languages. The approach to grammar here is detailed and contextual. For example, in the model where you learn about prepositional cases in grammar rules, you'll also develop your skills with them by talking about occupations.
You can choose how immersive you want it to be
Rocket Languages offers direct translations (Russian to English) in the transcriptions for the lesson audios. You can choose to listen to the audio completely without the translation, if you want to try your hand at using your Russian knowledge to help you translate. However, if you do use the transcripts, you'll notice the Russian text in the Russian lessons is all in Latin characters (rather than the Cyrillic alphabet), which isn't as immersive. It does make it easier to read the sounds if you're getting stumped by a word, though.
Best for conversational learners
Rocket Languages is a great choice if you want to jump into real-world conversations in Russian. The listening and suggestions by Rocket Languages to role-play different sides of a conversation during your lessons make it easy to start using conversational Russian right from the first few modules. It's a solid choice for beginners, though you will get plenty of grammar assistance out of this program if you're an intermediate or advanced student as well.
Pricing from $47 to $75 per month, depending on sales
Rocket Languages is offered in two options: you can either pay one time for the entire course of Russian lessons, which includes levels 1, 2, and 3 (and should take you from beginner to advanced level), or you can pay for a 6-month plan. At the time of our review, there was a sale offered with a coupon code, so the normally $449.85 price for the one-time payment was just $259.90. This may not always be the case, so keep an eye out for sales at Rocket Languages. The 6-month plan, likewise, had a sale available. Normally, the program is $450 over 6 months, which is $75 per month. However, at the time of our review, it was offered for $47 per month for 6 months.
Learn at home or away with the app
Rocket Languages is designed to be 100% app-based or online. You can access your Russian lessons anywhere you are, so you can learn during your commute, while you're cooking, or even just relaxing at the end of the day. The audio lessons make it easy to learn wherever you are. However, Rocket Languages does not offer any live assistance or tutoring to go with your Russian lessons, so you'll be self-guided during this program.
Some frustrating technical difficulties
Rocket Languages does not currently have a page with the Better Business Bureau, and the news on third-party review sites like Trustpilot is around middle-tier. Rocket Languages currently holds a 2.9-star average rating out of 5. Recent reviews suggest that while the online language classes themselves are helpful and offer a competitive teaching aid, Rocket Languages has some trouble when it comes to getting a hold of customer service for your Russian lessons. Recent reviews showed that customers couldn't contact someone through their phone numbers, and the automatic responses from AI aren't particularly helpful. Now, Rocket Languages does a little better on the Apple Store in terms of reviews, with a 3.8-star average. However, some customers had trouble with the voice recognition on their phones working properly, making it difficult to progress with lessons.
Great grammar, immersion, and price
Rocket Languages remains impressive despite its technical difficulties due to three important factors. First, you can get solid immersion with Rocket Languages when you use the Russian lessons without looking at transcripts. You can also expect impressive grammar instructions included throughout the Rocket Languages program. You won't have to go searching for it or hope it's "intuitive." Third, you can buy the entire course once and avoid unnecessary subscriptions long-term. This is even better if you can score your Rocket Languages plan when they're offering a deal. Overall, even with some tech foibles, this site for Russian lessons remains a solid option.
Continued from above...
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:
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)!
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