December 17, 2018

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Russian Accelerator vs Transparent Language

To help you find the Best Russian Lessons, TopConsumerReviews.com provides you with an in-depth comparison of Russian Accelerator and Transparent Language.

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Why learn to speak Russian? More than 270 million people speak Russian worldwide, from native speakers living in the nations of the former Soviet Union to students who have learned it as a second language. In fact, many federal agencies - from the US Department of Agriculture to the Department of Defense, as well as the FBI, CIA, NSA and State Department - have identified Russian as a priority language of national need.

It's no wonder, therefore, that speaking Russian can be a distinct advantage in one's career goals, international travels, or post-graduate studies. Modern technology makes it possible to learn Russian from the comfort of your home - or anywhere you choose to go with your mobile device and headphones - rather than trying to find a local class and fit it into your busy lifestyle.

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2018

Russian Lessons Reviews

RUSSIAN ACCELERATOR

Cost:

$291 (sale price)

$388 (list price)

TopConsumerReviews.com Best-In-Class Blue Ribbon Award Russian Accelerator focuses on using the most modern, proven techniques for helping students learn one of the most difficult languages in the world. The company's approach to Russian doesn't require lengthy hours of study, as students have experienced impressive levels of fluency by regular sessions of 20-30 minutes a day.

Key components of Russian Accelerator include:

Contextual Learning Approach: coming to understand word meanings naturally by hearing them in real situations. We found that we could easily remember the words for dog and street, "sobaka" and, "ulitsa", days after we watched the intro video.
Core Vocabulary Efficiency
Super-Literal Translation (SLT): learn the figurative and literal translations of the phrases you encounter, to avoid errors in translation (such as "Minya zavoot" which figuratively means "My name is", but the SLT is "Me they call")
Pattern Recognition
Use of Multiple Native Speakers: makes it easier to understand a variety of speakers in real-world situations
One full year of success coaching with native speakers
18 units, each with 5 lessons, for a total of 90 lessons
Lifetime access to the online training

What sets Russian Accelerator apart from other programs we reviewed is their singular focus on effectively teaching Russian. Other providers teach Russian as one of many languages that they offer, which can lead to teaching in ways that might not be as effective for a language based on a non-Roman alphabet like Cyrillic. The creator of Russian Accelerator, along with the instructors and coaches, are all either native speakers of Russian or individuals who learned it as a foreign language and have significant experience with using it in Russian-speaking nations.

If you'd like to see if Russian Accelerator's program is a good fit for you, you can access a three-week trial for $1. With that trial, you will get two bonuses that are yours to keep even if you don't go on to purchase the full program: Russian Alphabet Mastery, which promises to help you learn the Cyrillic alphabet in three hours; and, On the Go (vol.1) audio files that can be burned to a CD or loaded to a mobile device.

After the trial period, if you choose to subscribe, Russian Accelerator costs between $291 and $388, depending on whether or not there are any special promotions in place at the time of your order (when we reviewed the program, there was a sale in place). You will be billed in three or four installments of $97, depending on the current price of the program at the time of your purchase.

While this makes Russian Accelerator more expensive than many other Russian lessons, it is backed by a one-year satisfaction guarantee: you can get a full refund within those first 12 months for any reason, no questions asked. Although we would like to see more specific details as to how Russian Accelerator's online lessons work - screenshots of or access to the student dashboard, if any, or an outline of the 18 units taught - the satisfaction guarantee and three-week trial make it truly risk-free to give it a try.

Across the web, we found numerous students who raved about the progress they made using Russian Accelerator. Especially compelling were the reviews that described previous failures using other Russian lessons and their subsequent successes while using this program.

Because of their exclusive focus on teaching Russian, a superior satisfaction guarantee, and track record for success, Russian Accelerator earns our top rating for Russian lessons

TRANSPARENT LANGUAGE

Cost:

$29.95/month for Online Russian monthly plan

$24.99/month for Online Russian 6-month plan

$16.66/month for Online Russian 12-month plan

$49.95 for Everywhere Russian Audio Course (MP3)

Transparent Language's Russian lessons promise "radically better language learning, in one complete experience". They make use of a variety of strategies - grammar, writing, pronunciation and speech activities, among others - to help you learn Russian fluently.

Transparent Language allows you to choose from two main paths through your language journey: Russian, which starts out directly with the Cyrillic alphabet, and Russian Transliterated ("For English Speakers") which gives you the approximate English pronunciation as well as the words written out in Cyrillic. We recommend you take advantage of Transparent's 14-day free trial to see which path feels best for you.

Transparent Language tries to walk you through the process of learning Russian with a number of tools. Core Skill-Building Activities target the four core skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing. Speaking practice is done using their proprietary EveryVoice technology, allowing you to compare your pronunciation with that of a native speaker. And, the typing activities included in Transparent's Russian lessons gradually teach you how to use your regular keyboard to type in Cyrillic. Transparent Language makes sure to give you a well-rounded approach to your language learning adventure.

If for any reason you are unsatisfied with your subscription or download after becoming a paying customer, you can receive a full refund within six months of purchase (or prior to the next billing cycle if you're a subscriber to one of the online plans).

You should be aware that the structure of Transparent's Russian lessons is very flexible: you are able to jump from one topic to another without needing to demonstrate mastery of previous lessons. For some students, this flexibility is helpful as it allows them to move to the vocabulary or grammar they most need at the time; however it may be overwhelming for beginners to not have a more rigid progression through the available lessons.

If you need more personalized help with learning Russian, Transparent Language does have the option to access live weekly lessons or one-on-one tutoring. It's considerably more expensive than the online course or MP3 downloads - $299 for an 8-week, customized online course that meets weekly, and/or $99 for 90 minutes of one-on-one online tutoring on whatever area you need to work on - but many Transparent Language customers appreciate having options in addition to the online subscription for those times when they have specific challenges with the language.

Transparent Languages' Russian lessons are well-rounded and affordable, and we appreciate that they offer both live lessons and tutoring.

Continued from above

From audio lessons to interactive multimedia programs on your laptop, beginning and experienced students alike can easily access the information needed to take their skills to the next level.

When deciding on a program for studying Russian, you should determine your overall goals and focus on a program that will help you meet your objectives while being a good fit for your learning style, available time for studying, and your budget.

If you learn best by listening, you may want to focus on lessons that are provided primarily in audio format, making it easy to learn on-the-go, during your commute, and so on.

On the other hand, if you're a more visual learner, you will want to choose a program with Russian lessons that are delivered through videos, images, and reading materials, whether that's delivered via CD/DVD or through an online download or subscription.

One aspect of learning Russian to keep in mind is its use of a non-Roman alphabet. Russian is written using the Cyrillic alphabet, which can take some time to recognize, understand, and master.

Is it important for you to learn how to read and write in Russian, or is conversational ability sufficient? If your reasons for learning the language include reading and writing, make sure to select Russian lessons that will give you experience with Cyrillic.

There are a few key components to evaluate as you consider which Russian lessons will be a good fit. These include:

Instructional Methods. Many language programs offer a free trial. Did the sample lesson or activity leave you feeling interested and educated, or frustrated? Is the structure of the program a match with your preferred way of learning (for example, auditory, visual, and so on)?
Skill Level. Does the program expect that you've already had experience with Russian or with learning languages in general? How much instruction is provided in the program package? Will you have full access to all levels for one price, or will you have to spend more to purchase more advanced levels as you progress?
Value. Have other people gained or improved their fluency in Russian with this program? Is it worth the price you will pay to purchase the download, CDs, or subscription?

TopConsumerReviews.com has reviewed and ranked the best Russian lessons available today. We hope these reviews will help you to find the perfect Russian program to get you on the road to fluency in no time!

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Russian Accelerator vs Transparent Language

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