Learning Russian

If you are going to travel to Russia and stay there for a long time then you need to start learning Russian. So, our guide is tailored for you to get full information about how to learn Russian.

• Why learn the Russian language?

• Smoother integration

• Better job prospects

• A path to citizenship

• Learning Russian before moving to Russia

• International language schools

• Learn Russian in Russia

• Language schools in Russia

• Learning Russian for free in Russia

• Learn Russian online

• Other handy online learning resources

• Learning Russian with a computer or smartphone app

• Learn Russian outside the classroom

• Learning Russian through play

• Learning the language for children in Russia

• Learning the language for business and professionals in Russia

• Official language examinations and qualifications in Russia

Why learn the Russian language?

It is a well-known fact that the language of Pushkin is spoken by 265 million Russians in the world. Over 150 million native speakers live in Russia and the former Soviet Union. There are a lot of cities in Europe and North America that has a Russian-speaking community.

It is really hard to learn Russian – you need to go through 1200 hours of practicing Russian.

Smoother integration

Unfortunately, many Russians do not speak English or have a poor vocabular in English. Additionally, other European languages are even less understood by locals. In other words, knowing Russian will open up lots of opportunities to interact with the people around you.

Better job prospects

When it comes to your employment prospects, speaking Russian can make you more attractive candidate to find a job in your home country and also in Russia. This will help you to communicate easier with your colleagues.

A path to citizenship

If you want to get Russian citizenship you should know that speaking Russian is a must do. Getting a Russian passport require to pass a Russian language test. But, exceptions to the language test are made for holders of other qualifications that certify their knowledge of Russian.

Learning Russian before moving to Russia

Learning Russian will definitely help you to be integrated in a society. Even basic Russian will make it easier for you to get a home and a job, as well as make friends with your new neighbors.

International language schools

There are some schools that teach Russian around the world like the following:

Russian Language Centre: based at Pushkin House in London, the RLC offers individual and group Russian classes, as well as two-week intensive courses.

Language Study International: a language school that offers individual and group classes. You can learn Russian at LSI schools in London, New York, Paris, and Zurich.

Berlitz: offers in-person and online Russian classes at many of its locations in 70 countries.

Learn Russian in Russia

Even if there are a lot of opportunities to learn language in the world you will still have options to do that in Russia. You can learn Russian through the ongoing practice with neighbors and colleagues. If you have moved to Russia to study, your university may offer Russian summer classes before your course begins.

Language schools in Russia

Definitely there are many schools that can teach you the language in Russia. These include:

Ruslanguage: located in central Moscow, this school offers evening and weekend classes, individual lessons, and an intensive course to help get you off to a good start.

Alibra: a network of language schools with locations in six Russian cities that offers individual and group classes, business courses, and programs for children of any age.

CREF Language Center: a school in Moscow that offers individual and group classes, both in-person and online. In addition, the school can organize visa support and book tickets to ensure your move to Russia goes smoothly.

Learning Russian for free in Russia

Some websites like Tandem will help you to practice Russian in exchange for helping them practice your native language.

Meetup groups through the website meetup.com will help you to practice your Russian.

Meetup groups also offer you the chance to meet with native Russian speakers to practice your Russian. You can find them on meetup.com or via social media, including Facebook and its Russian equivalent, Vkontakte (VK).

There are also organizations like Migrant Children , a Moscow-based charity that offers free Russian language tuition to adults and children who have migrated to Russia.

Learn Russian online

You can find a lot of options to practice your Russian for free like the next ones:

RussianPod101 is a service offering audio and video lessons, flashcards, word lists, and personal guidance from a qualified Russian teacher.

Moscow State University offers an online language course. Lessons take place via Zoom or Skype, and you can decide how intensive you want your course to be. Upon completion, you will receive a certificate.

RussianLessons.net offers free Russian language-learning resources, including dozens of video lessons, worksheets, word lists, and grammar tables.

Other handy online learning resources

You can also use a lot of podcasts to practice your Russian. For example, getto know about Russian for Cats. This podcast teaches key vocabulary by telling stories about cats. More advanced learners may enjoy Slow Russian, whose host reads a brief article in Russian before explaining the vocabulary, grammar, and idiomatic language used in the article.

Then there is Multitran, which is an online Russian dictionary and translator, offering both general and technical vocabulary, as well as idiomatic terms.

For vigorant enthusiasts, GLOSS is a giant database (with 649 Russian lessons) of courses and quizzes.

Finally, FluentU simply dishes out thousands of videos – from music videos to full-length features or political documentaries, while Interlinear Books is the perfect Russian language learning tool for bookworms.

Learning Russian with a computer or smartphone app

In the recent years apps offer a lot of possibilities to learn Russian for free. You can easily download a language learning app to help them master the Russian.

Some of the popular language-learning apps include:

AnkiApp: based on flashcards to help you practice sounds, texts, and images.

Babbel: Offers activities with short, interactive lessons, podcasts, short stories, and games.

Busuu: focuses on real-life communication needs and useful sentences.

Duolingo: Focuses on themed language lessons designed to help users quickly learn vocabulary, sentence structure, and pronunciation.

Memrise: Provides thousands of videos of native speakers to help create a real-life feel.

We do really advise you to try computer programs to learn Russian. Those are:

Rosetta Stone: offers pronunciation feedback, bite-size lessons, real-life scenarios, and cultural background.

Michel Thomas: Michel Thomas takes classroom anxiety out of learning to focus on the building blocks of a language.

Pimsleur Comprehensive: A 360-degree experience that includes phrases, vocabulary, and grammar along with speech, reading, and comprehension exercices.

Transparent Language: covers everything from the alphabet for beginners to business jargon.

Learn Russian outside the classroom

We can also suppose that you prefer to learn Russian on the go. So, we truly advise you to join a local club to practice your Russian with native speakers. For doing that you can also find friends in network groups like Learning Russian with Russians on the VK social network. You could also follow TikTok accounts for learning Russian.

Learning Russian through play

We advise you start watching Russian TV especially kids cartoons. Their characters speak Russian slowly and clearly. You can also watch movies with Russian subtitles. Thus, you can combine – enjoy the movie and also learn new words.

Learning the language for children in Russia

Kids normally perceive languages faster than adults, so, move to Russia is a great opportunity for them. This will definitely help them to find a good job. But, firstly, you need to make sure that they have basic knowledge of Russian in advance. Then you can send them to a Russian public school. Secondly, if you send them to an international school they will also practice speaking Russian.

Fortunately, you have several options to prepare your children for school:

To prepare you kid to school you need:

Native-speaking Russian teacher that you can find via online portals like Vash Repetitor. You will usually pay 1000 -2000 Rubles for one-hour lesson depending on your location and the teacher’s level of experience.

Stimulate your kids to watch Russian cartoons like Masha and the Bear to learn Russian words and basic grammar.

Language schools often offer special courses for children. KidsKey and Russificate Kids are two examples of online language schools for children.

Learning the language for business and professionals in Russia

I you are going to live in Russia for a long time then you should take a Russian language course for business. You can find a lot of available courses and it often happen that language schools send their teachers to companies to teach employees. Usually, this expense is for the company bill therefore you should ask you employer if they are ready to pay for your lesson.

Official language examinations and qualifications in Russia

If you want to study at a Russian university or get a job in the country, taking the Test of Russian as a Foreign Language (TORFL) will be the necessity. This Russian state-sponsored exam allows foreign citizens to obtain official certification of their Russian language abilities. In addition, this exam will help you pursue Russian citizenship through naturalization.

The results of the TORFL conform to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). This means that the certification you receive will indicate your level of Russian on a scale from A1 (beginner) to C2 (proficient).

There are accredited TORFL testing centers in cities all over Russia, as well as 59 centers located in 25 countries around the world:

• Azerbaijan (Baku) ;

• Bahrain (Manama) ;

• Indonesia (Jakarta) ;

• Iran (Tehran, Amol, Isafahan);

• China (Beijing, Harbin, Haihe, Xien, Zhengchou, Uhan, Taiwan, Chengdu, Nankin, Jinan) ;

• Korea (Tagu, Seul) ;

• Malaysia (Kuala -Lumpur) ;

• Singapore (Singapore) ;

• Thailand (Bangkok) ;

• Uzbekistan (Tashkent, Chirchichi, Andijan, Jizzaki, Samarkand, Urgench) ;

• Japan (Tokyo, Kyoto) ;

• Gambia (Kanifying) ;

• Cameroon (Yaoundé) ;

• Kenya (Nairobi) ;

• Tunisia (Hammamet) ;

• South Africa (Durban) ;

• Belarus (Minsk) ;

• The United Kingdom (London) ;

• Hungary (Budapest) ;

• Germany (Hamburg, Munich, Nuremberg, Dortmund) ;

• Greece (Thessaloniki, Corinf, Athens, Orestead, Yanosos) ;

• Ireland (Navan) ;

• Spain (Barcelona, Madrid, Malaga) ;

• Italy (Brindisi, Bologna, Parma, Naples, Montecy-Maggiore) ;
• Cyprus (Limassol) ;

• Netherlands (Rotterdam) ;

• Poland (Warsaw, Lodz) ;

• Romania (Bucharest) ;

• Serbia (Belgrade) ;

• Slovakia (Riimavska-Sobota) ;

• Turkey (Ankara) ;

• France (Paris) ;

• Czech Republic (Prague) ;

• Switzerland (Wintertour) ;

• Estonia (Tallinn) ;

• United States (Yorktown, Salip) ;

• Argentina (Buenos Aires) ;

• Brazil (Porto -Alegry, En Jose, Brasilia) ;

• Mexico (Mexico) ;

• Peru (Lima) .