Learning Russian

This afternoon, I begin my Russian language classes.  I actually had one session a couple of weeks ago, but didn't really click with the instructor -- she spent more time complaining about her life than teaching me any Russian.  I've been trying to find a new Russian teacher, and Ludmilla, my interpreter, suggested one of her friends named Nina.  Apparently, Nina previously worked at the KGB teaching Russian to Soviet allies who came to Moscow to learn the language -- Cubans, etc.  She is now retired, but teaches Russian on the side to supplement her pension.  Things should be interesting, as Nina uses the "direct" or natural method of instruction.  Simply put, she speaks no English.  Not a lick.  So I'll be learning Russian in Russian -- the same way I learned English. This should be an interesting experience, to say the least. 

My Russian is fairly limited -- I can engage in standard greetings, ask basic questions (like "can I have an English menu" and "how much is that" etc.), and make basic requests at the store, restaurant, etc.  I also find myself speaking a mongrelized version of Russian/English -- saying a few words in Russia, a few words in English, then a few more words in Russian.  Even when I am speaking with a fluent English speaker, I find myself anwering in Russian, which is weird. I'm dying to learn more in depth Russian, however, and am looking forward to beginning serious study. I expressed my concerns about this process to Ludmilla, but she assured me that Nina swears by the direct method of language learning.  She said that in the 70's and 80's, non-Russian speakers came to Moscow and left a year or two later speaking fluent Russian after taking classes at the KGB with Nina.  We'll see, I guess.  I'll post again with a follow up to let you know how the first course goes today.

Comments

[tjp]

I bought a CD to learn Russian with when we were thinking about adopting a Russian child. I found it very hard to learn and really only remember one or two words. I guess I don't have the knack for languages.

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[Buchanan]

I saw the word "mongrelized" and the first thing that popped into my head was, "Yep, mongrelized. That's my friend Jeff."

[Woody]

When I was living in Japan, most of my fellow students agreed that the quality of my language skills was directionally proporitonal to the amount of Kirin I was drinking.

[Kelly]

Is "mongrelized" a real word? How does it translate into Russian? ha ha

[MollyB]

Wow. Hope your learning style is a lot more auditory, or whatever it's called, than mine is. Immersion is great, but I need visuals and print. I learned a lot of German by reading e-mails (with a dictionary) and trash novels (without).

Listening to pop music and reading the text is great, too.

Oh, and - using just a target-language dictionary rather than English-target makes a huge difference.

All the best!