How to get fluent, with Dr Popkins

How to learn a foreign language. Methods, matrials and stories to help you maximise your effectiveness on the road to fluency

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In-depth explorations, actionable tips and inspiring conversations for language learners who REALLY want to get fluent…..plus a little bit of fun along the way.

Get Russian verb aspects right every time

By Dr Popkins Leave a Comment

Russian verb aspects

Russian verb aspects can feel like the bane of a learner’s life. Just when you’ve learned some common Russian verbs, you discover that you have to learn a second set. For most verbs in English, Russian has a pair: an imperfective and a perfective. For “to say”, we have govorit’ and skazat’, for “to see” videt’ and uvidet’. But what’s the difference between the imperfective and … [Read more...]

How to learn Russian fast

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So, you want to learn Russian fast? There’s no hiding it, getting really good at Russian is a big undertaking that takes a lot of time: maybe 300 hours study for a basic, functional “working knowledge” at the “lower intermediate” level (sometimes called “B1”).  It also takes a shedload of commitment. But here’s the thing! If you’re motivated, you can achieve specific goals … [Read more...]

A2 Russian: the upper beginner skills, vocabulary and grammar that you need

By Dr Popkins 6 Comments

In this post, we'll set out the speaking, listening, reading and writing skills that you need to succeed at "upper beginner" or "A2" level in Russian. We'll look at how much Russian vocabulary you need for A2 and how much Russian grammar you should know. This is the first in a series looking at the different "staging posts" on the journey to fluent Russian. But why look at … [Read more...]

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