Russian Language Resources
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Russian is the most widely spoken language of Eurasia by land area and the most used of the Slavic languages. Russian belongs to the family of Indo-European languages and is one of three current members of the East Slavic language class. Russian is a Slavic language in the Indo-European family, its closest relatives being Ukrainian and Belarusian. In parts of eastern Ukraine and Belarus, a mix of these languages are spoken, and in specific areas bilingualism has resulted in mixed languages. An East Slavic dialect, is sometimes considered to be a forerunner of the modern Russian language. Russian is mainly spoken in Russia and, somewhat less frequently, in the other countries that were once part of the Soviet Union. Prior to 1917, it was the only official language of the Russian Empire. During the Soviet period, the policy toward the languages of the various other ethnic groups fluctuated in practice. Though each of the constituent republics had its own official language, the unifying role and superior status was reserved for Russian. Following the break-up of 1991, several of the newly independent states have encouraged their native languages, which has partly reversed the privileged status of Russian, though its role as the language of post-Soviet national intercourse throughout the region has continued Russian is the official language of Russia. It is also an official language of Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan. Russian is one of the six official languages of the United Nations. Education in Russian is still a popular choice for both Russian as a second language and native speakers in Russia as well as most of the former Soviet republics. With the fall of the Soviet Union, Russia introduced, rapidly, a market based economy. This economy, though not currently as robust as its western counterparts presents an enormous opportunity for business development and eventual growth. This makes learning Russian an essential tool for anyone considering doing business in Russia or the former Soviet states. Russia is still a country where English is not predominant (especially when compared to western Europe), making it all the more important to learn. Start Today! There is no time like the present, and never have so many resources been at your disposal for learning a foreign language. Check out the links and descriptions below to find a program that fits your needs.
Our Russian Resources
See the Russian Alphabet with explanations here. The Russian alphabet is based on the Cyrillic alphabet, which may be confusing at first to the Western learner. I only recommend Russian learning tools that use the Russian alphabet
Russian Learning Resources on the Web
Great free site with loads of text tutorials, as well as links to other Russian language resources on the web. No audio though. Excellent amount of material, both language and Russian culture. Unfortunately, has several broken links slow connections. All material is free however. Offers simple free lessons in several different languages. Not terribly much content, but it does covers the basics in Russian (as well as several other languages. Very neat site with audio help for learning basic Russian - well worth the visit. Lessons are aimed at the beginner and consist of crystal clear audio using different voices, cyrillic alphabet spelling, English phoenetic and a detailed explanation of pronunciation. Site requires (and detects) Flash for use. Delta Intercontact gives an excellent opportunity to study Russian in the heart of European Russia. Russian SoftwareHelp Me Learn Russian get your Free Russian Words and get your Free Demo Software to Learn Russian; Also includes Russian translation, etc... Russian Books and AudioEnglish Grammar for Students of Russian (English grammar series) By far and away the most important book in the library of the Russian learner. Relates English grammar to Russian grammar in a masterful presentation. If can only purchase a single book to accompany your other program, make it this one! It's inexpensive and
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