Thread: How do you keep it going?

Hi there,

Up to now I've had classes and (strangely enough) recently passed an exam at Upper Intermediate level. The thing is that now I'm trying to read too many newspapers, learning too much vocabularly that won't go in and panicking in case I forget the grammar I have learned up to now. I'd be grateful for any tips any of you might have for measuring your own progress

When you find yourself effortlessly thinking and talking to yourself in Russian you have made progress.

Общайся с не говорящими по-английски русскими, чтобы тебе по необходимости приходилось формулировать свои мысли на русском

The thing I do, and it works quite well for vocabulary is to do (similar to the Pimsleur approach) and to keep randomly going back to words from before etc. So when I learn new vocabulary, it goes onto 2 seperate sheets in bubbles (like a brain storm) and every week I go over the previous ones I have learnt - so if you forget anything you re-learn it.

As for grammar, I guess just every now and then go back and make sure you still know it.

Andy

If you try and learn too much in a short space of time, it won't stick. You just have to find a way to use what you know naturally and in different forms so you're more likely to recall it with ease.

My Russian course says you should learn in small chunks. Test your self. Then test again in a week, then finally once a month for four months and if you know it all and can recall it perfectly then you're a lot more likey to remember it over a longer period.

You could also try to make audio recordings, you remember what you hear, especially if it's your own voice, more than if you're just reading something.

Originally Posted by Indra

Общайся с не говорящими по-английски русскими, чтобы тебе по необходимости приходилось формулировать свои мысли на русском

ты про себя?

Hi lads,

Thank you for all your suggestions. I think when you're no longer doing classes you lose your focus a bit and that's what's happened to me. I need to be more aware of my own learning style and what works for me. I should plan my study better and be more organised. JB I look forward very much to the time when I think and talk to myself in Russian. Thank you for your faith in me!

I'v been using this link at the moment where all the objects are pictures. In a way it seems to make it a little more natural to come to your mind - as in you see a tomato and you say the russian word, as opposed to translating it in your head - or at least thats the idea.

Sco

I'm really not sure how I measure my own progress... I guess mostly when I read russian in books or on this forum, i make a little mental note of how many words I have to look up to understand what is being said. I guess this isn't a very effective way, but over the last few months I've gone from having to look up maybe 80-70% of what is being written, to now where I have to look up maybe 30-20%.

I can't say that I think tests in a classroom or whatnot are a very good indication of progress. A lot of language programs are structured on units, like going to the store or buying a plane ticket. Usually, you learn a specific set of words and then use them in the appropriate context. But after going to Russia, I realized that nobody ever talks like what they test you on in the classroom, and I had to relearn my conversational skills.

Other little things I do to maintain my proficiency is have little conversations with myself in my head. Also, when I count out money or something like that, I count in russian (note: I try not to think of any english when I do it). Surprisingly, this really helps.

I don't know if anybody else who is learning russian has this problem, but for me my mind has to switch languages completely. Often times, when I'm doing russian homework at a cafe and a waitress brings me something, i'll reply in russian without even thinking about it! Only when I see her blank stare do I realize what i just did I'd be interested to hear if this ever happens to anyone else.

tdk

Originally Posted by kalinka_vinnie

Originally Posted by Indra

Общайся с не говорящими по-английски русскими, чтобы тебе по необходимости приходилось формулировать свои мысли на русском

ты про себя?

Угу
Когда тебя и так понимают, стимула говорить на иностранном языке нет. Возьмите хотя бы эту самую ветку.

ага, у меня такая же фигня. Просто становится лень говорить

вот есть у меня пару знакомых,которые ни по-русски,но по-англ ваще не спикают. (ну они просто не англичане). Так зато мне тааак приходится извилины напрягать чтобы с ними на их языке говорить практика обалденная получается

Originally Posted by Indra

Угу
Когда тебя и так понимают, стимула говорить на иностранном языке нет. Возьмите хотя бы эту самую ветку.

Ну, я пошутил. Просто было смешно, что ты писала по-русски, когда все писали по-английски, и писала что надо общаться с не говорящими по-английски русскими по-русски...

А, оказывается, kalinka_vinnie съехидничал.

Indra, he meant that you were that Russian who didn't speak English at all So those studying Russian should practice it with people like you.

kalinka_vinnie
Good one

Originally Posted by Vadim84

А, оказывается, kalinka_vinnie съехидничал.

Да какое ехидство, святая правда, я же нарочно по-русски написала.