Thread: I am new here!! Help please!

Hello all,

I just found this site and couldn't be happier! I have been studying Russian on my own since Sept and seem to have hit a dead end. I can sound anything out as I have learned the alphabet and can ask simple questions such as "Gdye Krasnay Blooshet?" or Yah Oostahla....
but when it comes to the grammar, I get soo confused!!

I have about 6 different grammar books and workbooks that I have bought, but none of them have really helped (I learn faster by listening)
I also have bought several Russian movies with english subtitles and listen to Russian radio almost daily....
Can anyone tell me if this will help? Is there anything else I can do to speed up the process?

I took that test that someone posted, but didn't get it quite finished, I got a 44% on part one and was amazed! Is that a good sign that I am picking it up?

I soo desperately want to be able to even hold a simple Russian conversation....what is the best way to just add vocabulary?

We are adopting a 12 year old girl from Russia and she will be home sometime in July....I would really love to be able to understand her and speak with her....

Any suggestions at all would be greatly appreciated!!

Wow, congratulations on your new daughter.
You seem very motivated to learn Russian.
Unfortunately, I have been studying my acc off since around August and I did not fare very well on the test either.
For me, I think music helps the most to build vocabulary.

There are thousands of free songs at this site:
http://www.russiandvd.com/store/

If you need the lyrics so that you can sing along, use this site:
http://www.miditext.ru/lyrics/ru/

There are a million on-line dictionaries, my favorite is:
http://www.multitran.ru/
(It even found the word for goatmeat)

And if you need to learn the different cases of a word or how to conjugate a verb, this site is very good:
http://russian.dmll.cornell.edu/rdt/

As far as grammer goes, I use a book that I bought at Barnes and Nobel. It is probably very similar to your books.

If you have any questions, post them here. I will try to help.

The rest is all up to you. Good luck.

Given the amount of time you have and if you learn by listening I'd suggest Pimsleur Comprehensive Russian I II & III. It is about $600 for the lot unless you can find it somewhere used. It is series of 90 lessens on CDs and you will be able to have a very limited conversation with your child by July if you start now. Since you have already been studying for a while you will find you have a good head start and will go through the first lessons fast.

Another, that some conversational classes use is Learn Russian the fast and fun way, by Barrons. It is a book and a set of 4 tapes for about $45. It is not as good as Pimsleur but at least it has a book. Pimsleur doesn't. The draw back of Learn Russian is that you need to have the book in front of you in order to take advantage of the tapes. Plus they are tapes and tapes suck.

If it was me I'd just get 'em both for variety along with some good grammar books. You can buy the buy the Learn Russian book without the tapes at some places. And make sure that your spouse studies also, hard.

If it is true that listening is your more prefered way, you should certainly do classes. If there are other things that you can put to the side, it would be worth making time for this. Maybe the grammar books don't help simply because you need the social factor. The people interaction may be what you're missing to make the language come alive. Reading grammar can feel like work, therefore you don't enjoy it, therefore you don't learn. You may need to have fun in some classes.
Socializing and art sound like the best way, by the sounds of things, to get rid of the drudgery feel to your learning.

And remember, your child will be teaching you Russian naturally. 12 years is alot of Russian under her belt. It's not as if you're supposed to all of a sudden know every word each other says. You'll learn each other's language together, all in good time. It's only when parents don't care about the child's native tongue that the language disappears from the household. You've got your whole life to communicate with her. No need to know everything the day you meet .

Good luck, I hope your daughter is nice, healthy and patient with your initially poor Russian .

F syeh Spaseeba Balshoe!!

Thank you very much everyone??? lol...

Those were all wonderful suggestions!! I agree that I should be in classes, but the only classes held around here are beginner classes....I just didn't want to pay alot of money to learn the alphabet again and simple greeting phrases....you know? I have several friends who are taking the class (they are adopting too) and I have known almost everything she has learned and she has been in it for 8 weeks!!

I also agree that I will learn much from my daughter, she was already here for two weeks in January for a visit and I think I learned more Russian that she did english!! lol....it was so funny because she would laugh at me and correct me when I would try to speak to her....we used one of the translation sites alot but they don't translate the best, at least we got a hint though....

I do have one of Pimsluer's CD sets....it cost about 25 dollars I think....it is basic greetings and easy sentences to get you through a trip to Russia....I went through all 7 lessons in two days....lolol....

I guess I am looking for more conversational lessons.

What would be the best way to increase my vocabulary?

And, can someone tell me why a sentence would be structured like this....

Dorogaya mya seemya......

Why is Dear before my family?? What is the concept of that and is that rule applied to most russian sentence formations?

I think I understand the gender rules for the most part....but it is just the sentence formation where I get stuck.

Another question....

Does anyone know the word for fun?? LIke, are you having fun??

I have looked everywhere and can't find it!! Also, silly little names like,

Sissy or sweetiepie......I can't find....

I have called her Olichka on many occasions and dooshenkah.....

ok, I won't ask any more questions for now......

I can't tell you how happy I am to have found this site!!!!!

Thank you again everyone!!!

Dear RUSKYMOMMA!
Congratulations and best wishes to you and your new daughter!
Your Russian would be a wonderful surprise for your girl.
This recommended Pimsleur could be found cheaper on Ebay.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... 35617&rd=1

THank you!! I bid on it!

Will let you know if I win!!!

Jenny

Olyah is my soon to be daughter's name(It will be Oliviah when she gets home)....she just turned 12 on March 24th.

She is soooo wonderful!!! I have gotten to speak with her on the phone several times since she went back to Russia.

I am sooo interested in Russian culture and want sooo badly for her NEVER to lose her language or interest in her country.

We plan to make Russian traditions a part of our home from now on....it is very exciting!!!

You will find all kinds of "tid bits" at Master Russian if you surf around this site. At the bottom of the page you can link to grammar and vocabulary. That is where I found this for you. For adoptive parents. http://www.meighan.net/alexander/Chapter17.htm
You are right about the classes. You will be ahead of a beginning class and some classes will go way too slow for you and give you little coversational skills to begin with. I depends on the course they use. But in the long run a class could be good to help you will the grammar. Just don't rely on
only a class.

Yes, I agree and thank you for the link!!!!!

Originally Posted by RUSKYMOMMA

Olyah is my soon to be daughter's name(It will be Oliviah when she gets home)....she just turned 12 on March 24th.

Just curious, did she want an English name or is it just easier that way for you?

Originally Posted by Pravit

Originally Posted by RUSKYMOMMA

Olyah is my soon to be daughter's name(It will be Oliviah when she gets home)....she just turned 12 on March 24th.

Just curious, did she want an English name or is it just easier that way for you?

My nephew here immediately changed his name from Sergey to Steve.

Didn't want to be "Surge", eh?

As for me, I was born Pravit and I'm going to stay Pravit. Despite hearing the old "Pvt. Pravit" joke about 3,000 seperate times from people who think they're innovative and witty. BTW, it is very common for Americans to pronounce(and write) my name as "Pvt.", I have really no idea why. Can you think of any English words that have an "a" pronounced as "eye"?

Sorry, thread hijack, anyhow, RUSSKYMOMA, I think the Pimsleur series would be a good choice for you too if you've tried the grammar books already and don't like them. Good luck.

Originally Posted by Pravit

Didn't want to be "Surge", eh?
As for me, I was born Pravit and I'm going to stay Pravit.

А я думала, что ты выбрал себе русское слово "Правит" что значит Rules like in King rules!

She actually picked out the name herself!! SHe is very excited to become Americanized!! I would have been happy calling her Olyah.

You can find an entire beginning Russian Language course; with dialog, written text, and exercises from Princton University here (and it's FREE!):

http://www.princeton.edu/russian/SLA...er link:<br />http://russian.dmll.cornell.edu/loras_dialogs/part1.htm

And: http://www.gwu.edu/%7Eslavic/golosa/
more importantly:
[url]http://www.gwu.edu/%7Eslavic/golosa/audio/audio1.htm
There are tons of free language materials on the Net if you search around...
Use every source you can find, practice all of the time. You will be surprised at your progress...

Russian movies with english subtitles and listen to Russian radio almost daily....
Can anyone tell me if this will help?

Absolutely, exposure is the best way of adapting.....(learning)

Good luck to you! I'm sure you'll do fine in the end.

By the way I've heard of people downloading Pimsleur courses for free over the internet, don't know where though...

I downloaded Pinsleur Russian from the net, then burned them on to CDs, and listen to them(and practice) when driving... I guess that means I'm a criminal.

Thank you thank you thank you!!!!

I can't wait to check them out!!!

Ok, wait a minute....lol...I didn't see page two!!!

You can download Pimsleur from the net?!?!?

Where?? Anyone have the link?? I have the cd's right here ready to go!!

spasiba Zhenya!!

By the way.....

anyone have a clue what my signature means??!?

I don't remember doing that!! LOOLLL

Does it mean, I am soon??!? loll