Thread: Basic vocabulary

Roosty is a time traveller.

Originally Posted by Leushka

Originally Posted by XPaul

Originally Posted by tohca

So once you have 5000 words under your belt you sould theortically be able to understand up to 80+ % of all written text. Of course keeping in mind the grammar.

It's a mistake, unfortunately. Trust me, I'm an old learner.
We can learn words in a context only. And you really will know a word when you can use it.

That is a bit of a generalization too, isn't it?

I admit that somebody can learn word list with 5000 words. As for me I can't. I can learn word list with 200 words.
Besides that, a language is more then knowing of grammar and translation of words.
I think word lists are useful to realize how many words you already know.

Says Leushka, who studies Russian by "good" methods only, but studied Latin by grammar and translations.

Which methods do you use to study Russian? I just wonder?
Latin is a peculiar language and word lists is more likely to learn it.

There are some useful tips on how to learn words in a series of books "Cambridge English Vocabulary in Use" by Michael McCarthy and Felicity O'Dell. They are suitable for Russian vocabulary too.

Originally Posted by XPaul

Which methods do you use to study Russian? I just wonder?
Latin is a peculiar language and word lists is more likely to learn it.

I started with some Russian Pimsleur, but now I'll use the free Princeton course and/or Assimil.

Obviously Latin is peculiar and my example was just because I learned it with word lists and grammar. I would NOT learn a living language with the same method (. All that I am saying is that "We can learn words in a context only" is a bit of a generalization.

( EDIT: as well as I would never learn Latin by the "modern" approach, with a dialogue between Marcus and Tullius, who meet on the street and greet themselves.

Sorry! Now I see what you mean.