Thread: Sounds silly, but it works! (At least for me)

When I first began studying Russian I made flash cards of the Russian alphabet. I then taped them to the walls of our house -- the bathroom, bedroom, living room, etc. Each time I saw one I would say it out loud. It only took me a week or so to have the entire alphabet memorized.

Now I'm going to start with vocabulary...Taping cards to objects around the house w/their Russian equivalents (except for the cats).

Originally Posted by Clesmer

(except for the cats).

Hahahahahahaha that'd be SO funny

Originally Posted by Yazeed

Originally Posted by Clesmer

(except for the cats).

Hahahahahahaha that'd be SO funny

It'd be funnier with family members.

Thats a great idea! I did make flash cards for the alphabet although I didn't tape them to anything. I like the idea of labeling everthing with its russian name, that should make it easier to associate the word with the object itsef instead of associating the russian word with the english word and then the object.

Beautiful way to study the foreign language!
I believe when Adam was young his Father did the same to help him learn the human language! Including cats surelly!

Take the nut shell, a toothpick, a piece of paper and a little wax ball. Write ВОДА on the paper and fix it on the toothpick like the sail, Then fix the sail in the nut shell by the wax ball. Put the ship on the water and here you go.

Originally Posted by Clesmer

When I first began studying Russian I made flash cards of the Russian alphabet. I then taped them to the walls of our house -- the bathroom, bedroom, living room, etc. Each time I saw one I would say it out loud. It only took me a week or so to have the entire alphabet memorized.

Now I'm going to start with vocabulary...Taping cards to objects around the house w/their Russian equivalents (except for the cats).

I guess it's more hard to learn russian vocabrurary than russian alfabet... But dont be upset - yall have got over and thought in, like I already have !!! (I have already known (almost) all russian vorabrurary!!! It remains to me to learn English vocabrurary!!!)

Originally Posted by Leof

Beautiful way to study the foreign language!
I believe when Adam was young his Father did the same to help him learn the human language! Including cats surelly!

Take the nut shell, a toothpick, a piece of paper and a little wax ball. Write ВОДА on the paper and fix it on the toothpick like the sail, Then fix the sail in the nut shell by the wax ball. Put the ship on the water and here you go.

I thought boat was лодка. Is бода a different case or something? (altavista says it means water, but they're often wrong)

Originally Posted by Clesmer

When I first began studying Russian I made flash cards of the Russian alphabet. I then taped them to the walls of our house -- the bathroom, bedroom, living room, etc. Each time I saw one I would say it out loud. It only took me a week or so to have the entire alphabet memorized.

Now I'm going to start with vocabulary...Taping cards to objects around the house w/their Russian equivalents (except for the cats).

Bizarre and labor intensive, but if it works for you, that's all that matters. Here's an idea I got from one of my professors: take an index card, quarter it and punch a hole in it. Then get a keyring (it's best to just strip it off a free keychain from somewhere) and string them on their. You now have a compact, portable flashcard set you can check out on the bus, at the checkout line, in the toilet, during class, when giving birth, whatever.

Originally Posted by Layne

I thought boat was лодка.

You thought right - the boat is лодка but I meant the water - how to stick the paper to the water? Although one can fill the glass by water and stick a paper to it.

Somewhere in another thread there was an exhaustive list of russian names for boats. I wonder if there was a name for a tiny boat made from a wallnut shell sailing in a glass of drinking water?

кораблик
..плывущий сквозь бурю в стакане с водой.

I am a highly visual learner, and I need images to solidify the concept in my brain -- flashcards with pictures and words work well...Flashcards with just words and nothing else aren't as effective for me. Flashcards used as labels on household objects work /really/ well for me.

My favorite vocabulary site is this one: http://www.languageguide.org/russian/

It's perfect for audio/visual learners...

Originally Posted by Chuvak

I guess it's harder to learn russian vocabulary than the russian alphabet... But dont be upset - yall have got over and thought in(You should rephrase this), like I already have !!! (I have already learnt (almost) all russian vocabulary!!!I still need to/all that remains is to learn English vocabulary!!!)

Originally Posted by Barmaley

Here's an idea I got from one of my professors: take an index card, quarter it and punch a hole in it. Then get a keyring (it's best to just strip it off a free keychain from somewhere) and string them on their. You now have a compact, portable flashcard set you can check out on the bus, at the checkout line, in the toilet, during class, when giving birth, whatever.

Hey! That is my invention!!! I use one of those round binder fastener.. Once assembled, I can wear my words on my finger. Like a ring...
Your professor must have seen me wearing my words...

I am actually at a point where I find using flash cards to be a waste of time. It seems that I cannot remember a single, lone word out of context.
I have to read, read, read... And listen. It seems that I can retain a word if I hear a word that I read somewhere else. Then, "ah-ha", I know that word...

You guys share this experience?

Originally Posted by Clesmer

My favorite vocabulary site is this one: http://www.languageguide.org/russian/...

Thanks. This site is sort of cool.

Originally Posted by leslie_

I am actually at a point where I find using flash cards to be a waste of time. It seems that I cannot remember a single, lone word out of context.
I have to read, read, read... And listen. It seems that I can retain a word if I hear a word that I read somewhere else. Then, "ah-ha", I know that word...

You guys share this experience?

I'm something like that. I'm an audio learner first and formost, and secondly a kinesthetic one. So that's been making learning Russian on my own rather interesting, as I only have a textbook, a dictionary and only a vague idea of how to pronounce anything. I've taken to staking out a table in my school's library near where a group of Russian boys usually sit talking so I can study how things are pronounced, though usually, I have no idea what the heck they're talking about.

I have nothing to add, I just love the leslie_'s green!

Originally Posted by basurero

Originally Posted by Chuvak

I guess it's harder to learn russian vocabulary than the russian alphabet... But dont be upset - yall have got over and thought in(You should rephrase this), like I already have !!! (I have already learnt (almost) all russian vocabulary!!!I still need to/all that remains is to learn English vocabulary!!!)

Can I say: "you will have got thought it, like I already have !!!"???

I'm not sure what you are trying to say.