Thread: Russian For Dummies

im reading "Russian For Dummies" so far, it is helping me, is it a good resource?

Originally Posted by YuliaVolkovaFan

im reading "Russian For Dummies" so far, it is helping me, is it a good resource?

This one?
http://www.amazon.com/Russian-Phrases-D ... 0470149744

(c)I am very disappointed with this book. I have been studying Russian since 2003 and am always looking for more speaking Russian books to get someone else's perspective. The entire book is transliterated (written in Latin characters.) .....

If it is true about total transliteration, I second this dude. The other question is how they deal with palatalized consonants pronunciation and their pronunciation guide as a whole ( нет is pronounced like nyet =dump it now )

Originally Posted by vox05

This one?

The link you provided is for "Russian Phrases for Dummies".
But in fact "Russian for Dummies" is transliterated too (I have it). Not a single word in Russian! I was shocked, actually.
It's ok, if you want to pick up some grammar, but absolutely useless for those, who want to learn how to read or speak in Russian.

That's how they write Russian words and explain the pronunciation:
muzyka (moo-zih-kuh; music)
univyersityet (oo-nee-veer-see-tyet; university)
etc.
You won't be able to read 'real' Russian (to recognize Russian words without thinking while reading, which comes with practice), because you'll probably forget the Russian alphabet after using this book.

But the last chapters on Russian traditions and habits are funny and are not far from the truth.

PS. "Russian for Dummies" on Amazon - link

I guess the publishers think that dummies can't learn cyrillic... they do have a point?

Originally Posted by kalinka_vinnie

I guess the publishers think that dummies can't learn cyrillic... they do have a point?

dumbies... maybe

если нам не врут - (c)"decision to take the Cyrillic alphabet out of the book was made by the publisher, NOT by the authors! Dr. Gettys wasn't happy about the publisher's decision (nor should she have been)"

however... If they are aimed on speaking and listening and are ignoring reading/writing ( like a phrasebook for tourists ), Cyrillic instead of phonetic transliteration ( unless complemented with IPA notation ) may be even less useless. For dumbies.

Originally Posted by gRomoZeka

Originally Posted by vox05

This one?

The link you provided is for "Russian Phrases for Dummies".
But in fact "Russian for Dummies" is transliterated too (I have it). Not a single word in Russian! I was shocked, actually.
It's ok, if you want to pick up some grammar, but absolutely useless for those, who want to learn how to read or speak in Russian.

That's how they write Russian words and explain the pronunciation:
muzyka (moo-zih-kuh; music)
univyersityet (oo-nee-veer-see-tyet; university)
etc.
You won't be able to read 'real' Russian (to recognize Russian words without thinking while reading, which comes with practice), because you'll probably forget the Russian alphabet after using this book.

But the last chapters on Russian traditions and habits are funny and are not far from the truth.

PS. "Russian for Dummies" on Amazon - link

i ordered "Russian for dummies" from amazon.com, and the phrases book came with it, i have memorized many letters, from the russian alphabet, but did so before i got the book. what do you recomend i buy to help me learn to speak in every day conversations?

Originally Posted by kalinka_vinnie

I guess the publishers think that dummies can't learn cyrillic... they do have a point?

my dad bought me this book, to help me, and im not sure if its a good source. i did think it was but now im not sure

Just get this one instead.
http://www.powells.com/cgi-bin/biblio?i ... 40120417-8

Originally Posted by DDT

Just get this one instead.
http://www.powells.com/cgi-bin/biblio?i ... 40120417-8

this book was one I also asked my dad for, Ill ask him to get me this one. thank-you

Hmmm. I have a copy of "Calculus for Dummies" and I think it's a great book. I bought it when I needed a refresher and it taught me ~90% of what a full calculus textbook would have taught in a tenth of the time. It sounds like the "Russian for Dummies" book is a travesty though. Unless it's marketed exclusively to tourists as a phrasebook, not teaching the Cyrillic alphabet is inexcusable for a Russian text. Yes, it takes time to master, but it doesn't take a particularly long time to get the basic letters down, probably a week or less for most people. And it gave me a great sense of accomplishment the first time I was able to read "нет" and know what that word was. In fact, because I was concentrating so hard on learning the individual letters, I think it was easier for me to learn vocabulary at first.

As for "The New Penguin Russian Course", I'll heartily agree that it's an excellent book. And, it's quite cheap. I think I got it new for $12. The only thing it really lacks is a CD that you can listen to.

Originally Posted by Grogs

Unless it's marketed exclusively to tourists as a phrasebook, not teaching the Cyrillic alphabet is inexcusable for a Russian text.

They do have a table of Russian alphabet in the first chapter. There are all Cyrillic letters, their English equivalents and pronuciation explained. But that's all.

Gromozeka, I was wondering, in Russia, is it common to find English transliterated to Cyrillic?

Originally Posted by xRoosterx

I was wondering, in Russia, is it common to find English transliterated to Cyrillic?

Mostly in proper nouns, sometimes in loanwords if they are not yet part of Russian vocabulary. Transliteration is pronetical ( with th becoming s/z/d/t ) and diphtongs... let alone poor diphtongs ( eg "экзит пул" ). I've never seen transliteration as a pronunciation guide in books for learning English. In other books if author need to write a direct speech or tag/sign written in Latin alphabet, 99% it is in Latin with translation to Russian in the footnote.

Originally Posted by xRoosterx

Gromozeka, I was wondering, in Russia, is it common to find English transliterated to Cyrillic?

Of course I'm not Gromozeka but I'll try answering -). In books of learning english using direct speech written in Latin alphabet as have already said vox05. But in from russian to english conversation books I've seen transliteration way into cyrillic for all non understanding latin alphabet. I saw the same way from russian to spanish conversation books. So I think you can decide to yourself as often it is -). I hope, I answered your question.

Originally Posted by Scrabus

But in from russian to english conversation books I've seen transliteration way into cyrillic for all non understanding latin alphabet. I saw the same way from russian to spanish conversation books.

"Разговорник" переводится как conversation book? Я думала, это phrase-book.
Phrase-books are not textbooks for learners, they are just brochures for tourists.
I saw the cyrillic transliteration only in разговорникs and never in serious учебникs.

Originally Posted by Оля

"Разговорник" переводится как conversation book? Я думала, это phrase-book.
Phrase-books are not textbooks for learners, they are just brochures for tourists.
I saw the cyrillic transliteration only in разговорникs and never in serious учебникs.

Насколько мне известно правильны оба варианта. Если я не прав, то поправка приветствуется.

Thank you all for your answers. I was just wondering

Originally Posted by Grogs

As for "The New Penguin Russian Course", I'll heartily agree that it's an excellent book. And, it's quite cheap. I think I got it new for $12. The only thing it really lacks is a CD that you can listen to.

Excellent book indeed. The best one for learning russian in my opinion. But like you said it's flaw is that it lacks a CD. For a CD based one I recommend the Living Language Complete Beginner Course or their Ultimate Russian Beginner-intermediate Course.

I have it too and I hate it. Not only is it all in the Latin alphabet, but they explain adjectives incorrectly! They say ий changes to яя and ее when it is really ний that changes to those...