What are the most popular approaches to learning Russian?
There is a plenty of approaches in the world of teaching foreign languages. Learning English is moving forward so fast that it encourages teaching systems for other languages to improve, offering new ways and techniques. There is a number of websites on the Internet that are offering to learn English (or another language) watching TV-shows with subtitles, reading books along with their translations, listening to the songs and just chatting with the native speakers.
What about approaches to learning Russian then? Currently, there are quite a few of them. Most of the Russian coursebooks, especially ones written by Russian authors, are focused on using only one specific method. They assume that the student learns grammar rules extremely fast and starts practising them right away meanwhile daily phrases and communication are almost out of the picture, same as modern lifestyle and situations. Most of the vocabulary topics in these coursebooks would be more helpful for 20th century students rather than 21st.
Is there a better way to learn Russian?
Our language school has developed our own icebreaking approach to teaching Russian as a foreign language. Basing on the last achievements in foreign language teaching fundamentals, we created a set of methods and techniques that together build a learning system of a significantly higher quality.
Basically, our approach enables the student to speak starting from the very first classes, using just the grammar basics. We have built a unique plan of vocabulary topics that match life situations everybody faces on a regular basis. These topics for example are: meeting new people, clothes, house and furniture, hobbies and free time, work etc. Gaining the most essential vocabulary from the very beginning, the language student is able to put it in a simple sentence to discuss daily matters quite soon after the course start.
What is so special about that language learning system we have developed?
Our approach has several disctinctive features. Firstly, all the vocabulary the students learn is connected to a specific topic and situation that helps remember the words faster and more effectively. Secondly, each grammar construction is studied using the vocabulary from the topic that enables building the connections between the grammar structure and words related to the topic and memorizing them fast. Last but not least, the main focus at every our language class is communication. Each task at the lesson includes a speaking part to get the most from the studying process. Grammar elements are being introduced into the topics structure very smoothly, each following step developing the previous one. Therefore the student obtains the consistent and comprehensive understanding of each new rule and avoids confusion.
Our teaching system is based on the communicative approach to language learning. This means that the major part of the class exercises encourage students to speak – in pairs, in groups or to a teacher. This can be, for example, a task to tell the others about yourself, or express your opinion on a particular matter, take part in a dialogue, play out a situation, describe something or somebody – and many other. This all creates the environment where students practise all the new material they have just learned, get to know each other better and get a better grip of the language itself. And what is essential here, we break the language border, get rid of the fear of speaking and inconfidence when speaking Russian.
Due to this approach after just 8 classes our students are able to engage in a simple dialogue in Russian and read without problems. Each 10 classes we take chek-your-progress tests for students to help them keep the track on how well they are handling the learning material and what needs revision. After each module is finished, we issue a certificate with the number of hours. In case the test was rated as “good” or higher, we also put in the certificate the level the student has reached.
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Any questions? Email us, call us or come and visit us – we will be happy to provide you all the answers you need.
Converso Languages International 