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Nikolay
3rd October 2013, 02:15
I've always had a fascination with Russia, and would one day like to visit, or even live there (that'll be far off, though). I would love to learn the Russian language.

So does anyone know good sites, books, etc that I could use? I'd prefer not to spend lots of money (maybe 100 - 200 dollar range). I'm iffy on Rosetta Stone.. so yeah.
slum
3rd October 2013, 04:26
check your local library for language learning resources. it may seem obvious but you'd be surprised at how much modern language learning material is accessible there for free. you may need to invest in a tape deck or cd player, though, as often it is older stuff.

aaaand if you can put up with using the same program the US military uses, headstart2 courses for multiple languages are available for free here: http://hs2.lingnet.org/ just select the 'launch course' option and register with an alias of your choosing. this only works if you consistently use the same computer, though.
Os Cangaceiros
3rd October 2013, 08:32
Russians are very snobby about outsiders speaking Russian. It's not like talking to a Spanish speaker where they will laugh and cheerfully correct your mangled pronunciations. With languages like Russian and French you've gotta bring your A-game
sixdollarchampagne
4th October 2013, 04:56
Russians are very snobby about outsiders speaking Russian. It's not like talking to a Spanish speaker where they will laugh and cheerfully correct your mangled pronunciations. With languages like Russian and French you've gotta bring your A-game

I was a Russian language/literature major in the late 1960's, and the Russians I encountered, as I studied their language, were actually extremely kind. They would say stuff like, "Oh, you speak Russian brilliantly," which was nice and encouraging. They appreciated our interest in their language and culture (of course, it was the USSR back then).

Maybe the difference is that since the USSR no longer exists, Russians no longer have to conform to prescribed opinions from the Soviet government, etc. They are free to be themselves. I don't really know, but, back in the day, the Russians sure were nice to me.
adipocere
6th October 2013, 23:23
I've been using Rosetta Stone Russian for awhile now, and it's working for me. :)