Archive for 'language'
Six Words You May Be Saying Wrong In Russian Posted by Maria on Apr 24, 2014
Russian did not contribute nearly as many loanwords to English as French or Spanish did. However, a few of these words of Russian origin are floating around in English. Naturally, many of them changed their meaning or pronunciation comparing to Russian. Here are a few words you should pay attention to when speaking Russian to…
Russian Easter. Can You Say “Христос Воскрес”? Posted by Jenya on Apr 16, 2014
This year Пасха (Easter) in Russia and Easter here in US coincidentally fall on the same day, so I decided to give you an overview of what Easter is like in Russia. First of all, forget the bunny; there is no Easter bunny in Russia. Also, forget the whole Easter basket for kids: Easter in…
Russian Verb Conjugations: Oh, Brother!.. Posted by Jenya on Mar 19, 2014
We all know that the way we learn our native tongue is very different from the way we learn a second language. A lot of research has been done in an attempt to make foreign language learning feel more natural, more enjoyable. The reason I am telling you this, as we approach the subject of…
Business trip to Russia: Vocabulary and Tips Posted by Jenya on Mar 12, 2014
Извините, я опаздываю. (Sorry, I am running late.) Давайте встретимся завтра в 10 утра. (Let’s meet tomorrow at 10 am.) Когда бы Вы хотели встретиться? (When would you like to meet?) Извините, Вы не подскажете, где ближайшая станция метро/стоянка такси? (Excuse me, could you tell me where the nearest subway station/place to get a cab…
How to Overcome The Language Barrier Posted by Jenya on Mar 5, 2014
When I came to the United States in the distant 2003, I was certain I had everything necessary to carry on a conversation beyond the the subjects of current weather and favorite things to eat. My arsenal consisted of mostly proper English language structures, a decent amount of polysyllabic adjectives, obsessive fixation on the English…
Four Resources for Natural-Sounding Russian Posted by Maria on Feb 20, 2014
We struggle with sounding idiomatic in our second language(s). We may master vocabulary and grammar and be able to express ideas in a way that is technically not wrong, but… так не говорят (you don’t say that). Naturally, learners are encouraged to watch TV, listen to music and podcasts, and travel to the country of…
On the snowy slopes – на заснеженном склоне Posted by Maria on Feb 13, 2014
With the Winter Olympics in Sochi in full swing, I thought the topics of winter sports may be worth revisiting. Что вы делали на выходных, дорогой читатель? (What did you do over the weekend, dear reader?) Let me tell you what I did, and we can note down some winter sports vocabulary. Я каталась на…