Survival Russian
I just received my copy of Survival Russian. I have thumbed through it and feel that my Russian Language skills will expand exponentially the more I read it.
I just received my copy of Survival Russian. I have thumbed through it and feel that my Russian Language skills will expand exponentially the more I read it.
Excellent...a great book for the beginner and even better as a refresher for someone already fairly conversant.
I just received my copy of Survival Russian. I have thumbed through it and feel that my Russian Language skills will expand exponentially the more I read it.
Excellent...a great book for the beginner and even better as a refresher for someone already fairly conversant.
Both useful and amusing.
Initially I purchaised the book for my slef and my husband, but it arrive jsut in time for my frind's birthday. he is learnning Russian and I belive this will be great help to him when he goes to Russia.
This is a handy book to have for mew Russian learners.
Faith and Humor
Very useful for learning Russian idioms that one could not acquire from any other source. Very authentic.
This isn't a grammar or vocabulary book. But do use this in addition to your textbooks and dictionaries. Russian itself is already a maddeningly difficult enough language, what with the enormous vocabulary, complex grammar, 6 nerve-wracking cases,endless seemingly-senseless rules, even more broken rules, exceptions, and general crazy irregularities. Add to that theinfinite number of cultural bits and pieces that enrich this gorgeous language to the point of over saturation, and you've got a beautiful, but complicatedmaze.Survival Russian is essential for explaining many of theidioms, sayings and other perplexities thatare embedded in everyday Russian speech. History, film, literature, economics, politics, folklore, fairy tales, and really every part of life have all contributed to this overflowingtreasure chest that isRussian language. This book will help you unravel parts of the maze and help you to not look like an idiot with that glazed-eye look of confusion when you are confronted with yet another saying that makes everyone, except YOU, laugh or nod in conspiratorial understanding.I am so glad these essays were put into one collection. I've read this once but will not part with this book until I've memorised every bit of it. And every page is really crammed full of information. The book is small enough that you can carry it aboutif you need to.The little study guide in the back is very nice. It is simply a sort of index, by chapter, with the phrases and spaces for you to write your translations, after you've read the corresponding material, and it's set up in vertical columns so you can either cover up the Russian or the English and quiz yourself. It is well worth the price and a very good investment.May God bless Mikhail Ivanov!
Not having been to Russia for too many years, I'm not sure how many of the wonderful quirky expressions in this entertaining book are still in common use. But who cares - amusement, information and cultural insights leap out of every page. Read it and you will certainly know "where the dog is buried...."
"I read Survival Russian from cover to cover; willingly putting it down only for vitally and/or professionally necessary distractions... Every column I read provided me with valuable and/or amusing new phrases or insights."— Lydia Razran Stone, SlavFile (Fall 2007, publication of the Slavic Language Division of the American Translators Association)