The best way to learn Russian is a mix: mostly Russian you can understand, plus review and real conversation, with the balance set by your goal. Russian you can mostly understand is called comprehensible input. Below, you'll see what each way of learning builds and the mix that suits six common goals.
Which Ways of Learning Russian Work Best?
Reading and listening to Russian at your level works best, and each other method adds one skill on top of it.
| Method | What it builds | Use it for |
|---|---|---|
| Reading and listening at your level | Words, grammar and listening | Most of your time |
| A structured course | An order for the basics | Your first months |
| A tutor or conversation partner | Speaking and quick replies | Using what you know |
| Flashcards or other review | Words that stay with you | A few minutes each session |
| Films, shows and news | Natural, everyday Russian | Fun, once you follow most of it |
| Grammar study | Why an ending changes | Case endings that confuse you |
Input is the base of the mix: a 2016 review of 49 studies in Reading in a Foreign Language, a University of Hawaii journal, found that reading a lot of easy material improves reading in a new language.
What Is the Best Way to Learn Russian for Your Goal?
For every goal, the best way is the same base of reading and listening, with the rest of your time on the skill that goal needs most.
- Read Russian ClassicsSpend most of your time reading short stories at your level, and move on to classic novels once longer stories feel easy to follow.
- Talk With Family or FriendsRead and hear lots of everyday conversations, and spend the rest of your time talking with them or with a tutor.
- Travel Where Russian Is SpokenSpend most of your time on short dialogues about cafes and getting around, and say each one out loud.
- Pass TORFLRead and listen at your level most of the time, and try the sample tests on St. Petersburg State University's TORFL page as the test gets close.
- Follow the NewsRead and hear Russian about everyday life first, and move on to BBC News Russian once longer texts feel easy.
- Work in RussianRead and hear Russian about your field most of the time, and practice the polite вы (you) and formal speech with a tutor.
To see how many hours each stage takes, read how long it takes to learn Russian.
What Are the Best Resources for Each Part?
Each part of the mix has a good free option, such as Russian For Everyone for grammar or Anki for review, and an app or service for when you want more. Bubblegum, which appears in a few rows, is a language app where Poppy, an AI tutor, writes Russian lessons at your level about things you like.
| Part | Free option | App or service |
|---|---|---|
| Learning Cyrillic | Bubblegum's Russian Cyrillic course | LingoDeer, whose course teaches the alphabet from scratch |
| Reading and listening at your level | Bubblegum's Russian lessons on this site, and videos from Comprehensible Russian on YouTube | Bubblegum or Russian Readers |
| Shows, news and books | Language Reactor for shows, BBC News Russian for news | LingQ for books, videos and articles you choose |
| Review | Anki, free on computers and Android | Bubblegum's Regenerative Review™, which brings saved words back in new lessons |
| Conversation | A language exchange on HelloTalk | A tutor on italki or Preply |
| Grammar | Free lessons on Russian For Everyone, and every form of a word on OpenRussian | LingoDeer, with grammar tips in each lesson |
What Should You Avoid?
Avoid anything that keeps you from reading real Russian sentences you can follow.
- Russian in English LettersCyrillic shows Russian sounds better than English letters can, so read every Russian word in Cyrillic from the start.
- Case Tables With No SentencesLearn each ending from lines you have read, so it comes with an example of how it is used.
- Films You Can't Follow YetSave films for when you can follow a scene with Russian subtitles on, and watch videos made for learners before that.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it better to learn Russian with an app or a teacher?
Use an app for the hours of reading and listening, and a teacher for speaking and corrections. Lessons with a tutor on italki or Preply are paid, so spend that time talking, and do your reading and listening on your own.
Should I learn Russian grammar first?
No. Learn Cyrillic first, then learn grammar from the Russian you read and hear, and look a pattern up when it confuses you. A rule is easier to learn once you have seen it a few times: after У меня есть кот (I have a cat) and У меня есть брат (I have a brother), the pattern for "I have" is easy to spot.
Which Russian app should a beginner choose?
If you are serious about learning Russian, start with Bubblegum. Poppy writes lessons at your level about things you like. Our Russian app comparison covers courses, tutors and speaking apps too.
Is Bubblegum free?
Yes. The lesson library is free for everyone, because we believe everyone should be able to learn. It holds lessons that other learners asked Poppy for. A new custom lesson costs us real money to make, so your first one is free, and Bubblegum Pro gives you unlimited custom lessons.
The Russian Cyrillic course and the Russian lessons on this site are also free and need no account.
Sources
- Jeon and Day (2016), The effectiveness of ER on reading proficiency: A meta-analysis, Reading in a Foreign Language 28(2), University of Hawaii
- St. Petersburg State University Language Testing Centre, TORFL (Test of Russian as a Foreign Language): six levels and sample tests
- Anki, official downloads (free computer version and AnkiDroid)
- HelloTalk, learn Russian (free language exchange)
- Russian For Everyone (free online course with grammar lessons)
- OpenRussian: About (free dictionary with stress marks and every form of a word)
