About Russian language for adult learners

May 27, 2016

in Russian vocabulary by Marina Koker

What Russian Colloquial Speech Is And What It IS NOT

“Colloquial speech” is a confusing concept in regards to the Russian language because it is used for two entirely different meanings:

1) a “common, everyday speech”, i.e. speech that is used by all Russians in daily communication.
2) a “colloquial style of speech”, i.e. one of the styles within the Literary Russian Language (литературный русский язык) that is used by educated Russians in their informal communication.

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April 29, 2016

in Russian vocabulary by Marina Koker

Do I Really Need Idioms? Yes, You Do!

Common Russian idioms still sound foreign to you? You are not sure when it’s time to learn them and how to approach them?

It’s important to recognize Russian idioms and understand their meaning when you read or listen in Russian. It becomes absolutely essential to learn common Russian idioms when you move up to the higher levels at the ILR scale (Level 3 and up) and need to understand the tone of the text. Idioms could often be your only hint about the author’s attitude.

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