Using Russian: A Guide to Contemporary Usage Review

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Using Russian: A Guide to Contemporary Usage ReviewThis book is simply unbelievable in its scope and detail. It even surpasses Terrence Wade's "A Comprehensive Russian Grammar". Derek Offord starts out with an examination of the major levels of speech, i.e. register 1 (colloquial or common speech), register 2 (the polite speech of an educated person which is not formal), and register 3 (the advanced formal speech, such as scientific, official business, and publicistic speech). He also mentions a sub-level of speech which does not fall into the appropriate speech of the above registers, but includes slang and vulgar speech. He not only analyzes these levels of speech, but gives detailed examples of each. And that's just chapter one!
Chapter two deals with problems in meaning, such as homophones, homonyms, and words found only in the plural or only in the singular.
Chapter three deals with words that are hard to translate from English to Russian.
Chapter four deals with special vocabulary and idioms, including interjections and vulgar speech.
Chapter five delves into extrememly useful ways to use Russian for measurement, currency, fractions, time, telephone numbers, postal addresses, family relationships, public notices, abbreviations, acronyms, names of countries and nationalities, and names denoting inhabitants of Russian cities and towns.
Chapter six examines verbal etiquette in depth.
Chapter seven goes into word formation with all its variations, such as suffix and prefix, and augmentatives versus diminutives.
Chapter eight looks at inflection, chapter nine examines prepositions, and chapter ten goes deep into syntax for all the cases.
I agree with the previous reviewer who said that the word "awesome" would be an understatement to describe this book. This book is truly the key to mastery, well worth the money to buy it and the time to study it.Using Russian: A Guide to Contemporary Usage OverviewUsing Russian is a guide to Russian usage for those who have already acquired the basics of the language and wish to extend their knowledge. Unlike conventional grammars, it gives special attention to those areas of vocabulary and grammar which cause most difficulty to English speakers, and focuses on questions of style and register which are all too often ignored. Clear, readable and easy to consult, it will prove invaluable to students seeking to improve their fluency and confidence in Russian. This second edition has been substantially revised and expanded to incorporate fresh material and up-to-date information.Many of the original chapters have been rewritten and one brand new chapter has been added, providing a clear picture of Russian usage in the 21st century.

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Lonely Planet Ukrainian Phrasebook Review

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Lonely Planet Ukrainian Phrasebook ReviewThis little book is terrific for anyone interested in the Ukrainian language. It has very good explanations of the alphabet and grammatical rules of Ukrainian. It also teaches MANY useful phrases and words for the traveler, and it gives phonetic pronunciations of every word and phrase (as well as the actual Cyrillic spelling).
I have a close friend in Ukraine who has told me that my pronunciation of the Ukrainian words (as they appear in this book) are perfect.
However, be certain of your purpose for using this book. If you want to learn to speak the Ukrainian language somewhat fluently, it will take a lot more than this book (but this book is an excellent starting point).
If you are simply planning to travel to one of the major Ukrainian cities (Kiev, Odessa, etc.) in the near future, you would probably be better off with the Russian version of this book instead of Ukrainian. Everybody in the major cities still speaks Russian as their primary language. Most of them understand Ukrainian, but Russian is still the first language for most people. I understand that this is slowly changing (universities, etc. are changing EVERYTHING over to Ukrainian). And if you plan to visit a small town in Ukraine, many of them speak ONLY Ukrainian. My suggestion is to get both the Ukrainian and the Russian versions, so you will be able to communicate clearly no matter where you are.Lonely Planet Ukrainian Phrasebook OverviewPacked with phrases on everything from bargaining at a rynok to hiking and eating out, this book will spice up your Ukrainian adventure. Whether bathing in culture or the Black Sea, speak the language and make your experiences unique.Our phrasebooks give you a comprehensive mix of practical and social words and phrases in more than 120 languages. Chat with the locals and discover their culture - a guaranteed way to enrich your travel experience.

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The New Penguin Russian Course: A Complete Course for Beginners (Penguin Handbooks) Review

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The New Penguin Russian Course: A Complete Course for Beginners (Penguin Handbooks) ReviewI've compared dozens of books about learning Russian from scratch, and this one is the best. There are advanced grammar texts out there which have more information, but they aren't geared toward beginners. The beauty of this book is that if you know absolutely nothing about Russian, you can start at the beginning and work your way through each lesson in the order presented, and by the time you're done, you will have a solid understanding of Russian grammar. Not only that, but you'll have a vocabulary of some of the most useful words in the Russian language.
When I first started studying Russian, I had no teachers or classes or cassette tapes to help me. My eighth grade math teacher gave me a copy of the original version of The Penguin Russian Course, which was compiled by J.L.I. Fennell and published in 1961. The methodology was logical and straightforward with no spoonfeeding or watered-down grammar lessons accompanied by cutsy cartoon pictures. In each lesson, you would first memorize a list of new vocabulary words. Then you would study several concise grammar principles which were clearly explained. Third, you would examine a brief Russian text which incorporated the new vocabulary and applied the new grammar principles which you had just learned in the lesson. Finally, you would translate an English text into Russian to test yourself on the new vocabulary and grammar. At the end of the book was a key which showed the correct translation of the English text into Russian, so you could check yourself.
This new version of the Penguin Russian Course is not as concise and straightforward as the first version, but it's actually better. Nicholas J. Brown has incorporated the original structure of J.L.I. Fennell's version enough that the effectiveness of the lessons is preserved, but Mr. Brown has added much more in this modern version. He has provided numerous additional Russian texts and conversations so that you can see how the vocabulary is used in context. And in this new version, the answer keys at the back of the book show the Russian-English translation as well as the English-Russian translation of the exercises.
The best part of this book is the translation exercises at the end of each lesson and their corresponding answer keys at the back of the book. Translation is probably the best way to test whether or not you really understand the grammar and vocabulary taught in the lessons, and this book gives you plenty of opportunities to test yourself in this manner.
Another advantage of this book is that it's small enough to carry anywhere, unlike those bulky Russian 101 textbooks used in college classes which use a slow, watered-down, almost infantile approach to teaching the language.
If you want to learn Russian, buy this book and work through the lessons. The only major drawback is that you'll never really learn proper pronunciation without listening to native Russians speak the language, and this book doesn't have tapes to accompany it. Other than that, however, you won't find a better book for beginners who want to learn Russian.The New Penguin Russian Course: A Complete Course for Beginners (Penguin Handbooks) OverviewWhether you're learning alone or attending classes, you'll find this complete Russian language course for beginners both accessible and indispensable. Designed to provide the student with an excellent command of basic Russian (the equivalent of A level standard) this book features thirty lessons punctuated by revision exercises to ensure you have fully understood what you have learned. The emphasis is on acquiring vocabulary, experiencing conversational language and learning useful grammar. This book also includes a vocabulary of 1,500 words and a glossary of grammatical terms.

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Language Fundamentals: Russian (Language Fundamentals Card Guides) Review

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Language Fundamentals: Russian (Language Fundamentals Card Guides) ReviewPRETTY GOOD, WORTH THE PRICE.... YES, QUITE GOOD,,,, PRETTY GOOD, WORTH THE PRICE . OK QUITE EXCELLENT, EXACTLY AS DESCRIBEDLanguage Fundamentals: Russian (Language Fundamentals Card Guides) OverviewThe 6-side card presents vocabulary, verb forms and idioms to the basic grammar outline.

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Ultimate Russian: Advanced (Living Language Ultimate Courses) Review

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Ultimate Russian: Advanced (Living Language Ultimate Courses) ReviewDialogs are useful and contain practical vocabulary, although not all words are in the glossary. Explanatory notes for each chapter are useful. Some of the idioms and grammatical explanations are rather confusing and difficult to remember, but the examples are generally helpful in explaining the concepts. Unfortunately, I have caught a number of spelling errors in the Russian text. Some are omitted letters, and some words are simply misspelled. This could be rather confusing for learners who are not familiar with the correct spelling of the word. In one instance, the Russian text said someone was 87 years old, while the English translation said he was 80 years old. More careful editing and attention to detail should take care of these problems. Information about current business life in Russia, employment opportunites, etc., should prove useful for those engaged in doing business in the country.Ultimate Russian: Advanced (Living Language Ultimate Courses) OverviewA Complete Lesson Book and Reference GuideLively, up-to-date, authentic dialoguesClear explanations of grammarCultural highlightsBusiness vocabulary & etiquetteplusGrammar summaryTwo-way glossaryDeveloped by the experts at Living Language, this book offers a highly effective combination of advanced conversational Russian with grammar and culture. This sequel to the Basic to Intermediate Ultimate Russian book covers the equivalent of two years of college-level study. 20 lessons, each with a lively, authentic Russian dialogue that takes you everywhere from an antique shop to a film festival to a soccer game. English translations and explanations of Russian grammar and usage, vocabulary, and cultural notes. Special sections on business vocabulary and etiquette. Quizzes to check your progress. A complete summary of Russian grammar. A section on letter writing for business or social occasions. An extensive two-way glossary.While this book stands on its own as a complete course and an invaluable reference, you'll find that using it with the recorded lessons is even more effective. Along with the recordings, Living Language Ultimate Russian: Advanced cassette packages include this manual.

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