Teach Yourself Complete Russian Book and 2 Audio CDs
Brand New : . Book and 2 CDs
Are you looking for a complete course in Russian which takes you effortlessly from beginner to confident speaker? Whether you are starting from scratch, or are just out of practice, Complete Russian will guarantee success! Now fully updated to make your language learning experience fun and interactive. You can still rely on the benefits of a top language teacher and our years of teaching experience, but now with added learning features within the course and online.
The course is structured in thematic units and the emphasis is placed on communication, so that you effortlessly progress from introducing yourself and dealing with everyday situations, to using the phone and talking about work. By the end of this course, you will be at Level B2 of the Common European Framework for Languages: Can interact with a degree of fluency and spontaneity that makes regular interaction with native speakers quite possible without strain for either party. Learn effortlessly with a new easy-to-read page design and interactive features:
NOT GOT MUCH TIME?
One, five and ten-minute introductions to key principles to get you started.
AUTHOR INSIGHTS
Lots of instant help with common problems and quick tips for success, based on the author's many years of experience.
GRAMMAR TIPS
Easy-to-follow building blocks to give you a clear understanding.
USEFUL VOCABULARY
Easy to find and learn, to build a solid foundation for speaking.
DIALOGUES
Read and listen to everyday dialogues to help you speak and understand fast.
PRONUNCIATION
Don’t sound like a tourist! Perfect your pronunciation before you go.
TEST YOURSELF
Tests in the book and online to keep track of your progress.
EXTEND YOUR KNOWLEDGE
Extra online articles at: www.teachyourself.com to give you a richer understanding of the culture and history of Russia.
TRY THIS
Innovative exercises illustrate what you’ve learnt and how to use it.
* Comprehensive - teaches all four skills, including reading and writing Cyrillic script.
* Includes culture notes - get the most out of your trip to Russia and understand what makes Russians tick.
* Practice materials - lots of practice to check your progress and build your confidence.
* Pedigree - current edition is a best seller and has proven track record.
Table of Contents:
Introduction
Your passport please!
I'm called Ira
Where's the telephone?
May one take photographs here?
How much is it?
I prefer to swim
At the post office
Is this place free?
When does the train leave?
On Wednesdays I usually...
It depends on the weather
Is Ira at home?
Must I go to the doctor's?
The jumper really suits you
Happy Birthday!
It would be better...
Let's pop into the travel agent's
What happened?
Thank you for the letter
Come and see us again!
Appendix 1
Appendix 2
Key to the exercises
Russian-English vocabulary
English-Russian vocabulary
Index to grammar points
About the Author
Daphne West, the author, has been a Teacher of Russian to school pupils and adult students for more than twenty years, and is the author of six publications on the Russian language. Formerly Head of Modern Languages and a Chief Examiner at A-level, she is now Headmistress of the Maynard School in Exeter (where she still teaches Russian); in 1993 she was awarded the Pushkin Medal by the Pushkin Institute, Moscow, for contributions to the teaching of Russian.
About the Russian Language
Russian is the most geographically widespread language of Eurasia and the most widely spoken of the Slavic languages. Russian belongs to the family of Indo-European languages and is one of three (or, according to some authorities, four) living members of the East Slavic languages, the others being Belarusian and Ukrainian (and possibly Rusyn, often considered a dialect of Ukrainian).
Written examples of Old East Slavonic are attested from the 10th century onwards. Today Russian is widely used outside Russia. Over a quarter of the world's scientific literature is published in Russian. It is also applied as a means of coding and storage of universal knowledge — 60–70% of all world information is published in English and Russian languages. Russian also is a necessary accessory of world communications systems (broadcasts, air- and space communication, etc). Due to the status of the Soviet Union as a superpower, Russian had great political importance in the 20th century. Hence, the language is one of the official languages of the United Nations.
Russian distinguishes between consonant phonemes with palatal secondary articulation and those without, the so-called soft and hard sounds. This distinction is found between pairs of almost all consonants and is one of the most distinguishing features of the language. Another important aspect is the reduction of unstressed vowels, which is not entirely unlike that of English. Stress in Russian is neither indicated orthographically, nor governed by phonological rules.
Russian is the official language of Russia. It is also an official language of Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and the de facto official language of unrecognized Transnistria, South Ossetia and Abkhazia. Russian is one of the six official languages of the United Nations. Education in Russian is still a popular choice for both Russian as a second language (RSL) and native speakers in Russia as well as many of the former Soviet republics.
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