If you have decided to learn Russian online, then you are in for a very entertaining linguistic experience. We are going to tell you all about the best online resources to start with so that you can get the basics all figured out.

Learning Russian will seem quite difficult at first because it is very different from English phonetically. Nonetheless, it is a strong language that you are going to enjoy figuring out. So try to think of it as an adventure because we guarantee that you will have an amazing time with it.

Before You Start

The first thing you need to know about learning Russian is that it will take you quite a long time. So you need to be prepared for a long-term process. Furthermore, you need to be extremely well organized because you are going to be tempted to give up quite a few times along the way.

Setting up a schedule will help you visualize your progress, so we strongly recommend that you have one from the very beginning. Take a look at the online resources in the next section and choose those that seem the most attractive and the most efficient.

You can go through them one at a time or you can plan lessons from two or three websites for a well-balanced learning process. Our suggestion is that you choose at least two pages because the diversity will keep you focused.

Make sure you include the level you are expected to reach when you complete a course so that you have your short-term goals all set out for you. Then try to make an honest assessment regarding your progress. Identify the notions you have not mastered yet and find additional resources that can help you consolidate them.

Don’t be too scared about mastering brand new characters for reading and writing Russian. There are plenty of resources out there to help you learn the Russian alphabet so you will have a lot of material to choose from.

In spite of the fact that learning the alphabet is essential to learning Russian, we actually do not recommend that you start with this. Make sure you have already learned a few words before you start with the alphabet so that you can correlate the symbols with sounds.

Lastly, we strongly suggest that you include Russian entertainment in your weekly schedule. This will help you connect with Russian culture, as well as the language. Moreover, hearing the language from native speakers will help you improve your pronunciation, so it is extremely important.

10 Amazing Online Resources for Learning Russian

The following online resources are an excellent way to start your exploration of the Russian language. We have not listed them in a particular order, as you will have to decide your own selection criteria according to your specific learning pattern.

Please note that some of them are completely free of charge while others do require you to pay a subscription to access their lessons. If you are still in doubt regarding how much you are willing to spend on Russian lessons, we recommend that you start with the free ones. If learning Russian proves to be a long-term hobby, then you can proceed to invest in its evolution.

1. Russianpod101

This is actually one of our favorite Russian language websites because it offers a wide range of learning tools. They offer audio and video lessons, in-depth pdf versions of the lessons, vocabulary exercises and flashcards you can use.

Furthermore, Russianpod101 also has an app version that you can use for your lessons on your phone or tablet. Lastly, this website also includes a forum where the students can log in and connect with each other. They can discuss the lessons, as well as any issues they might encounter along the way.

2. Rosettastone

This is a great website to help you learn Russian fast, but it does entail a $209 subscription/download fee. You will receive a wide range of interactive learning resources, as well as access to live tutoring sessions. You can also become a member of the Rosetta Stone language community and connect with your peers.

If you want to make sure that this is the right learning course for you, then sign up for the free demo version before paying the $209. This way you can be sure whether or not this website is compatible with your learning style.

3. Russianforeveryone

Russianforeveryone is a self-study guide for beginners. It is extremely well structured and it includes introductory notions and then 8 units of grammar and vocabulary courses and exercises. It also provides a few Russian language games that you can use as an amusing way to practice, as well as all the summary tables you might need.

This website is extremely compatible with the type of scheduling we recommend because it includes lots of quizzes and tests among the lessons. These will help you with your self-assessment, so they are extremely useful. Moreover, the website is free, so it is clearly our top choice for beginners!

4. Masterrussian

This is one of the most complex learning resources you have at your disposal and it is completely free. It provides everything from grammar and vocabulary exercises to podcasts that you can subscribe to, Russian culture resources and vocabularies. So make you save room for this one in your schedule because you will be able to use it for quite a long time.

5. Russianaccelerator

Russianaccelerator is the best way to learn Russian fast. Their method is meant to help students with the basic notions about the language so that they can speak it in record time. However, please note that this website requires you to pay a subscription/download fee of $291. Take a look at their website and decide whether or not their methods are the right ones for you!

6. Russianlessons

This free Russian language website is extremely useful. It provides lessons for students of all levels, as well as videos, exercises, vocabularies, quizzes and translate tools. You will have to choose between Russianlessons and Masterrussian, as they both offer extensive learning tools that you will find useful.

7. Alphadictionary

This website is very useful for grammar lessons, as it provides in-depth information about the main topics of Russian grammar. It is meant for beginners and so, it begins with the basic notions about the Russian alphabet. We advise you to use this one to cement any notions that you might not have fully understood the first time around.

8. Russian.speak7

This is yet another free website that you can use to learn Russian online. It provides both grammar and vocabulary lessons, so take a look to see how you can integrate it in your personalized plan.

9. Best Apps For Learning Russian On the Road

Adding a few apps to your study plan will prove to be extremely useful because you will be able to use them anytime you want. Spending 5-10 minutes on your phone as you drink your morning coffee with Russian language apps will actually make a difference. Take a look at our top choices!

Russian Bingo

As mentioned in its official description, Russian Bingo is “a new take on an old game”. This will be a very amusing way to practice the symbols in the Russian alphabet. So when you need to relax and play an easy game, turn to Russian Bingo for a great time!

Cyrillic

As you might have guessed from the app’s name, it is also focused on the Russian alphabet. This free app is much more complex, as it includes everything from historic facts to lessons, quizzes, and flashcards.

LearnBots Russian

LearnBots is one of the most popular language tools out there. The Russian language app is extremely useful for beginners, so make sure you take a look.

10. Lingualift

This website presents the best 100 resources that you make use of to learn Russian. It includes online Russian textbooks, both paper-based and ebooks, games that you can use in your lessons, dictionaries, podcasts and videocasts and many other tools that you will find extremely useful. So take a look because you are bound to find something that is worth including in your plan.

Russian Entertainment

Including Russian entertainment to your language plan is essential because it is the best way to hear the language as spoken and used by natives. Furthermore, it will help with your pronunciation as well as your vocabulary because you will remember more and more words every time.

Russian films are by far your best choice because you can hear Russian and correlate it with the English subtitles. Furthermore, you will learn quite a bit about the culture of this amazing country. We recommend that you start with Andrei Tarkovsky’s films. Let the master get you acquainted with Russian cinema and we guarantee that you will have an amazing time.

We hope we have managed to give you some useful advice for your Russian adventure and that you will actually make use of some of these online recourses. Good luck!

Image Sources: Flickr, Russianforeveryone, Flickr.