METHOD

 

What is Comprehensible Russian all about

Comprehensible Russian creates easy to understand videos on various topics entirely in Russian brought down to the learners' level. I make my videos comprehensible with the help of drawings, pictures, gestures and realia. The videos help immerse in Russian language from scratch. 

Here you will find hours of content designed to acquire Russian language with ease and fun, discovering new amazing things about Russian culture, society, art, movies, music, history and life.

 

My method is based on Stephen Krashen's Natural Approach, ALG (Automatic Language Growth) and much inspired by the Refold Method. All of them emphasize the meaning of getting massive language input that is made comprehensible to the learner. However Comprehensible Russian content is compatible with traditional methods as well.

 

Theory Is Not Enough

Just like studying a car mechanism doesn't transport us anywhere, memorizing rules and vocabulary alone doesn't bring us to fluency.

According to Stephen Krashen, we acquire languages naturally and unconsciously when we understand the meaning of messages, not the rules they are built with. 

 

Watch and Listen a Lot First

To build up comprehension you need to spend hundreds of hours immersing in the language, getting comprehensible language input. Watching rich visual context gives you hints for guessing the meaning of Russian speech and lets you acquire new vocabulary and grammar even at zero-level.

 

Progress and Reach Fluency

Massive listening to highly comprehensible Russian content lets you:

- Develop listening comprehension and general auditory image of Russian
- Lay the base for a native-like accent
- Grow vocabulary
- Acquire grammar
- Later use the acquired language automatically, without thinking

 

 

VIDEOS

 

How to choose your level

 

The videos are conditionally divided in sections by levels: Zero beginner, Beginner 1 and Beginner 2. The levels correspond only to your level of comprehension of spoken Russian (from zero to A2-B1 respectively). Your other abilities in the language, like speaking, reading, or grammar knowledge can be at different levels. Disregard them and choose the level of videos only according to your listening comprehension.

If you are a complete beginner, start with the first video of the “Zero Beginner” playlist. If you are at higher level, choose the level of the videos at which you understand about 50-80% of the language.

 

Highly recommended: rewatch and guess

 

Rewatch the same videos several times and listen attentively. Try to guess the meaning. Each time you will understand more and more words and grammar structures, notice more and more sounds and intonations. Usually after 10-20 repetitions, you realize you understand 90% of the video. Repetition will help you memorize. Guessing (and not using a dictionary directly) will help you acquire the language deeply, naturally and easily. I recommend using a dictionary only when you have a sure guess to verify.

 

ADDITIONAL TOOLS

 

Audios

 

Download audio mp3 files of all Youtube videos.

Audio versions of the videos help accelerate your progress increasing the amount of immersion time. Just download the audios and listen to them on the go throughout the day. Have your listening practice in your pocket.

I recommend installing an audio player app on your phone that has audio speed control and a repeat mode.

Available for patrons of any pledge of their choice on Patreon.