The Russian language, as well as speech culture, are one of the main subjects in school curricula. However, knowledge is not always acquired by students properly, and even more often it is simply lost over the subsequent years of life. Meanwhile, knowing the Russian language and being able to not only express yourself correctly, but also write correctly is very important. It’s funny and sad when you hear TV presenters or politicians talking about some kind of nonsense, pronouncing words completely incorrectly, or when you read seemingly serious and useful articles in newspapers, magazines or the Internet, but you see that the words in them are written haphazardly , for example, instead of “obvious” they write “on the face”, instead of “to mom” they write “to mom”, instead of “bad weather” they write “bad weather”, etc. But, in fact, it doesn’t matter what goals and objectives you set for yourself, you need to know the Russian language, if only for the simple reason that by doing so you express respect for your native speech and culture, show respect for yourself and the people around you .
And today we will talk about how an adult can do this. But before describing the ten ways we have prepared for you to close knowledge gaps, we would like to point out one extremely important point.
In fact, improving your literacy is quite simple, but you should understand that you won’t be able to do this in a week or two. At best, this process can take you several months, or even years. Therefore, having decided that you really want to properly master your native language, make sure that books such as a grammar reference book and a dictionary of the Russian language become your faithful companions. It is not necessary, of course, to always have them with you (although you can download them to your tablet, laptop or smartphone), but you should definitely make them your desktop aids.
And if suddenly in some situation you experience difficulty, for example, you are not sure exactly how to spell a word or what it means, do not neglect to use a dictionary. Likewise, when you learn a new term, take a moment to figure it out. precise definition. By doing this, you will always improve your literacy and expand vocabulary.
So, if you're ready, here are ways to close your Russian language literacy gaps.
10 Ways to Close Literacy Gaps
Each of the presented methods is interesting in its own way. You can use them either individually or in combination. By the way, if you give preference to the second option, your successes will be more impressive, and the process itself will go much faster.
Method one - read
Reading is perhaps the best and surest way to improve literacy in the Russian language. But taking into account the fact that many people are accustomed to being intellectually lazy, they receive most of their information by listening to the radio, watching news, topical programs, movies, etc. This, of course, is good, but unfortunately, it does not make it more intelligent (in the literal sense of the word). Reading will help you increase your knowledge of your native language and improve your spelling.
The fact is that books contain an incredible number of words. And while reading, a person receives several advantages at once: firstly, his vocabulary expands, secondly, the skill of combining and combining lexical units develops, and thirdly, when reading, the brain visually records the correct spelling of various terms and concepts, thanks to which reduces the number of spelling errors in a letter (by the way, if you read ours, you can pass a short spelling test). And another significant advantage of reading is broadening your horizons.
The second way is to write
Although reading lessons (sessions) are extremely useful, spelling specifically can be improved by writing more. Spend at least 30 minutes every day on this, and very soon you will notice that you have gained confidence when writing various words. In addition, this allows you to study all sorts of subtleties of punctuation. But, of course, this method will only work if you always check what you write (the correct spelling of words and punctuation marks).
If you are concerned about the question of what exactly to write, then absolutely everything will do here. You can write a short story from your life, describe your day, or briefly summarize the content of your favorite movie. Keeping a journal is also helpful. By the way, if for some reason you don’t feel like writing with a pen on paper, use a text editor on your computer. If you wish, you can even set a goal to start your own blog on the Internet at interesting topic(and if you like it, over time you can make it one of your sources of income or even your main one).
Method three - check and eliminate doubts
Good ways to learn Russian are not only reading and writing, but also constantly testing yourself and clearing your doubts. You are probably familiar with the situation when you write something or even just talk about something, and you have doubts that you wrote or pronounced it correctly (this also includes the question of the semantic correctness of the use of terms and concepts).
So: such situations should not be considered something out of the ordinary; everyone faces them. But the question is what will you do about it. We recommend that you spare no time and devote it to finding answers and eliminating doubts. Look online or open a dictionary to make sure you haven't made a mistake. By the way, it is precisely such cases that allow you to remember information best, because even a slight uncertainty about something is always microstress, accompanied by an emotional reaction. And, as you know, what evokes emotions in a person is remembered for a long time. Thus, by eliminating doubts, you will internalize the lessons learned for life.
Method four - use online services
Today, almost every person has access to the Internet, and if ten years ago it could be called a curiosity, now having a tablet, smartphone or laptop at hand has become as natural as brushing your teeth in the morning. In addition, access points to the World Wide Web are now available in many public places and institutions.
Firstly, you can find specialized Russian language courses on the Internet. These include 4brain, as well as materials from such platforms as “Universarium”, “Intuit”, “Lectorium”, “PostNauka”, “Lectorium” and others (you can read more about them). And secondly, there are many “lightweight” services where it is possible, for example, to simply enter a word and find out its spelling or meaning. Also, such resources often offer checking for grammar, punctuation, etc.
Therefore, when any difficulties arise, feel free to contact sites such as gramota.ru, therules.ru, online.orfo.ru, text.ru, languagetool.org and others. These, of course, are not Russian language lessons, but they are still good ways to study.
Method five – install the “Word of the Day” application
The "Word of the Day" application is very simple and at the same time effective tool to replenish your vocabulary. By the way, Igor Mann wrote about him very well in his book “”. The application is completely easy to install on your computer or gadget - here it is.
Once you install it, your vocabulary will increase by one word every day. Some might say that there is nothing special about this, but that would be wrong. The fact is that every day we all communicate, using for the most part only words we know, and we learn new ones only by accident. Therefore, “Word of the Day” will be a good alternative to these “accidents”.
And if you carry out simple mathematical calculations, then in a year you will learn 365 new words, in two years - 730, in five years - 1825, etc. Agree, not a bad result? Thus, after even one month you will notice that your speech has become richer and your writing style has become more perfect. Plus, looking at a word that appears on the screen, even one you know well, you will remember its spelling.
Method six - learn the rules
If Russian language lessons are a stage you have already completed, and, for example, a tutor is irrelevant for some reason, but you need to improve your literacy, learn the rules yourself. Ideally, this method involves learning one rule every day. But if you take into account the fact that, most likely, you have a job, hobbies, family matters and everything else, and the rules need to be not only memorized, but also learned, you can devote two or three days to studying one thing.
You can, for example, learn today, practice a little, and tomorrow repeat the rule and practice again. And the day after tomorrow - perform several exercises without repeating the rule.
If similar methods learning the rules of the Russian language will become an integral part of your life, over time you will master this subject to perfection. And if you have nowhere to rush, do it calmly, because even a slow walker will reach his goal while crowds of onlookers stand and watch. And you can learn and study these same rules using the same textbooks, collections of rules and online services.
Method seven - reread and edit
This method is very suitable for those who, for some reason, are forced or simply like to communicate with friends, family, colleagues or partners through special programs like Skype, ICQ, QIP, Viber, WhatsUp or even social networks such as “VKontakte” and “Odnoklassniki”. It sounds somewhat unusual, but even from such communication you can benefit from improving your literacy.
While most people prefer to express themselves using “pasibka”, “mne lira”, “sps”, “priva” and “dosvidos”, we advise you to approach the process of online communication consciously. Just write competent and correct messages. As soon as you have written something, do not rush to press Enter, but re-read what you have written, correct errors, add the appropriate punctuation marks and only then send.
It may take you a little more time, but you will learn to write correctly. And if you dig a little deeper, the newfangled abbreviations so beloved by many simply worsen the culture of speech, reduce brain activity, and have a detrimental effect on attentiveness, concentration and the development of thinking in general.
Method eight – study with a tutor
Tutoring is one of the the best ways improving literacy in any subject, including the Russian language. A competent tutor always uses individual approach in teaching, takes into account the characteristics of his student and his existing knowledge and skills. If something is not clear, he will explain it clearly, help eliminate gaps and deal with difficulties. Among other things, a professional specialist can significantly speed up the educational process.
Note that you can hire a tutor at any age, and there is nothing wrong with that. On the contrary, if a tutor helps you, it means that you are interested in receiving new information, correcting mistakes, and, ultimately, your education. For this reason, if you do not want to engage in self-study, feel free to hire a personal teacher and study with him.
But still, we note that such classes can hit your pocket, because the services of qualified teachers are not cheap. And if you work with unqualified specialists, it may end up wasting money. However, if the issue of costs does not bother you much, finding a professional will not be difficult.
Method nine – Russian language course from 4BRAIN
Separately about our Russian language course. If we consider different ways studying the subject, it occupies far from the last or even ninth (as in this article) place among them. It was compiled professionally - the best teaching materials and the experience of our colleagues were used in its creation. And we approached its preparation with all seriousness and the desire to create truly useful, concentrated material.
The course includes trial testing, which allows you to identify problem areas in your knowledge of the Russian language, an individual training schedule that allows you to optimally distribute time and workload, many daily short lessons and various ways intermediate control of material assimilation. In total, the program allows you to improve your Russian language quite well in just three weeks.
The Russian language course from 4BRAIN is designed for people aged 10-12 years old who are familiar with the basic rules, but are experiencing certain difficulties. To learn more about the course and get more information, go to. We will be happy to offer you a comprehensive and adaptive training program.
Method ten - other options
In conclusion, let's say a few words about other options for eliminating problems with the Russian language. Among them are such ways of studying and testing knowledge as solving crosswords and scanwords - this allows you not only to learn new words, but also to remember their spelling. This also includes all kinds of tests, rebuses, puzzles and anagrams that develop cognitive and intellectual abilities.
And if you want to combine business with pleasure, you need to watch more documentaries, speeches by speakers and public people. This way you can learn to speak correctly, learn new words and notice the mistakes that others make.
Remember that it doesn’t matter which ways of learning Russian you like best: a tutor and private lessons, online classes, reading or anything else, the most important thing is to work on yourself and strive to improve your results. We wish you success and unwavering motivation in this endeavor!
Speech is part of a person’s image. According to statistics, speech accounts for 25% of the impression of a person. The interlocutor pays more attention to literacy and beauty of speech, diction and voice. Let's talk about how to learn to speak beautifully and competently in Russian and English.
Even if you only have to communicate with family members and neighbors, good speech will be useful in life. When communicating with you, people will listen to your opinion and consider you an excellent conversationalist.
A competent conversation will help in your career, increase the level of importance in the eyes of colleagues and ensure respect. Correct, beautiful and competent speech will be helpful for speaking at meetings, conferences and other events.
A person who holds a leadership position or is applying for one must have competent speech skills. The manager is the face of the company, and only with the help of competent speech can he conclude contracts, find partners and lead the team. Poor vocabulary causes a lot of trouble at the wrong time.
Step-by-step action plan
Let's consider a time-tested algorithm, using which you will quickly master the art of competent speech at home. Having reached certain heights, share your knowledge and experience with loved ones. Such skills will not hurt.
Video tips
Using this algorithm, learn to speak beautifully and competently in Russian or English at home. As a result, your interlocutors will consider you an educated and intelligent person. By speaking correctly and beautifully, you will achieve success in life.
Learning to speak Russian competently and correctly
Russian language is difficult. It is not surprising that it is not easy for even a native speaker to master correct and beautiful speech. Fortunately, there are no unattainable goals, it’s enough to set a goal.
Video instructions
If you don’t like studying on your own, sign up for collective public speaking courses. By studying in a group, you will quickly polish your speech, which will become a source of pride.
We speak English correctly
The English language pushes the boundaries of the picture of the world, but the school teaching method does not give the desired result. It is intimidating with its level of complexity and does not provide the knowledge necessary for conversation with a foreigner.
Learning to speak English correctly is easier than learning to spell. The main thing is to remember the pronunciation of words and learn to form sentences.
Skills for learning English
First of all, I will highlight the main character traits that will be needed to successfully achieve the goal. Then we'll consider effective techniques and ways to master English speech.
- Regularity . Only a serious approach will bring results. Study regularly to expand your vocabulary and combinations without forgetting the material you have learned.
- Honesty. Not every person boasts a penchant for independent learning. If you doubt that you will be able to organize training yourself, use the services of a tutor. With its help you will learn faster English speech at home.
- Perseverance . A character trait necessary to achieve a goal. Learning to speak English is not easy. You will have to learn the words, remember the translation, and use them correctly in sentences. What can we say about pronunciation? Audiobooks and the Internet will help with this.
- Motivation. Remember, even a person without positive characteristics can succeed. Enough desire to eclipse negative qualities, since a thirsty person will easily overcome an obstacle for the sake of a goal. Even laziness won't hurt.
- Self-control . To make training effective, control yourself and objectively evaluate the results. Only you can determine when to repeat material and when to move on.
Where to start studying
In none of the above points did I ever mention the need to have certain talents in relation to this language. This proves that, if desired, everyone can master English speech.
Why do you need to speak correctly and competently?
If you learn to convey your thoughts competently, correctly and beautifully, you will always be heard, regardless of the volume of your voice. This truth was proven by the ancient Greek sophists, who were engaged in teaching.
The course was developed by the Pushkin Institute with the support of the Moscow Department of Education
Kirov Evgeniy Florentovich- Doctor of Philology, Professor, Head of the Department of General and Russian Linguistics at the Pushkin Institute. Sphere of scientific interests: theory of language, discourse and text, history of linguistics, phonetics and phonology of the modern Russian language, description of the Russian language as a foreign and non-native language, theory of Russian grammar, Russian phraseology. Author of more than 120 scientific publications.
Sahakyan Levon Nikolaevich- Associate Professor of the Department of General and Russian Linguistics, Faculty of Philology, Pushkin Institute, Candidate of Philological Sciences. Author of more than 50 scientific and scientific-methodological works. Areas of interest: pragmalinguistics, semantics, bilingualism, indirect communication, language theory, Russian as a foreign language.
About the course
The course is designed to expand students' understanding of the origins and functioning of language. The authors highlight the issues of the development of writing and consider the principles of operation of the human speech and hearing apparatus.
Using visual diagrams, the process of transition from sound to word is described. Information about the parts of speech of the Russian language is systematized, the structure of the sentence is shown through the metaphor of “theater”.
The course will talk about how language reflects our understanding of the world, how speakers obey the laws of language and set the boundaries of their transformation. The series of lectures ends with an appeal to language games: puzzles, puns and serious linguistic tasks, without which language in living and creative human communication is unthinkable.
Course structure
Introductory lecture. Origin of language
Module 1. About the sounds of Russian speech. From sound to letter
Sounds of the Russian language. Articulation
Sounds of the Russian language. Auditory perception
Russian vowels and consonants
Norms of Russian orthoepy
Origin of Russian writing
Module 2. From sound to word. From word to sentence
From sound to word
Parts of speech of the Russian language (basic)
Parts of speech of the Russian language (pronominal and functional)
From word to sentence
Module 3. Communication theory and Russian language
Language: “dictator”, “house in which we live” or “freedom”?
Language games and tasks
Target audience of the course
The course is intended primarily for middle and high school students, but will certainly be useful to anyone interested in language and communication issues
Required level of training
Possession basic knowledge in Russian
Course duration
36 hours
Course results
Based on the results of studying the “Literate Russian” course, students:
. get acquainted with modern scientific views on the problem of the origin of language
. will receive information about the system of the modern Russian language at all its levels: from phonetic to syntactic
. systematize their knowledge about the operation of articulation and hearing aids
. get acquainted with a model of the meaning of a word that explains its functioning in speech
. will get an idea of the system of parts of speech of the modern Russian language
. will acquire knowledge about the structure of sentences as a basic syntactic unit
. learn about the degree of influence of language on a person’s life and worldview, about the role of the speaker in language processes
. will learn to solve and invent linguistic problems, will be able to participate and win in language games
Kirov E. F., Sahakyan L. N. Competent Russian (Russian language norms): Massive open online course.
M., 2015 // Portal “Education in Russian” / URL:
We recommend doing three simple, but very effective exercises, which will only take you 10 minutes. But you definitely need to learn Russian this way every day. The exercises are so simple that even the laziest person can do them constantly. To learn to write correctly in Russian, you don’t have to cram the rules, you can memorize the words themselves.
1. Copy 8 - 12 phrases from the copybook into a notebook. Two files with specially selected phrases posted in our VKontakte group. To get started, use this selection. Then you can copy phrases from collections of vocabulary dictations. This task will take you 2-3 minutes. Motor memory will help you remember how to write complex words. You will grasp some rules intuitively.
2. Take a fresh newspaper and work through one page. Your task is to highlight with a marker all the words in which you could make a mistake. Pay special attention to neologisms. If you come across unfamiliar words, Google them and be sure to pay attention to the spelling. This way you will train your brain to pay attention to the spelling of words in the texts that you have to read. If you don't have big problems With reading technique, this task will take about three minutes.
3. From the same newspaper or any collection of dictations, and best of all, of course, from a collection of texts for spelling reading, read something for five minutes. You need to read spelling, clearly pronouncing the syllables, out loud. This will train your brain to read by remembering spelling. When this process is automated, in the future you will involuntarily perceive all the words that you come across, along with their spelling. Read more. To understand at what pace to read texts,
