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russianwave · 2 years
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Free study resource! - https://oapen.org
If you aren’t already aware, https://oapen.org is a great resource that lets you access books, textbooks, academic journals, and more(!) on various topics. The best part is, all these resources are completely free.
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You can browse by: Subject, Publisher, Language, Collections
You can download these books or view them online without even needing to make an account. It also provides information that’s clear, and allows you to export citations.
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If you make an account, you can also annotate and highlight sections of the books you read.
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There’s also a social element to this. You can read other people’s annotations, and you can collectively work on books with the usage of groups!
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There’s even a Chrome extension!
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russianwave · 2 years
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Language Resources Masterpost
Today I am sharing with you guys all my collection of language textbook pdfs :D They are mostly for Russian and Mandarin, but I have a few Korean resources too. Please note that I have not personally used all of these books, so I cannot vouch for their quality. If any of the links are broken, please let me know! All links are to dropbox files.
Mandarin
A Kaleidoscope of China (advanced)
A New China (intermediate)
All Things Considered (advanced)
Anything Goes (advanced)
Basic Chinese (workbook)
Chinese: A Comprehensive Grammar (grammar)
Chinese: An Essential Grammar (grammar)
Modern Mandarin Chinese Grammar (grammar)
Modern Mandarin Chinese Grammar (workbook)
Reading to Write: An Advanced Textbook of Chinese (advanced)
Schaum’s Outlines: Chinese Grammar (grammar)
The Routledge Advanced Chinese Multimedia Course (advanced)
The Routledge Course in Chinese Media Literacy (advanced)
Russian
Ultimate Russian (advanced)
Using Russian: A Guide to Contemporary Usage
A Comprehensive Russian Grammar (grammar)
A Russian Grammar Workbook (workbook)
Colloquial Russian 2 (intermediate)
Russian Verbal Prefixes (grammar)
Glossika Guide to Russian Pronunciation and Grammar
Intermediate Russian: A Grammar and Workbook (intermediate)
An Advanced Russian Tabloid Reader (advanced)
A Living Russian Grammar (grammar)
Basic Russian: A Grammar and Workbook (beginner)
Russian in Exercises (beginner)
Russian Verbs of Motion
Using Russian Vocabulary (vocab)
The Big Silver Book of Russian Verbs (vocab)
Live From Russia Stage 1 Volume 1 (beginner)
Live From Russia Stage 1 Volume 2 (beginner)
Korean
Basic Korean: A Grammar and Workbook (beginner)
Intermediate Korean: A Grammar and Workbook (intermediate)
Korean: A Comprehensive Grammar (grammar)
Korean Grammar in Use (beginner)
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russianwave · 2 years
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How to self study a language without a textbook or course
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Hi! I have a very short attention span, and I rarely find it in me to enjoy using only one resource to learn a language, so I often rely on immersion and actively using the language right from the beginning to learn languages. I’ve done this with pretty much all my languages, and it has worked out pretty well for me so far, especially with French! This is heavily inspired by this article on the medium, which changed my whole outlook on languages. I hope I can offer some helpful advice!
Starting off (A0 –> A2)
First of all, you’re going to have to set your goals in the language. What do you want to do in your target language? Do you want to be conversational or fully fluent? Do you want to focus on all the skills (reading, listening, writing, speaking), or only a couple? Which accent/dialect do you want to choose? Set your goals, and give yourself some habits to start sticking to.
In most cases, I would advice learning the alphabet and the pronunciation at first. For the alphabet, find a guide online and learn the stroke order. Keep on writing it over and over again. For languages like Mandarin Chinese or Japanese, where you have to memorise characters, try and memorise the most common characters. Also, find a pronunciation guide on YouTube or somewhere online, and immediately start working on it. Once you have a general idea of what the sounds are, start speaking and try to shadow natives (i.e. repeat what they say after them with the same intonation - you can do this with YouTube videos, or beginners exercises online).  To practice both of these at the same time, you can try reading out loud, and maybe try dictating what you hear sometimes.
Start listening to the language a lot. Try and listen to YouTube videos and podcasts, and get used to the sound of the language. You might even want to watch a TV show or anime in your target language with English subtitles. I’d also recommend reading and listening at the same time, so if you have subtitles in your target language, then that could be great too. The more exposed you are to the natural use of your target language, the less unintelligible they will seem. 
Memorise some basic vocabulary and phrases. There are loads of articles online that have basic vocabulary lists and phrases in different languages (there are even some on this website). Try memorising a few of them. In terms of what exactly you should learn vocab for, I would recommend learning vocab lists for these: numbers, subject pronouns, common greetings, the most common verbs (the first 100 should do) and their most common conjugations, days of the week, months, seasons, years, how to tell the time, how to talk about the weather, family, colours, house vocab, food, money and shopping phrases, common adjectives, common places,  adverbs, parts of the body and medical vocabulary (I got all of this from this post). It’s a lot, but it will give you a strong foundation. You can then start learning vocabulary for your interests specifically. You can do this using multiple methods. First, you could use flashcards, like anki, memrise and Quizlet. You could also play around with apps like Duolingo or Lingodeer. Also, you could write them down, and keep testing yourself on them until you have them memorised (both target language to english, and english to target language). Make sure that you have audio, and that you know how the word/phrase sounds, and the pronunciation.
Start speaking with someone online. I recommend apps like Tandem and HiNative. Start trying to have conversations of basic topics straight away, and make sure you get corrections. Look up the words as you go.
Memorise a few basic grammar structures. This is especially important for languages like Korean or Japanese, which have extremely different grammar structures to English. Learn basic present, past and future tenses, along with basic articles and determiners, agreement, reflexive verbs, basic particles, negation and gender.
Immerse. I would recommend starting off with posts and videos that offer advice about things, since the language used in these tend to be simplistic, but topic specific. You can also use apps like LingQ. When practicing listening and reading, you can use the advice in these two posts (listening, reading). Don’t memorise every word you come across, and slowly try to ease yourself in.
Making the leap to the intermediate stage (A2 –> B1)
Vocabulary: I’ve already talked about methods of memorising vocabulary earlier, so I won’t talk about it again. As for what you should be memorising, I would suggest basing it on your interests and topical issues. When you immerse, and come across certain interesting words, then memorise them. You can also explore the tag for your target language on tumblr, and try and memorise some of the in depth vocabulary lists on here.
Grammar: I would suggest finding a specification, or list of grammar structures for the intermediate level, and learn all of them using articles and youtube videos. Then, try and use the rules regularly in your speaking and writing and receive corrections. Also, do practice questions. 
Listening: I have gone in depth on how to practice listening in the post I mentioned earlier, so I won’t elaborate too much. Overall, I’d say that it is better to make sure that you are listening to the language a lot, and that what you are listening to is comprehensible input. 
Reading: Find some learners exercises online, and keep doing them. You can also just generally try to read more, based on your interests. I would also suggest to apply the methods from the post I mentioned earlier.
Writing: Try and write a few sentences every now and then, and use your new grammar structures and vocabulary as much as possible. Make sure that you receive corrections. I have gone in depth on this subject in this post.
Speaking: Find a speaking buddy online, and try and organise meetings, where you just try and practice speaking. Look up words you don’t know, and be brave: most people are kind, and won’t mind if you make mistakes, so keep trying to move forward.
Going from intermediate to conversational (B1 –> B2)
Vocabulary: Focus on your interests, and areas that will be useful to you. Make sure that you actually use the words that you are memorising while writing and speaking. 
Grammar: I think the same advice as the beginner to intermediate stage is applicable here.
Listening: Listen to both intermediate podcasts and YouTube videos in the target language (innovative languages, iyagi, dreaming spanish, a piece of french, InnerFrench etc.), and also to native material (youtube videos, films, TV shows, vines, tiktoks etc.) that you find interesting. Use transcripts or subtitles (in the target language) to memorise new vocabulary, and then keep repeating the audio until you understand everything. 
Reading: Read whatever you can get your hands on, as long as it is reasonably simple enough. I would recommend kids books, and also translations of books that you have already read in your target language.
Writing: Try starting a journal in your target language, and also try writing letters/e-mails to people, and maybe write some essays on topical issues. Once again, make sure that you get corrections. 
Speaking: Continue having conversations with people in your target language. Let yourself make mistakes and be corrected, because that is the only way to improve. For your accent and pronunciation, shadow native material (I use Easy Languages for this). 
This is as far as I have gotten in terms of my self-study journey, so I’m afraid I won’t be able to offer much more advice. When I eventually reach an advanced C1 level in a language, then I’ll definitely make a post about that. Thank you for reading this post! I hope it was useful to you!
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russianwave · 2 years
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Russian vocabulary for bad situations
неблагоприятный adverse
тревожный alarming
сердитый angry
раздражать annoy
озабоченный anxious
апатия apathy
Плохо bad
банальный banal
воинственный belligerent
скучный boring
сломанный broken
бездушный callous
неуклюжий clumsy
грубый coarse
холодный cold
крах collapse
смущенный confused
противоречивый contradictory
разъедающий corrosive
продажный corrupt
сумасшедший crazy
жутко creepy
преступник criminal
жестокий cruel
плакать cry
повреждать damage
мертвых dead
распад decay
уродливый deformed
отказываться от deny
подавленный depressed
лишенный deprived
вредный detrimental
грязный dirty
болезнь disease
отвратительный disgusting
растрепанный disheveled
нечестный dishonest
бесчестный dishonorable
мрачный dismal
разъяренный enraged
зло evil
неудача fail
вина fault
страх fear
слабый feeble
Борьба fight
могила grave
жадность greed
мрачный grim
гримаса grimace
валовой gross
кровь gore
виновный guilty
изможденный haggard
трудный hard
ненавидеть hate
враждебный hostile
повредить hurt
невежественный ignorant
игнорировать ignore
больной ill
незрелый immature
несовершенный imperfect
невозможно impossible
адский infernal
травмировать injure
коварный insidious
безвкусный insipid
ревность jealousy
терять lose
паршивый lousy
злонамеренный malicious
угрожающий menacing
беспорядочный messy
неправильно понятый misunderstood
заплесневелый moldy
наивный naive
непослушный naughty
отрицательный negative
никогда never
никто nobody
оскорбительный offensive
старый old
гнетущий oppressive
боль pain
пессимист pessimist
ядовитый poisonous
бедные poor
предрассудки prejudice
покидать quit
отклонять reject
месть revenge
сгнивший rotten
грубый rude
грустный sad
страшный scary
крик scream
серьезный severe
шокирующий shocking
зловещий sinister
рыдать sob
злопамятный spiteful
вонючий stinky
бурный stormy
застрявший stuck
глупый stupid
подозревать suspect
подозрительный suspicious
ужасный terrible
ужасать terrify
уродливый ugly
несправедливый unfair
нездоровый unhealthy
несчастливый unlucky
нежелательный unwanted
неразумный unwise
огорчать upset
беспощадный vicious
подлый vile
настороженный wary
усталый weary
безнравственный wicked
бесполезный worthless
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russianwave · 2 years
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Covid-19 Easter
Russian Easter during the coronavirus pandemic doesn’t have much in common with traditional boiled eggs or cakes anymore. My thoughts concerned with the things which are more down to earth.
- Evgeny Filatov
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russianwave · 2 years
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russianwave · 2 years
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How to begin learning a language
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Hi! I thought I would make a post to help people out who are just starting out learning a language. Your main goal at this level should just be to make sure that you have a very solid foundation in the language that will support you. You should be able to greet people, reveal information (where you live, your name, your likes/dislikes etc.), know basic verbs and nouns (weekdays, animals, colours etc.) and speak about the present tense.
Learn the alphabet! You can do this using flashcards. Make sure you practice writing the words and memorise the stroke order. For languages like Japanese or Mandarin Chinese that have characters, learn some of the most basic characters and their stroke orders.
Immediately start working on your pronunciation! Watch some pronunciation guide videos, and then start speaking and shadowing. Make sure a video has subtitles in the language, and try to say everything being said in the video (make sure it is beginner friendly - preferably something for learners) right after it is said.
Use an app! Duolingo, Lingodeer, HelloChinese and Memrise are just a couple of incredible ones. I highly recommend them. 
Complete an online course or a beginners textbook! There are loads available for free online. Hell, there are loads available on this website. Make sure the approach is vocabulary based, not grammar based, as that will be more useful for you. Also, make sure that audio is available to you.
Start texting natives on apps like Tandem or HelloTalk! This gets very good results, as you can learn new vocabulary being texted to you, along with being able to look up new common greetings and phrases while you are texting.
Memorise basic vocabulary and grammar! Learn the basics of present tense, gender, adjective agreement, word order and some structures, along with a few vocabulary lists of necessary vocabulary (common greetings, animals, colors, family etc.). For grammar, I’d recommend just using a workbook, and for vocabulary, flashcards (particularly anki ones) are very good.
Immerse! Try to listen to and read the language in your dead time, so you can get used to it. Turn the language of your phone to your target language. Read tweets in the language. Watch YouTube videos about fun subjects that you like. If the language you are learning is particularly difficult (like Japanese and Chinese), then try and read and listen to fun learners exercises. Generally just try to get used to the sounds of your target language, and reading the alphabet or familiar characters.
Thanks for reading this post! I hope it was useful to you!
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russianwave · 2 years
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Names in the Russian language
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russianwave · 2 years
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Hey did you know I keep a google drive folder with linguistics and language books  that I try to update regularly 
UPDATE because apparently not everyone has seen this yet the new and improved version of this is a MEGA folder
I know there’s so many more urgent things but if you like this resource you may consider buying me a ko-fi to keep this project alive
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russianwave · 2 years
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Vintage poster with two Russian fonts (1988)
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russianwave · 2 years
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My 20 Favorite Language Learning Tips
Use small phrases when talking to pets/inanimate objects/ yourself etc
Kid books!!! Especially ones you know like cat in the hat or something similar. These are amazing especially if you are a beginner. It helps build fluency, literacy, pattern (different languages have different speaking patterns and flow), etc. There's a reason they push the books on kids.
Do translations! Take those books and mark them up. Find news articles, research papers, etc and translate them.
Keep a diary in your target language
Find people who are native speakers and tell them to talk to you in that language more than your native language
WRITE. When I formally studied Spanish, one of my teachers made us write EVERY WORD 10 times with their meanings. If it was a phrase, we would still do it word by word. I HATED this so much but after 4 years of not speaking or hearing the language, those were the words I still knew.
Change your phone language or an app language to your target language
Watch shows in your language. Use subtitles. If you're trying to learn to read better, put subtitles in your target language. Trying to pick up words? Use your native language for subtitles and listen to the show in your target language.
Describe your actions, feelings, etc to yourself in your target language
Find signs in public that are multilingual and read them
Play your favorite songs in your target language and sing along
Play your favorite songs in your native language but sing along to them in your target language
Follow comic artists (or other people) on social media. Comic artists are great because they tend to use slang, colloquial language, jokes, etc that build a more fluent speech. Makeup artists and influencers are good for this too
Go to shops. Where I'm from we have mercados and taquieras everywhere so going to places like that can help a lot
Reach out to people and learn with them! Find someone that studies the same language or someone who's trying to learn your language but speaks your target language. Talking with non native speakers can help you learn study and language tricks that helped them
Flash cards!
Apps that help you learn a new language are great! But only if you practice outside the app
Find recipes written in your target language
Rewrite class notes in the language!
Say at least one word a day in your target language
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russianwave · 2 years
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Patriarchal Liturgy on the occasion of the first anniversary of the consecration of the main church of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation
June 13, 2021
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russianwave · 2 years
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Patriarchal Liturgy on the occasion of the first anniversary of the consecration of the main church of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation
June 13, 2021
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russianwave · 2 years
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Free PDFs on Russian Culture by Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center
Russia in Perspective [December 2015]
Geography: Geographic Regions and Topographic Features, Climate, Bodies of Water, Major Cities, Environmental Concerns, Natural Hazards, Endnotes, Chapter 1 Assessment
History: Early History, The Romanovs, Revolutions and Civil War, The Soviet Era, Post-Soviet Russia, Endnotes, Chapter 2 Assessment
Economy: Agriculture, Industry and Manufacturing, Energy, Natural Resources, Trade and Transportation, Tourism, Banking and Finance, Standard of Living, Employment, Economic Outlook, Endnotes, Chapter 3 Assessment
Society: Ethnic Groups and Languages, Religion, Cuisine, Traditional Dress, Gender Issues, Arts, Folk Culture and Folklore, Sports and Recreation, Endnotes, Chapter 4 Assessment
Security: US-Russian Relations, Relations with Neighboring Countries, Military, Air Force, Police, Issues Affecting Stability, Outlook, Endnotes, Chapter 5 Assessment,
Final Assessment and Further Resources
Russian Cultural Orientation [July 2016]
Profile: Geography, Geographic Divisions and Topographic Features, Clmate, Rivers and Lakes, Major Cities, History, Government, Media, Economy, Ethnic Groups, Endnotes, Chapter 1 Assessment
Religion: Major Religions in Russia, Religion and the Russian Government, Religion and Daily Life, Religious Events and Holidays, Buildings of Worship, Behaviour in Places of Worship, Endnotes, Chapter 2 Assessment
Traditions: Honors and Values, Codes of Politeness, Male/Female Interaction, Hospitality and Gift-Giving, Eating Customs and Types of Food, Dress Codes, Non-Religious Holidays, Dos and Don'ts, Endnotes, Chapter 3 Assessment
Urban Life: Urban Issues, Healthcare, Education, Restaurants and Marketplace, Transportation and Traffic, Street Crime and Solicitations, Endnotes, Chapter 4 Assessment
Rural Life: Land Tenure, Rural Economy, Rural Transportation, Rural Health, Rural Education, Who's in Charge? Checkpoints, Landmines, Endnotes, Chapter 5 Assessment,
Family Life: Status of Women, Children, and the Elderly, Marriage, Divorce, and Birth, Family Social Events, Naming Conventions, Endnotes, Chapter 6 Assessment
Final Assessment and Further Reading and Resources
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russianwave · 2 years
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Two editions of the same book—one published before Russia’s spelling reform of 1918 and one after. 
Дачный поѣздъ VS. Дачный поезд.
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russianwave · 2 years
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Covid-19 Easter
Russian Easter during the coronavirus pandemic doesn’t have much in common with traditional boiled eggs or cakes anymore. My thoughts concerned with the things which are more down to earth.
- Evgeny Filatov 
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russianwave · 2 years
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Free Advanced Russian Textbook
Decoding the 1920s: A Reader for Advanced Learners of Russian
The materials presented in this book were developed for an advanced-level content-based Russian language course entitled “Russian Literature of the Twentieth Century: The 1920s.
The textbook contains language assignments that would, on the one hand, help students transition to advanced but at the same time promote meaningful engagement with literary texts. The assignments in this textbook are multilevel ones, and thus offer a solution for multilevel classes that include literate heritage Russian speakers, Intermediate High, Advanced, or even Superior-level readers.
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