The 8 Best Beginner and Intermediate Books to Learn Russian

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YOU ARE READING: The 8 Best Beginner and Intermediate Books to Learn Russian | FluentU Russian AT PhebinhvanhocEN

Eager to get a healthy Russian language learning routine going?

well, you know what they say.

You are reading: Best books to learn russian

A book a day keeps the doctor away.

wait… that’s not how it works, is it?

regardless of what the popular saying says, no one can deny the benefit of books to entertain us, open up the world to us and help us learn.

For those who are considering learning the Russian language, or have already started, books are an excellent resource to use in this endeavor.

but which books, exactly?

opening a copy of “war and peace” in Russian probably won’t help you learn the basics, so what will?

Keep reading to find the best beginner and intermediate books to help you learn Russian.

download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable pdf that you can take anywhere. click here for a copy. (download)

benefits of learning Russian with books in the early stages

With so many ways to learn a language, from watching movies to using flashcards, apps and courses, why choose books? for the following reasons:

affordable prices: while Russian courses can be expensive, you can often find books at very affordable prices. amazon and ebay offer heavily discounted used selections, while finding a book at your local library is completely free!

No Compromise: Are you the kind of person who changes your mind a lot? If you haven’t stopped reading this blog yet, you probably don’t have serious engagement issues; however, learning Russian from books does not require you to make a long-term commitment. if you take a copy of a book and never open it, the consequence will be no greater than losing the price of the book. therefore, learning with books is an excellent option for those who want to have some space in their learning materials. your book will not send you daily pop-up reminders on your phone or tablet!

Books suitable for all levels: Watching a Russian movie and actually learning something from it can be difficult for someone who doesn’t know Russian, but there are books available for all levels. Russian: beginner, intermediate or advanced.

Visual images help your brain learn better: Most Russian learning books have associated images, which can help you learn more efficiently. Our brains work as image processors, and as such, images help us interpret and remember information better than simple text.

useful strategies to maximize your book learning potential

so how do you stay on track when learning Russian on your own? these strategies will make you say “Где моя книга?” (“where’s my book?”) in no time!

start with the basics: learning a language is like building a house. you need a good structural foundation to build on. so focus on the basics before jumping into intermediate or advanced material. start by learning the abc of russian, which in cyrillic would be aБbs.

Use children’s textbooks: Russian children are learning to read and write Russian just like foreign language learners like you. Finding and using Russian textbooks for children can make your learning experience more efficient and fun, as these textbooks are easy to read and contain simple words with clear messages, meanings, and images.

Listen to the pronunciations as you read: Russian is usually not easy for beginners to pronounce, so seeing the words alone may not be helpful in learning to speak. Some of the books we recommend in this article, such as the “Russian Step by Step” series, come with additional audio material to help you hear Russian, as well as read and understand it.

Use interactive resources like fluentu in addition to your reading: Books are great, but they’ll only take you so far; it’s also important to be exposed to native speech and culture. Since the videos show Russian being used in all sorts of contexts, you can understand and appreciate the language much better!

“bukvar’”

A traditional primer of the alphabet, the “bukvar” is something that every first-grade Russian boy wears to school. This is an ideal first book for all Russian learners, one that contains keys to learning the language, the letters. this colorful version is compiled by n. yes zhukova, a trusted author of many Russian learning books.

The book begins with pictures of letters and visuals of accompanying words, and then moves on to putting letters together to form syllables and then words, noting the correct pronunciations.

“Russian step by step for children: notebook 1”

This book is the first in a series, intended for people who do not speak Russian or have very limited knowledge of Russian. Although it was originally written for children, adults can benefit from it as well. learning is organized with step-by-step instructions.

In addition to text, this resource includes workbook material to practice your Russian skills and access to an audio download, as well as slides and learning games. each workbook contains four sections:

primary course
grammar skills
answer key
dictionary

After completing this book, you should be able to read in Russian, make statements and answer yes or no and general questions. then you can move on to…

“Russian step by step for children: exercise book 2”

The second book in this series has the same types of practice sections as the first workbook, which help reinforce reading skills and aim to teach general rules of spelling, adjectives, colors, numbers 11 to 20, names and surnames, and various types of greetings.

“Russian step by step for children: notebook 3”

The third and final book in the “step by step” series focuses on the formation of masculine and feminine nouns, possessive pronouns, verb conjugations for the present tense, numbers 30-100, and discussion of different nationalities and professions.

“Russian picture word book: learn more than 500 commonly used Russian words through pictures”

If you feel tired of reading, don’t stop studying Russian, look at the pictures! This book has more than 500 images in 15 common scenes, such as a picnic, a farm, a classroom, a house, a beach, a supermarket, a town, a road, etc. each scene has dozens of objects with Russian spellings, and each image can be colored (if you get bored or need a break)!

To test yourself after studying the pictures, you can refer to the back of the book, where the Russian words are listed along with their English translations.

“we read these stories by syllables”

Once you have learned the letters and pronunciation of Russian words, you can try reading real Russian books. Russian has no precise rules about which syllable should be stressed, and the vocabulary is full of long words.

A great way to start reading is to practice reading by syllables, and this book is just the tool for you. The famous cartoonist Vladimir Suteev will entertain you with fantastic but simple tales that are divided into syllables with the appropriate stress. reference colorful pictures to help you learn along the way.

“the new Russian penguin course: a complete course for beginners”

To deviate from the easier and more fun books intended for children, this text is intended for adults (although you can still make colored notes on the sides!). This book includes 30 lessons with review exercises that reinforce and test your Russian skills.

After completing the book, you should have gained knowledge of both conversational language and correct Russian grammar by accessing the included 1,500 vocabulary words, as well as a glossary of grammatical terms.

“Russian – learn Russian – in days, not years!: the secrets to learning languages, Russian phrases, & speaking Russian”

This book is intended for those who are planning a trip to Russia or a nearby Russian-speaking country. is a compact lesson plan that includes the symbols and sounds of the Russian language in an easy-to-follow format that breaks down the pronunciations. learn how to greet and socialize with Russians without sounding too touristy.

so put down your phone, close your laptop and go old school.

Choose a book to start learning Russian today!