learning a language

I'm not sure if this would be the right board but,,, what's a good quick and efficent way of learning a language yourself? I've been trying to learn Russian for 2 years now and all I have are some common phrases I've picked up from by bfs family and also words I don't really need from Duolingo. I have the reading level of a struggling year 1 student and I've even tried online Russian tutors, Russian music and media and more but I can't really stick it in my head. Any help would be apprecaited :)

>>12550 As someone who is in his 3rd year of russian class (and who has to retake one) you have to take a class. Shit is hard as hell, and I am a linguistics major.

Have you heard of "immersion", or what japanese language learners have been doing with stuff like "ajatt"? I feel like you'd be better off just inputing more materials close to your interest. But since the learning process is heavily context-based, the material you go for shouldn't exceed a certain level depending on where you're currently at, so you can actually "use learned things to learn new things". Don't overwhelm yourself, and don't output yet if you're a total trash at.

You won't memorize vocabulary easily by consuming content alone. Study an Anki deck that is designed based on word frequency. These words will become embedded deeper into your mind each time you recognize them while listening to a song, reading a book or watching a show. Choose your goal. 10 new words a day is 300 words after a month, which is sufficient for understanding slow and simple content. It's also 3650 words after your first year, which is enough to read a book without relying too much on a dictionary. If you also want to be able to speak the language, which appears to be the case, you will need to study some grammar, which you can't pick up as easily as you do vocabulary using the Anki method. Find something to get excited about when learning Russian. Your final goal seems to be communication with your boyfriend's family, but that may not be as tangible as, for instance, a volume of Russian poetry on your desk that you want to decipher. Mine was the song Голубой вагон, which a Moldovan internet friend sent me. Now I can understand it and sing it in the shower.

>>12550 You just have to go there for a couple of months (6 or more is ideal but I think you can acquire a decent level even in 3). I speak 4 languages fluently (russian is one of those) and, apart from my mother tongue, I have learned all of them by living for short periods in countries were they are spoken. I think it is the most efficient, if not the only, way to really learn a new language for most people. Find a scholarship in your field of study, some exchange program or some work in Russia and just go!

>>12553 Anki deck is such a cool website :o

>>12553 also, Голубой вагон and крокодил Гена break my heart every time I listen to it :') Very beautiful! Once I screened it with subtitles during the night in the main classroom of a occupied universitiy and everyone was moved (50+ people!). >>12550 By the way, OP, maybe you can try listening to Egor Letov! It was a really cool punk/psychedelic singer very famous from the '80s to the 2000's. I think he matches Lainchan's vibe in some way, and his lyrics are gorgeous and useful to learn Russian! Youtube channel "matras" has many of his songs sub eng https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CA7FylXMibw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OUZL8KaIJ4A https://lyricstranslate.com/en/daleko-bezhit-doroga-road-goes-far-lot-fun-ahead.html I also like УБИЙЦЫ CRYSTAL, completely different genre but still has some (cyber)punk in it https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_ybsiL4edw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DJVb9yvI3Go

>>12553 Anki will soon become a liability if it's the primary focus, and in my experience, learning vocabulary out of context is the perfect recipe for misery. Sure, it might not be a bad idea to study one thousand most frequently used words when just starting out, but I think this approach is flawed in long term.

>>12556 >Egor Letov It's a meaningless crap to outsider (a person not from Egor Letov social group - leningrad soviet rockers 80th).

Ive considered just taking a bunch of supplements or drugs to increase BDNF to see if it makes my brain function like a kid with high fluid intelligence. Anyone try doing this to learn a language like a first language?

>>12566 This is just false. He continued being very influential until the late 2000s, his music becoming more sophisticate mixing psychedelic and folk elements, not being solely dependent on lyrics and punk attitude as in the previous years (which by the was already more than enough imho). As of today he is still widely listened among young people, all of the russian diaspora I happen to run into in my country knows him. If you dislike him no problem, but there is no reason to belittle his role in russian punk rock.

>>12550 try speaking something in Russian. set up Cyrillic layout on your computer for better results. Давай, выкладывай что ты там выучил :)

Comprehensible input is what you need.

>>12570 This is a interesting idea. Do you plan on doing this or did you ask out of pure curiosity?

>>12550 Whenever you're learning a new language, the first thing is to learn the alphabet. Example: if you are learning Korean, learn Hangul first. Another example: if you are learning Japanese, learn the kana before you do anything else. You should first learn the individual characters but try to write real words as soon as possible. It's absolutely crucial to write them on a paper with a pen because it makes it easier to learn to write (even if you are learning the Kanji!). The next thing you should do is to try to find a beginner-level course (preferably IRL). The course will help you avoid common pitfalls and you get to practice spoken language. I also suggest you try to find 2-3 textbooks and do all exercises from all of them (chapter by chapter). Try to use the vocabulary introduced in each chapter and write a few sentences on your own. I recommend that you use AI (LLM) to check your sentences. You should try to find children's story books, as soon as you know the basic grammar. Visit your local library or ask someone who knows where to find it. Some normal people seem to love Duolingo but it's awful for anything else besides learning basic words. I suggest that you use it, nevertheless. But don't let it consume too much of your time. Another good program is Anki (flash card software). Be sure to also read the words out loud because it helps you learn them and you improve your pronunciation over time. I suggest that you study each day but keep your study sessions short (30 mins to a hour). Instead of increasing the time per session, it's best to add another session to your day. Try to dedicate the same time each day for studying the language because it makes it easier to remember and it forms a habit faster.