Customer Reviews

Introductory Russian Grammar (English and Russian Edition)

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This textbook by Stilman and Harkins is definitely my key resource for learning the Russian language. I have learned far more from this book than I did from the two conversationalist based texts that I used when studying Russian for two years at college. I'm convinced that any native speaker of English needs to learn Russian with a rigorous approach to learning the grammar, because the case differentiation is so crucial and difficult to master. This book is a first year Russian textbook, so it will be good for the introductory student as well as for someone who has some familiarity with the language. The lessons are clearly and logically presented with excellent explanations of Russian grammar, clear and concise declension charts, and extremely useful pattern sentences (in Russian and in English translation) that illustrate the principal grammatical objectives that are emphasized in each chapter. This allows the student to be cognizant of grammar while also developing an internal sensibility to the natural syntax and rhythm of the language. This textbook teaches you not only useful phrases, but also explains why, grammatically, they have to be in a particular form. This is essential for really learning the language. Stilman and Harkins also infuse the chapters with useful vocabulary words that can be learned quickly due to their organized approach to the lesson plans.

Even though this book needs to be revised and updated (this edition, even though it is still in print, is the edition originally published in 1972), this is by far the best textbook for learning the Russian language that exists. I hope instructors begin using this user-friendly text again, because it is ideal for classroom use as well as for students' independent studies. This book is so well planned that students can easily read ahead of their classroom lesson plans and not feel lost, because Stilman and Harkins teach the readers everything they will need to know in order to read and write correctly in Russian.

I have a collection of over 20 college textbooks for studying Russian. Without a doubt this is the best ... by far of any textbook encountered. Yes, by far. Very concise, logical, with many pattern sentance excercises which are in English & Russian. The grammar charts and tables in this book are absolutely wonderful. Maybe 5% of the vocabulary is outdated in use due to the changeover from Soviet times; but if you wish to learn Russian as an English speaker then grammar is first and foremost. I have NEVER before written a critique on any book, but this exemplary textbook deserves any homage given. This textbook covers approximately 2 years of college Russian. Good Luck!!!!!!!!

I first used this book when I took four years of Russian in high school more than 30 years ago, and have kept this book for reference all these years.

This book begins with the Russian alphabet and simple words, showing the learner how to pronounce them and how to write them in both print and cursive. There are written drills of progressively greater difficulty. There are also blocs of paragraphs depicting ordinary conversation in Russian.

The cases used in Russian are covered, along with the usages of each: locative, genitive, dative, instrumental, and nominative. Subsequent chapters build on the usage of these cases.

Every chapter end has a section on vocabulary, common expression, and a short review of previously-covered content. There is a Russian-English and English-Russian glossary at the end of the book. There is also an index of pertinent grammatical forms and manner of usage (e. g., the days of the week, verbs of riding, expressions of sickness, and many others). The content of the book also gives brief insight into such things as Russian geography, Russian writers, etc.

I find the Stilman book to be the finest college level treatise on the subject. It provides a detailed analysis of the language, the liguistics and rules which are all complex. Stilman et.al. presents the material in an orderly easy to understand but yet leaves out none of the complexities of the language. I recommend this text to all serious students of the russian language. I do not believe you will find a better explanation of the language.

In 1968, I worked with the first edition in my HS Russian class. We were told then that the text was 2 year college level equivalent, and I was astounded to find from the reviewers here, that it still is! Anyway - even all that long ago the text was brilliant and by the end of the HS year I was able to carry on conversations and even found myself thinking in Russian. Our instructor went on to take a job with the FBI as a Russian translator. I held on to the textbook but lost it several years ago to poor storage. I recently purchased a used version of the second edition (1972) from Ashtonius Online for a fraction of the cost new, have reviewed it and feel confident I'll be in better shape to make a planned trip to Russia in the near future, especially with the audio tutor found at the publisher's website: [...]

Throughout the years since using this book in HS, I've purchased several other so called teaching materials - none compares to this. If you want to learn how to speak Russian best, this is the best source, evidenced by the fact that it is still used on the university level as nothing better seems to have been found to replace it :-)

This was my original college Russian textbook, and is quite extensive. It is a bit outdated now as the original edition was published in 1975, but overall it was a very good grounding and introduction to the Russian language.

My headline says it all. As a Russian major at Columbia, I used it & loved it. Mrs. Stilman herself was our instructor (and SHE was also the best!). Later, as a Russian teacher myself, I chose the book for my own students. There must be at least 100 elementary Russian grammar texts available, but this is the best.

this book contains a lot of phrases as examples of grammar,drawings to understand prepositions of moving,dialogues...wonderful explanations.

Stillman et al have produced an excellent course book for studying Russian. I have used other books, the best of which emphasizes conversation and is geared toward the college and university classroom ("Russian Stage One"). Russian is a difficult language, especially for English speakers. It is not readily accessible like Spanish or French. The vocabulary is difficult and the declensions of nouns, adjectives, and pronouns make it as difficult as Latin or Greek. For this reason it is refreshing to find a text which attempts to teach the grammar first. This book is complete and comprehensible to anyone studying Russian, particularly if he or she knows English grammar well, or has already studied an inflected language. Other books might be better for those who are learning Russian as their first foreign language.

we used this textbook in my high school sophomore first year russian class back in 1975. unfortunately, because i was continuing in german and a heavy science course load, i couldn't continue in the class and couldn't afford to keep the book. later in college i saw students using the same book and wish i had finished it in high school. i plan to get a used copy and study russian again on my own.