Customer Reviews

Pronounce it Perfectly in Russian: Book with 2 Cassettes

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Russian is a very hard language for native English speakers to pronounce correctly. There are sounds in Russian that are not only not made in English, but are difficult for the non Russian to even HEAR, like the soft consonants. I originally thought I could get my pronunciation right by mimicking Pimsleur lessons and using a text book, but after being corrected again and again by my Russian friends, I decided to give this a try.

This book covers everything related to pronunciation. There are diagrams indicating the position of your tongue and lips, examples of the words where the individual sounds are used, pronunciation rules, and finally, proper intonation of sentences to acheive a proper accent. This is an excellent tool at a very reasonable price.

I'd give it five stars if it came on a CD instead of cassettes. I can't believe they still use the wretched things.

The Pronounce it Perfectly in Russian tapes and book have made learning a second language very easy. I have tried to learn other languages before and tossed the books and tapes. Upon inserting the tape into the player and listening for only a few seconds I was actually learning words with ease. I would suggest this product to anyone wishing to learn the beautiful Russian language.

Better than Rosetta Stone or Pimsleur (I've tried them both), this is an excellent companion to a written coursebook. Not only does the course provide an in-depth description of sounds, but it distinguishes the rules about hard/soft consonants. It tells you how the letters can change when they are used at different parts of the word.

What sets the book apart from others is that it supplies a phonetically-written pronunciation guide. For example, if you are learning the word for "eagle", it would show you the word "орёл" - but it would also show you the pronunciation using english letters; in this case it would be "ar'Ol". What makes this useful is that if you miss even the smallest sound when the word is pronounced on the cassette, you can see exactly why it sounds the way it does. Also, it is relatively rare to find a Russian book that shows you the stress marks of words. This course even shows you intonations in your voice - how to raise you voice throughout the sentence based on if it's a comment or question, etc. Then of course, there is a complete index of vocabulary.

All in all, an excellent item. Of course no audio book can funcion on its own without a good solid textbook. I recommend the New Penguin Russian course. But as far as they go, this one is the best, and the low price is a bonus.

P.S - beware of Pimsleur. You won't know why you're saying what you're saying - and it is hated by many a Russian teacher for its inaccuracy

P.P.S. - I would not recommend Pronounce it Perfectly for people who just want to learn "touristy" Russian. They will most likely find it a bit superfluous.

This cassette/tape combo is a great learning tool for Russian pronunciation. It contains detailed diagrams that show how the mouth should be formed for each letter. The two tapes (90 min. each) are very clear and easy to understand. The course takes you step-by-step, teaching you the sound and name of each letter of the Russian alphabet. It goes even further to give you an understanding of certain rules of the alphabet. You also learn sentences and read certain literary passages such as a passage from Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy. This compact course contains eleven units and a small English/Russian glossary in the back. The only complaint I have is that the speakers do not give you enough pause-time to say the words yourself (you might have to stop the tape in order to pronounce a word). Other than that I highly recommend it along with the New Penguin Russian Course.

This is a decent introduction, although there are better audio learning programs available. The main flaw is that the announcers are rushed and seem to be shouting at you. (You can't understand, I'll speak louder). The rushing results in an even greater flaw, the pauses are not long enough for the listener to repeat the words without speaking over the next word he or she is supposed to be listening to. It is, however, a much less expensive introduction than, say, Pimsleur and could be worthwhile for that reason.

I found this to be a great tool....It is PERFECT for the genuine beginner in establishing the most basic, fundamental, building blocks for language learning....alphabet, names of letters, and sounds associated with those letters. I continue to use it, and I have a pretty good working vocabulary (about 1,000 words +), and can read and write everything I know. But I definitely credit this aid for helping get me started SMOOTHLY, because you KNOW how hard it can be to encounter things out of order, making learning that much more difficult! I didn't get much from the diagrams of the mouth and throat illustrating tongue positions, but that was the only "flaw", and I do not know whether it is a flaw at all or just that interpreting such information is not natural to some of us...I don't get much from the voice pattern graphs on computer aids, either. But I consider this to be one of the tools I would not have wanted to be without. Another is the Penguin Russian Course: A Complete Course For Beginners. If you are serious about learning Russian, and you have no Russian background, these will be indespensable.

I have been studying Russian now for almost 2 years and this text and cassette program has been very helpful especially in detailing how the sounds should be made and the placement of the tongue in the mouth.

This was very helful in teaching the proper pronunciation in Russian. It was especially helpful to see how words in Russian are pronounced phonetically in English. It took a lot of the guess work out of learning another language.

My review as a complete beginner in Russian: I really like this product. It teaches you the Russian alphabet letter by letter, pronounced by russian speakers (male & female). Then some examples are given (and pronounced) to better understand how it sounds. This gives you an overview on how to use it in a word.

Before you buy it be aware that it is not a grammar book. It is for the beginners in Russian however this book+cassette should be used as a complimentary to your other learning books. When used alone, it can only teach you the alphabet.

There are 2 cassettes and after each unit you can learn a russian proverb. Lessons go fast but it should be considered as normal (at the end, you have the control over the cassette). Nicely done and good for the purpose. I consider it as an important help in learning Russian.

I do not speak Russian, but this thing will help, I feel it.