Pronounce it Perfectly in Russian: Book with 2 Cassettes (Audio Cassette)

by Thomas R. Beyer Jr. Ph.D. (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
This program is designed to correct pronunciation deficiency. It covers basics of the Russian phonetic system, vowels, consonants, and palatalization. (Grades 9-12)

Product Details

• Audio Cassette
• Publisher: Barron's Educational Series; Pap/Cas edition (April 1, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0812080165
• ISBN-13: 978-0812080162
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5.6 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #423,438 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

• This item is part of The Pronounce It Perfectly Series.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

46 of 46 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent and reasonably priced, May 30, 2004

By	Bighairydoofus "-" (Brooklyn Park, MN United States) - See all my reviews

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.

56 of 58 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Russian made easy, August 27, 2000

By	Dave Carter (Georgetown, Texas USA) - See all my reviews

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.

34 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars best one out there, December 28, 2004

By	L. Rothrock "rose royalty" - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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.