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Rating: 
Summary: Punchy, concise, straight to the point, well thought out
Review: After trying two other self-help courses, this course was a refreshing change in what I previously had seen. The course is just as advertised. Don't expect to become a Russian "expert" by this course, BUT you will be able to pick up many very useful phrases and words, rapidly. If I were to custom order a course with the phrases I would like to have, this course would be it! Other courses I have tried teach you 'very useful' things like "I watch Russian TV", or "I speak Russian", or "my mother makes mushroom soup" early in the course, most of these are not very useful because I don't speak Russian very well, and I do not watch Russian TV, and my mother does not make mushroom soup. These other courses take a more academic approach, and will get you a greater level of expertise -- after a (much longer)while. In one other course I tried, the numbers don't show up until much later in the book (page 100), and numbers are basic to getting along. If you are going into Russia, the Ukraine or other Former Soviet Union countries on an intermittent basis, and you don't intend to live there for extended periods, this course is just what Doctor Zhivago ordered! Well, heck, even if you are staying a while, this course is great, because it will enable you become functional in a very short time. You will be able to get food and drink, read common signs, such as rest room signs (so that you do not enter the rest room of the opposite pursuasion!), and also read the exit, entry or no smoking signs, get directions, make polite comments, such as "please" and "thank you" and "excuse me" in a very short time. The course is short, 6 lessons with phonetic spelling of the Russian, which is especially helpful because some of the words and phrases are real tongue-twisters. (Try "Molodoia Chilovek" 5 times fast!) The tapes are well done by professional people and they are easy to follow. The tapes give plenty of pauses for your practice. If you want to become funcional in Russian in a very short time, this course is just the ticket.
Rating:
Summary: Punchy, concise, straight to the point, well thought out
Review: After trying two other self-help courses, this course was a refreshing change in what I previously had seen. The course is just as advertised. Don't expect to become a Russian "expert" by this course, BUT you will be able to pick up many very useful phrases and words, rapidly. If I were to custom order a course with the phrases I would like to have, this course would be it! Other courses I have tried teach you 'very useful' things like "I watch Russian TV", or "I speak Russian", or "my mother makes mushroom soup" early in the course, most of these are not very useful because I don't speak Russian very well, and I do not watch Russian TV, and my mother does not make mushroom soup. These other courses take a more academic approach, and will get you a greater level of expertise -- after a (much longer)while. In one other course I tried, the numbers don't show up until much later in the book (page 100), and numbers are basic to getting along. If you are going into Russia, the Ukraine or other Former Soviet Union countries on an intermittent basis, and you don't intend to live there for extended periods, this course is just what Doctor Zhivago ordered! Well, heck, even if you are staying a while, this course is great, because it will enable you become functional in a very short time. You will be able to get food and drink, read common signs, such as rest room signs (so that you do not enter the rest room of the opposite pursuasion!), and also read the exit, entry or no smoking signs, get directions, make polite comments, such as "please" and "thank you" and "excuse me" in a very short time. The course is short, 6 lessons with phonetic spelling of the Russian, which is especially helpful because some of the words and phrases are real tongue-twisters. (Try "Molodoia Chilovek" 5 times fast!) The tapes are well done by professional people and they are easy to follow. The tapes give plenty of pauses for your practice. If you want to become funcional in Russian in a very short time, this course is just the ticket.
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