Reading is definitely the best way to replenish your vocabulary and memorize grammar. Teachers of Russian as a Foreign Language recommend going beyond study materials and read original literary works to see how numerous grammar rules are used in the language and really feel it. At the same time, reading remains one of the key challenges for Russian language learners. Today we want to try to gain insight into the reading difficulties that arise, why they arise and how you can overcome them.
Read books you are interested in
If you read something you are not interested in, you will not get much benefit out of such reading. Be serious about choosing the genre, author and even text length. If you are a fan of a short story genre, don’t compromise your integrity. Be pragmatic and rational. Reading for pleasure is your main assistant.
Choose a difficulty level that suits you
If your dream is to read Crime and Punishment in the original, but your level of Russian is far from being advanced, pay attention to more understandable Russian literature classics. For example, Chekhov is famous for his simple writing style and is a good choice for those who continue learning Russian.
Go beyond novels
Read short stories, journals, thematic websites and articles. They will provide insight into a variety of genres of the language and styles. Short modern texts will help you intersperse your speech by including new phrases and words in it.
Pay attention to translated literature
If you have already read the book by the foreign author in your native language, it pays to start reading the same book in Russian. Getting a general idea of the book content and context will help you easily understand a text written in Russian.
Russian fairy tales are not easy reading
Children’s literature is considered easy to read but this cannot be said about Russian fairy tales and folklore. Originality and abundance of Russian fairy tales has its roots in ancient ages. Many words and terms are considered obsolete and are not used in everyday speech today. All of this can become a great obstacle with a mixed result. If you have paid attention to children’s books, choose contemporary authors.
