Fifty Lessons in Russian

by Nina F. Potapova

Fifty Lessons in Russian is a short course aiming at teaching the student the fundamentals of Russian phonetics, grammar and vocabulary. On completing the course the student will be able to read and understand simple Russian texts, write and speak on everyday subjects. Phonetics is mainly introduced in the first 13 lessons in which most Russian sounds are explained via a comparison with their English counterparts, and pronunciation, reading and spelling rules are dealt with. In the same lessons only the most elementary grammar is given. In the following lessons further grammar needed for spoken Russian is introduced in texts based on carefully selected vocabulary. The texts reflect the various aspects of Soviet life and culture. The vocabulary chosen for the course contains approximately 1,000 words used in colloquial Russian and therefore indispensable to any student of Russian and to tourists. In each lesson there are exercises designed to provide practice in the vocabulary and grammar introduced in the lesson concerned. Most exercises can be checked with the Key supplied at the end of the course. One of the main features of the course is its conciseness. Fifty Lessons in Russian is intended for entire beginners, adults or schoolchildren. The Key to the Exercises gives the student the opportunity to correct his own mistakes, which is a great help in studying a language, and permits the course to be studied without a teacher. A general Russian-English vocabulary is given at the end of the book.

236 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 2002

Reviews

[Tom Riggle]

I probably have read this book at least twice, parts of it quite often. On the one hand it is obviously dated, around 1990. Looking at the illustrations alone will show that. And some of the topics are Sovietly flavored. But this is a minor quibble. As a beginning grammar for learning Russian it is not bad. In this slim volume Nina Potapova tackles the essentials of the language. Each new grammar concept is reinforced by charts, texts, and exercises. The answers to these exercises are in the end. I like especially that she has short glossaries at the end of each lesson. I wish all language books would do that.

The small size is, I think, an advantage. The beginning student is not overwhelmed with secondary details. The book is also easy to carry when traveling I have schlepped this battered green hardcover edition on many trips abroad.