4 Things I Learned From Studying Russian
…other than how complicated it is, of course.
I recently quit my job and was left with a lot of free time on my hands. Taking advantage of that, I decided to schedule my days around activities that are fun, but could also add value to my life. That’s when I thought, why not learn Russian?
There are many sources online — most of them free — that teach Russian starting at a beginner level. I searched through YouTube and found videos that explain how to pronounce, memorize, and write the Russian Cyrillic alphabet.
Since I had to learn a whole new alphabet, it was not easy! There were moments when I thought, “Why am I doing this to myself?” But then I correctly read a simple word and felt a tiny jolt of happiness.
I want to share the things I learned from learning Russian to remind myself of why I am doing this, and hopefully to inspire you to learn something new as well.
There is always something we don’t know — yet.
Sometimes, I think I already know everything there is to know. I mean, I could get by with just the knowledge I have right now. But learning Russian opens a door to places I never thought I would visit.
There are nuances and details of the language and the meaning of words that I come across while learning that make me realize how vast the unknown is. There is always something I don’t know, and there is always an opportunity to learn it.
“Small” achievements are the biggest motivators.
Learning Russian is not easy for me, and I am by no means fluent at this point. I still struggle with pronunciation. I still don’t quite yet grasp the difference between the soft and hard marks. But I do know what each letter is supposed to sound like. I can roughly guess how to pronounce a word in the Russian alphabet. Those “small” achievements are what keep me going.
When we are faced with a certain challenge, sometimes summiting a mountain trumps getting over a molehill. But as we focus on conquering the mountains, those molehills that we have won over are worth celebrating as well. They are proof that we are able to achieve our goals, including getting on top of that mountain.
It’s time to give yourself credit for how far you’ve come. Be proud of yourself for achieving your goals, big or small. Remember, by starting and putting yourself out there, you’ve already won half the battle!
It’s not just the language.
When I started learning Russian, I figured I should find people online who spoke the language so I could familiarize myself with the sound of it. I found Vika’s channel on YouTube, Minimal Russian Girl, in which she talks about minimalism and Russian cultures.
I also watch Natasha from Yeah Russia, where she uploads travel vlogs and also — one that I particularly love — a video where she teaches the Russian alphabet in Russian streets using signs and boards. That’s how I learned to read when I was little, so that video hits especially close to home for me.
I also learned to read Russian song lyrics, and I found Russian musicians that I had never heard of, yet grew to love. I discovered VLNY’s, Космос на потолке, and also the flavorful FAVLAV.
I could have lived my life never hearing anything from them, never enjoying any type of content they make. But now that I do, I feel my life is richer and more exciting. There’s always something new to find, and they make my world seem to expand beyond what I’ve been familiar with.
We don’t need a reason why.
I don’t have any plan to visit or move to Russia, and I don’t know anyone in my life who speaks the language. I had never learned it before, but I thought it could be a fun challenge. So, I started learning. Some people have asked me why I started at all, but I didn’t really have a reason — other than I just wanted to try.
If there is anything you want to pursue, explore, or learn more about and you think your reason is not strong enough to start, this is a sign for you to try it anyway. You don’t need a reason why — “because I want to” is reason enough!
