Have you
ever struggled finding authentic learning material for your target language, or
have spent countless hours trying to find material worth using? If you answered
yes, then I would strongly recommend checking out the YouTube channel called
Easy Languages, which is currently produced in over 30 languages. What is great
about each language is that you learn it from the streets, allowing you to hear
natives speak at their normal pace about whatever is on their mind. Instead of
simply watching a 4-minute video completely in Russian when you are a beginner,
English subtitles and a transliteration are provided as the host asks a
question to people on the street. Thanks to this method of language-learning,
you slowly start to associate sounds with words and words with meanings.
Before
finding this YouTube channel, I had spent more hours than I am willing to admit
trying to find a free resource that was more challenging than a textbook, but
still understandable for Russian. Since I have only been taking it for two
semesters, I wanted to find a YouTube channel whose goal was to find native
speakers without translating everything that was being said.
I
recently started seriously and religiously watching Easy Russian, but have
found it to be extremely effective. The main reason why I like using it over
other channels is, because each episode is based on just one question, such as
"what makes you happy?", which allows you to focus your full
attention on a specific topic, or to use thematic vocabulary. Instead of being
all over the place, I can learn words such as "любовь" (love), or
"жизнь" (life). Not only are these words useful and are used in
everyday conversations, but I can also associate words in specific phrases, or
in idiomatic expressions. In other words, you can slowly start expanding your
vocabulary by associating words with meanings instead of learning words by
themselves without any context on how they can be used, as you would typically
do in high-school.
How I recommend using Easy
Languages:
As I have
already mentioned many times, what is most important is consistency and quality
versus quantity when studying a language. Since Russian is the furthest removed
from my native languages, it makes sense to spend the most amount of time on
it, so that I can continue picking up its rhythms, its sounds, and its
pronunciation. Since each episode is approximately 4 minutes, I would recommend
watching it more than once.
When you
watch it for the first time, make sure to write down any important, or
unfamiliar words or phrases on a piece of paper, or in a notebook (the more
organized you are, the faster you will eventually progress). After being
satisfied with a good-sized list, re-watch it as many times as you feel
necessary. Make sure to read the English subtitles, and transliterations as
little as possible each time that you watch it, and try to focus on
understanding entire phrases instead of individual words (ex: the ones that you
wrote down that were new to you).
Remember
that this channel can be used for any level. Whether you have no prior
knowledge of your target language, or are close to native-sounding, you are
bound to learn something new, considering that there is always room for
improvement. I hope that you found this post helpful. Feel free to let me know
what you think about it in the comments down below.
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