Folks, over the years I have seen a number of posts suggesting new languages which would, in the opinion of the posters, be well suited to the Textkit style. I scarcely read most of them and passed over the others with disinterest. Now, with a shade of embarrassment, I’m going to do exactly the same myself…
Does anyone agree that this type of site and community would be of benefit to someone aiming at learning to read and write modern Russian? Listening and speaking is another kettle of fish, I know, but learning Russian is the closest thing to learning a classical language I have encountered in modern languages.
What do you think? Good idea/ bad idea? Wheel my barrow into the next street?
There’s already a fairly good online community for Russian learners: Master Russian forum and an accompanying website with lessons on basic grammar points.
Its a nice idea but I don’t think this site is vast enough to handle another language without watering down its core purpose.
You would be adding 2 more factors: a new language; and a Modern language. It would water down what Textkit has.. plus it adds more work to everyone that already are probably doing all they can for what is already here.
One word: inflections. Three more words: lots of them.
I’m also looking at it from the point of view of the difficult phonology for a native English speaker and - speaking personally - wondering whether a reading knowledge to get to grips with the rich literature would be plenty for most folk to be getting on with, and culturally beneficial.
I wouldn’t dream of trying to foist something else onto this site, even if I could. As it is, IMHO it’s brilliant as it is.
My question was aimed more at sounding learned people out as to whether this type of approach might benefit people wanting to get an inside view of Russian but without the years spent trying to master correct pronunciation and conversational skills. (I did much the same when learning Gaelic, having spent years failing with modern style conversation courses. After I had mastered the grammar the same way as I learned NT Greek, and started reading lots, I was able to move onto the the thorny matter of grappling with the phonology of the local dialect and doing some serious talking.)
There are languages that make Russian look “inflectionless”, almost analytical, and many others, that are inflected to a similar extent, Polish for example. So what would make Russian so “special”?
