Fluency is in the details.
To update the language on your Mac, go to the Language & Region (previously Language & Text) panel in System Preferences. You can access the System Preferences by clicking on the Apple menu at the top left of the screen. Once in the Language & Region panel select the General tab, a list of 'Preferred languages' will appear on the left side. Once you have chosen the language by clicking on the flag in the menu bar, go back to the same flag in the menu bar-click and hold, beneath the flags representing the languages you have chosen will be a couple of other options. One of them says Show Keyboard View. Select this option. How to use Keyboard Layout section of Control Panel to activate Russian keyboard for Windows 7,8,10/Vista and XP/2003. This page is a part of my site's Chapter 'Russian keyboard: standard and phonetic'. Keyboard layout specifies how letters and symbols are located on the keyboard buttons for a given Input Language. For example, when Input Language is English (shows as 'EN' in the taskbar. Magic Keyboard combines a sleek design with a built-in rechargeable battery and enhanced key features. With a stable scissor mechanism beneath each key, as well as optimized key travel and a low profile, Magic Keyboard provides a remarkably comfortable and precise typing experience. هذا الفيديو يشرح خطوه بخطوه اضافة لغة وكيفية التغيير بين اللغات في نظام الماك This Video will show you: A step-by-step description.
It is the little things that take you from Russian learner to Russian speaker.
You are probably focused on some of them, like learning Russian slang terms or conversation fillers.
But one that many people forget to focus on is typing in Russian.
This underrated skill is surprisingly important for Russian fluency. You need it to text and chat with your Russian friends or language exchange partners. You need it if you ever hope to study or work in Russia. You even need it for basic writing in Russian, if you do not want to spend hours hunting-and-pecking on your keyboard.
Best of all, you can learn this skill without getting bored thanks to several fun, varied Russian typing practice sites.
We will show you our six favorites, with everything from Russian typing races to typing your way through the news in Russian.
You will need the ability to type Cyrillic characters on your computer for most of the typing practice sites listed in this article. Most operating systems allow you to choose a language (here are instructions for Mac and Windows). In order to know which keys correspond to Russian letters, you can purchase a Russian keyword or simply tape cutouts of Russian letters to each key (the bootleg version!)
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Tracking Your Typing Progress: 10FastFingers
Before you set out to improve your Russian typing, it is important to know how much you need to improve. 10FastFingers is a helpful online tool to evaluate how fast you can type in Russian currently and then set measurable goals to help you bring up your speed and accuracy.
The site offers typing tests in multiple languages, so set the language to Russian using the green dropdown menu on the upper left side of the text box.
This site presents a series of random words, which you have one minute to type out. After you are done, the test will generate your typing score per minute.
When you are ready, you can choose an advanced typing test of over 1,000 words or even enter into typing competitions with other players in order to improve your speed and accuracy! Find these and other fun features on the left side of the screen.
Personalized Typing Lessons: Keybr
This website provides easy online lessons to help you learn to type in Russian. This site aims to stop people from using the “hunt-and-peck” typing style of searching for each individual letter, and instead use touch typing by engaging muscle memory (i.e. instinctively remembering the location of letters, akin to memorizing keys when learning to play the piano).
Click on Settings, then Keyboard Layout and change the language and layout to Russian. The Settings area also allows you to customize your learning experience by utilizing guided lessons, importing text from a different website or uploading your own custom text.
Keybr claims that it offers a competitive advantage over similar sites because it uses a special algorithm to adjust the tutorials to your individual competency levels. The site collects detailed statistics about how fast and accurately you type each letter and will provide increased opportunities to practice the letters that come hardest to you.
Gamified Typing Practice: Klavogonki
This and some of the sites below are completely in Russian, which is perfect for an immersive experience that intermediate and advanced learners may be looking for.
Roughly translated as “the race to computer keys,” Klavogonki aims to increase your speed as you type in Russian.
The reason we recommend this as a tool to practice your Russian typing is that aside from learning, you will have fun! The exercises on this site are all designed as games, making sure you never get bored and motivating you as you compete against other users.
Each game is designed as a race where you compete to be the fastest to move your car to the finish line. The winner is the person who types all of the text correctly the fastest. When you make a mistake, your car will stall until you correct it. At the end of each game, the site shows the typing speed of each player.
Players accumulate points as they progress and are able to upgrade the basic car that everyone gets at the beginning for other models.
One of the coolest features about Klavogonki is that some of the material includes parts of Russian books, so you can get acquainted with Russian literature while playing and learning to type in Russian.
Typing Practice for the Computer Challenged: Stamina
Another fully Russian site, Stamina targets “grandparents as well as their parents!” In other words, people who might not be all that tech-savvy but still need to learn how to type. They encourage users to learn to type so they can write their memoir, before it is too late!
Even if you do not have any grandchildren yet, do not dismiss this site as a helpful aid for increasing your typing efficiency in Russian. The keyboard simulator and lessons help you memorize the location of the keys to use your fingers to type blindly (another perk for the elderly!)
In reviews, users have praised its easy-to-use interface and the ability to type from the preselected texts on the site or upload your own text. While some of the other sites offer those features, Stamina takes it a step further by allowing users to dictate the content they want to practice typing. This can be a big advantage in order to prepare for a Russian test or simply practice typing specific vocabulary.
Plus, the site provides graphs with statistics about your progress, helping you keep track as you take lessons and practice what you have learned.
Typing Certificates for Your Resume: Vse10
Vse10 means “All10,” as in, all 10 fingers required in order to type.
If you are looking for a job and one of the requirements is a certain typing speed, Vse10 can provide you with the necessary certification. Each certificate has a rating:
- Silver for over 200 characters per minute with 15 errors or less
- Gold for over 250 characters per minute with five errors or less
- Platinum for 350 characters per minute with two errors or less
The site does not constrict you to a single test—you can take it as many times as you need to if you are not happy with your score.
Plus, Vse10 will help you with that goal, offering lessons and tips on becoming a better Russian typer. Another perk from this site is that all lessons can be completed with a virtual keyboard in the browser.
Typing the World’s News: Sense-Lang
Sense-Lang gives you a double-whammy: typing practice plus catching up on current events in Russian.
On this site, you do not type random word arrangements or snippets from books, but actual headlines from the Google News feed. Choose this option from the left sidebar. Not only does this boost your cultural knowledge and Russian reading comprehension, but it also helps hold your attention throughout the typing drills.
How does this site work otherwise? It lets you start with the basics, practicing a few letters at a time. You type the text, and when you get it wrong, the screen will play a sound and will show you the correct location of the letter on the keyboard.
The six hand-picked resources in this article will help you learn your current typing speed, utilize online lessons to improve, practice, play games and race against others to get your competitive juices flowing! Typing tutorials help you improve your speed, so you can learn to type any document, email, essay or novel in no time!
Renata Ilitsky is a professional content writer with over 10 years of experience. She specializes in creating unique and engaging content for any industry. To read some of Renata’s other work, please view her writing portfolio.
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And One More Thing…
If you want to keep practicing your typing while learning authentic Russian, you’ve got to try FluentU.
FluentU takes all kinds of real-world videos and turns them into language learning experiences, as you can see here:
Didn’t catch something? Go back and listen again. Missed a word? FluentU makes native Russian videos approachable through interactive captions. Tap or click on any word to see a definition, in-context usage examples, audio pronunciation, helpful images and more.
Access a complete interactive transcript of every video under the Dialogue tab. Easily review words and phrases with audio under Vocab.
Don’t stop there, though. Use FluentU’s quizzes to actively practice all the vocabulary in any video. Swipe left or right to see more examples of the word you’re on.
And FluentU always keeps track of vocabulary that you’re learning. It uses that vocab to give you a 100% personalized experience by recommending videos and examples.
If you liked this post, something tells me that you'll love FluentU, the best way to learn Russian with real-world videos.
The Internet Age is your friend.
Beyond offering you access to news, entertainment and pizza on demand without having to speak to a real person, the modern era has also made learning the Russian language much easier.
Yes, nowadays you can watch Russian learning videos, enjoy Russian TV, read Russian learning books, follow Russian blogs and listen to Russian podcasts all from the comfort of your nearest Internet-enabled mobile device.
Bet your grandma couldn’t learn Russian like that!
No, seriously. Even if she had era-inappropriate technology, she totally would have been accused of being a communist. In those days, people feared communists like escaped zoo hippopotami with a taste for blood and vengeance.
Now things are different. Now you can learn Russian with fear of nothing but the case system; you can learn it on your own terms.
But what happens when “your own terms” involve learning Russian while waiting in line, riding the bus/subway or just lounging on the couch? That is when you whip out your favorite handy dandy Russian learning app, and boy are there some good ones!
Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)
Why Use Russian Apps?
You can use Russian apps on the go. There is nothing more convenient than having all the learning materials you need on your phone or tablet. It makes it easy to squeeze your Russian learning into any time you have available.
They offer a wide variety of approaches, so there is something for everyone. Don’t like one app? Try another! You will find one that suits your needs and interests.
There is an app for any level of Russian learner. Not only can you jump in at whatever level you are at now, you can also grow into the higher levels of the learning app as you learn. It is like leveling up in the game of learning.
Multi-level
FluentU
Available: iOS | Android
FluentU’s language learning app is a great weapon to have in your arsenal!
FluentU uses real-life videos with interactive captions to help you learn. With its Russian program, you’ll be able to see the language in action—and you can tap or hover your cursor over any unknown words to see a thorough definition, audio pronunciation and in-context usage examples on-screen.
Plus, the videos are all naturally entertaining since they come from the shows, movies and clips that Russian natives enjoy on the regular. They are all fun and easy to watch. You can watch music videos, movie trailers, documentary footage, news and more all while learning the Russian language!
Take a quick look at what FluentU has on offer for yourself:
Didn’t catch something? Go back and listen again. Missed a word? FluentU makes native Russian videos approachable through interactive captions. Tap or click on any word to see a definition, in-context usage examples, audio pronunciation, helpful images and more.
Access a complete interactive transcript of every video under the Dialogue tab. Easily review words and phrases with audio under Vocab.
Don’t stop there, though. Use FluentU’s quizzes to actively practice all the vocabulary in any video. Swipe left or right to see more examples of the word you’re on.
And FluentU always keeps track of vocabulary that you’re learning. It uses that vocab to give you a 100% personalized experience by recommending videos and examples.
Start using FluentU on the website, or better yet, download the FluentU app from the iTunes store.
Russian by Living Language by Random House LLC
Available: iOS
Russian by Living Language offers several purchase options. You can buy just one level (essential, intermediate or advanced) or you can buy the whole set at once at a discount. Before you commit, try some lessons for free to see if you like the format.
Russian by Living Language offers a nice array of different activities and lessons. There are games, exercises, quizzes, dialogues, flashcards and grammar notes. This variety will make it easy to stay focused on the material for whatever amount of time you have available.
This is a well-rated app from the well-respected company Random House, so it is an excellent choice for any Russian learner.
Learn Russian Words Free by Language Course S.L.
Available: Android
Learn Russian Words Free is designed to take learners from beginning level to advanced level, so it is great for all levels of learner.
Learn Russian Words Free has a plethora of features including a 10,000-word flashcard set, focused courses to help you learn specific sets of vocabulary (pick-up lines, slang, business Russian, etc.), quizzes and the option to create your own vocabulary lists.
Additionally, it offers the unique feature of having a listening mode. This way, you can continue to use the app while driving, exercising or any other activity in which you can’t be fiddling on your mobile device. You can also adjust the learning speed to meet your needs and learning style.
Plus, Learn Russian Words Free is, in fact, completely free, so this is a great introductory app for anyone looking to see if they enjoy learning Russian via an app.
Beginner
Learn Russian. Speak Russian. by Mondly/ATi Studios
Available: iOS | Android
This app focuses on helping beginners learn words and form sentences quickly. To do this, the app focuses on speech repetition and conversation.
But it offers more than that! When a verb appears, you can click it to see its meaning and a full list of conjugations. There are also games, and you can even compete with friends. Plus, it has a speech recognition feature to help you improve your pronunciation.
The app is free to download with purchases available in-app, so this is a great way to test if you like it before you commit to paying.
Learn Russian by Greg Vick
Available: iOS
Russian Language For Law Enforcement
Learn Russian aims to help beginners learn many common Russian words in a week. Through flashcards, exercises, games and audio recordings by native speakers, the app will help you learn the basics of the language.
What’s more, vocabulary is broken down into helpful categories so that you can choose what sorts of words you want to learn. Categories include travel, directions, shopping, etc.
Downloading the app is free, so this is a great app to experiment with.
Learn Russian with Babbel – Practice Speaking, Vocabulary and Grammar by Lesson Nine GmbH
Available: iOS | Android
Learn Russian with Babbel offers 10- to 15-minute lessons, so they are easy to jam into even the tightest schedule. The course aims at helping users learn practical conversation skills.
Learn Russian with Babbel offers exercises to improve your listening, speaking, reading and writing skills. There is a speech recognition feature here that you can use to help you boost your pronunciation. Additionally, the focus on both grammar and vocabulary will give you a well-rounded Russian education.
You can try the first lesson for free. This is a great way to see if you like the format before spending money on a paid subscription to the app.
Intermediate
Learn Russian 6,000 Words by Fun Easy Learn
Available: iOS | Android
Designed for both adults and children, Learn Russian 6,000 Words by Fun Easy Learn uses flashcards along with a nice selection of games to help learners pick up new vocabulary.
Since the focus is entirely on vocabulary, this is a great tool for intermediate level learners who already know the grammar basics but are looking to be able to discuss a wider array of topics.
Vocabulary is grouped thematically, making it easy to select an area where you need growth and get to work.
Plus, the app is free, so it is a great way to augment any Russian learning program or self-study plan!
Russian Language For Pc
Russian Intermediate for iPad by Innovative Language Learning, LLC
Available: iOS
Russian Intermediate for iPad offers a textbook-like experience for iPad users.
It offers chapters with text designed to help improve your learning. There are also useful vocabulary lists and grammar lessons staggered throughout, so this is a great app to get a fairly traditional education in the Russian language from the comfort of your iPad.
Advanced
Advanced Russian for iPad by Innovative Language Learning, LLC
Available: iOS
Like the intermediate-level course from Innovative Language Learning, LLC, the advanced-level course offers a text reading with corresponding vocabulary lists and grammar lessons.
It is much like the sort of education you would get in a standard Russian course, so it is perfect for anyone who wants a traditional education in a more convenient format.
U-Learn Advanced Russian by Ectaco-LingvoSoft
Available: Android
U-Learn Advanced Russian offers a nice selection of features to help you perfect your Russian.
With over 20 hours of narrated content, there is plenty of opportunity to learn new vocabulary and improve your listening skills. Speech recognition helps you perfect your pronunciation. Content is grouped thematically to help you pick and choose what you learn.
Additionally, U-Learn Advanced Russian offers sleep mode. In this setting, you will still hear material to help you learn vocabulary, but you do not speak back—perfect for not being awkward in the gym, on a bus or on the subway.
With so many great apps to help you learn Russian, the only thing that could possibly stand in your way of learning Russian is running low on data.
So, hop on to your favorite free Wi-Fi and start learning!
Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)
If you liked this post, something tells me that you'll love FluentU, the best way to learn Russian with real-world videos.