Pronounce It Perfectly in Russian (Pronounce It Perfectly)

by Thomas R., Jr., Ph.d. Beyer, Pronounce It Perfectly

Release Date: August, 1994

Edition: Audio Cassette

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Pronounce it PERFECTLY in Russian

This cassette/tape combo is a great learning tool for Russian pronunciation. It contains detailed diagrams that show how the mouth should be formed for each letter. The two tapes (90 min. each) are very clear and easy to understand. The course takes you step-by-step, teaching you the sound and name of each letter of the Russian alphabet. It goes even further to give you an understanding of certain rules of the alphabet. You also learn sentences and read certain literary passages such as a passage from Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy. This compact course contains eleven units and a small English/Russian glossary in the back. The only complaint I have is that the speakers do not give you enough pause-time to say the words yourself (you might have to stop the tape in order to pronounce a word). Other than that I highly recommend it along with the New Penguin Russian Course.

A few flaws

This is a decent introduction, although there are better audio learning programs available. The main flaw is that the announcers are rushed and seem to be shouting at you. (You can't understand, I'll speak louder). The rushing results in an even greater flaw, the pauses are not long enough for the listener to repeat the words without speaking over the next word he or she is supposed to be listening to. It is, however, a much less expensive introduction than, say, Pimsleur and could be worthwhile for that reason.