Russian, from zero to B1

Course home

The whole course

Every month, week and page, with your progress, and the road to B1.

Your course

Each month is four weeks: three of new material, then a week to put it together and take the month test. Open a week, then choose any page for its details.

  • Азбукаthe 33 letters
  • Привет!saying hello
  • Меня зовут …introducing yourself
  • один, два, триnumbers to 100

Азбука и знакомство

The alphabet, and getting to know people

Read Russian and introduce yourself. Weeks 1 to 4.

By the end of the month you can

  • Read all 33 letters, stress marks included
  • Greet people and introduce yourself
  • Say your job, your country, your languages and your age
  • Pass the Month 1 test at 66%
Week 1Read all 33 letters0 of 5
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Week 1 overview and plate

Week 2Hello, who is it?0 of 5
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Week 2 overview and plate

Week 3Who are you?0 of 5
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Week 3 overview and plate

Week 4Month 1: put it together0 of 5
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Week 4 overview and plate

The road to B1

Seventy-six weeks, nineteen months, three levels, each level ending with a mock of the official exam. Choose a level, then open any month to see what we will do.

  1. Week 1All 33 letters
  2. Week 20A1: everyday basicsA1 mock exam (ТЭУ)
  3. Week 44A2: your past and your plansA2 mock exam (ТБУ)
  4. Week 76B1: work, travel and opinionsB1 mock exam (ТРКИ-1)

You are here: week 1 of 76, month 1.

Month 1, weeks 1 to 4

Азбука и знакомство

The alphabet, and getting to know people

Ready

What we will do
  • Week 1: Read all 33 letters
  • Week 2: Hello, who is it?
  • Week 3: Who are you?
  • Week 4: Month 1: put it together

You will be able to

  • Read all 33 letters, stress marks included
  • Greet people and introduce yourself
  • Say your job, your country, your languages and your age
  • Pass the Month 1 test at 66%

Month 2, weeks 5 to 8

Семья, дом, город

Family, home, city

Ready

What we will do
  • Week 5: My family
  • Week 6: Where I live and work
  • Week 7: Cities and countries
  • Week 8: Month 2: put it together

You will be able to

  • Introduce your family with my, your and our
  • Say what you have, and tell the time
  • Say where you live, work and study
  • Describe and compare places
  • Pass the Month 2 test at 66%

Month 3, weeks 9 to 12

Вчера, ресторан, мой день

Yesterday, the restaurant, my day

Ready

What we will do
  • Week 9: Yesterday
  • Week 10: In a restaurant
  • Week 11: My day
  • Week 12: Month 3: put it together

You will be able to

  • Say what you did yesterday: the past tense
  • Order food, and say what you want and like
  • Describe your day and how you get around
  • Pass the Month 3 test at 66%

Month 4, weeks 13 to 16

Кино, дом, университет

Cinema, home, university

Ready

What we will do
  • Week 13: Films, music and the theatre
  • Week 14: Home and flat
  • Week 15: At university
  • Week 16: Month 4: put it together

You will be able to

  • Talk about films, music and the theatre
  • Describe your home and your flat
  • Talk about studying and university life
  • Pass the Month 4 test at 66%

Month 5, weeks 17 to 20

День рождения, город, книги

Birthdays, the city, books

ReadyLevel exam

What we will do
  • Week 17: Birthdays and presents
  • Week 18: In the city
  • Week 19: Reading Russian literature
  • Week 20: A1: put it together

You will be able to

  • Give presents, name the months and congratulate people
  • Ask for and give directions in a city
  • Read short real Russian texts
  • Pass the A1 mock exam at 66%

Ends with the A1 mock exam: ТЭУ, the TORFL elementary test.

Month 6, weeks 21 to 24

Путешествия

Travel

Ready

What we will do
  • Week 21: At the station
  • Week 22: Arrive and leave
  • Week 23: The hotel, and the story of a trip
  • Week 24: Month 6: put it together

You will be able to

  • Buy a ticket and read a departure board
  • Say when you arrive and leave, with the right prefix
  • Check into a hotel and sort out a problem
  • Tell the story of a journey, and pass the Month 6 test

Month 7, weeks 25 to 28

Здоровье

Health

Ready

What we will do
  • Week 25: The body and how you feel
  • Week 26: At the doctor and the pharmacy
  • Week 27: Advice and healthy habits
  • Week 28: Month 7: put it together

You will be able to

  • Say what hurts and how you feel
  • See a doctor and buy medicine at the pharmacy
  • Give and understand advice
  • Pass the Month 7 test at 66%

Month 8, weeks 29 to 32

Покупки и одежда

Shopping and clothes

Ready

What we will do
  • Week 29: Clothes, colours and sizes
  • Week 30: How many: the genitive plural
  • Week 31: Comparing and choosing
  • Week 32: Month 8: put it together

You will be able to

  • Shop for clothes and ask for another size
  • Say how many with the genitive plural
  • Compare prices and choose
  • Pass the Month 8 test at 66%

Month 9, weeks 33 to 36

Погода и времена года

Weather and seasons

Ready

What we will do
  • Week 33: The weather
  • Week 34: Seasons and dates
  • Week 35: Plans and nature
  • Week 36: Month 9: put it together

You will be able to

  • Describe the weather, past, present and future
  • Talk about the seasons and say dates
  • Make plans with если
  • Pass the Month 9 test at 66%

Month 10, weeks 37 to 40

Работа и карьера

Work and career

Ready

What we will do
  • Week 37: Jobs and experience
  • Week 38: Phone calls and meetings
  • Week 39: Work emails and a CV
  • Week 40: Month 10: put it together

You will be able to

  • Describe your job and experience
  • Make a work call and write a work email
  • Write a short CV in Russian
  • Pass the Month 10 test at 66%

Month 11, weeks 41 to 44

Повторение и экзамен A2

Review and the A2 exam

ReadyLevel exam

What we will do
  • Week 41: A2 review: travel and health
  • Week 42: A2 review: shopping, weather and plans
  • Week 43: A2 review: work, and the exam
  • Week 44: A2: put it together

You will be able to

  • Handle travel, health, shopping, weather and work again, mixed
  • Know the five parts of the A2 exam
  • Give a three-minute A2 talk
  • Pass the A2 mock exam at 66%

Ends with the A2 mock exam: ТБУ, the TORFL basic test.

Month 12, weeks 45 to 48

Биография

Life stories

Ready

What we will do
  • Week 45: Years and dates
  • Week 46: Life events
  • Week 47: Reading a biography
  • Week 48: Month 12: put it together

You will be able to

  • Say years and full dates
  • Tell the main events of a life
  • Read and write a short biography with который
  • Pass the Month 12 test at 66%

Month 13, weeks 49 to 52

Культура

Culture

Ready

What we will do
  • Week 49: Pushkin: the fisherman and the fish
  • Week 50: Chekhov: the fat and the thin
  • Week 51: Art, music and the theatre
  • Week 52: Month 13: put it together

You will be able to

  • Read and retell an adapted Pushkin or Chekhov story
  • Describe people's character
  • Talk about art, music and books, and recommend one
  • Pass the Month 13 test at 66%

Month 14, weeks 53 to 56

Новости

The news

Ready

What we will do
  • Week 53: Headlines and short news
  • Week 54: Reported speech
  • Week 55: The language of the news
  • Week 56: Month 14: put it together

You will be able to

  • Understand headlines and short news
  • Report what people said, asked and asked for
  • Recognise the short forms of the news
  • Pass the Month 14 test at 66%

Month 15, weeks 57 to 60

Мнения

Opinions

Ready

What we will do
  • Week 57: Giving an opinion
  • Week 58: Agreeing and disagreeing
  • Week 59: Reasons and contrasts
  • Week 60: Month 15: put it together

You will be able to

  • Give an opinion, firmly or carefully
  • Agree and disagree politely, weighing both sides
  • Give reasons, results and contrasts
  • Pass the Month 15 test at 66%

Month 16, weeks 61 to 64

Россия: города и история

Cities and history

Ready

What we will do
  • Week 61: Moscow and St Petersburg
  • Week 62: The Golden Ring and history
  • Week 63: Planning a trip to Russia
  • Week 64: Month 16: put it together

You will be able to

  • Talk about Moscow and St Petersburg
  • Read short texts about history
  • Plan a trip to Russia
  • Pass the Month 16 test at 66%

Month 17, weeks 65 to 68

Официальный русский

Formal Russian

Ready

What we will do
  • Week 65: Formal and informal Russian
  • Week 66: Official emails and requests
  • Week 67: Forms and documents
  • Week 68: Month 17: put it together

You will be able to

  • Choose ты or вы and use polite formulas
  • Write formal requests, replies, complaints and apologies
  • Fill in forms and ask for documents
  • Pass the Month 17 test at 66%

Month 18, weeks 69 to 72

Традиции и праздники

Traditions

Ready

What we will do
  • Week 69: New Year, Масленица and name days
  • Week 70: Customs and etiquette
  • Week 71: What you would do: бы
  • Week 72: Month 18: put it together

You will be able to

  • Describe Russian holidays and congratulate people
  • Behave as a guest and describe customs fairly
  • Talk about wishes and advice with бы
  • Pass the Month 18 test at 66%

Month 19, weeks 73 to 76

Повторение и экзамен B1

The B1 exam

ReadyLevel exam

What we will do
  • Week 73: B1 review: life stories, culture and the news
  • Week 74: B1 review: opinions, cities and formal Russian
  • Week 75: B1 review: traditions, and the B1 exam
  • Week 76: B1: put it together

You will be able to

  • Recall Months 12 to 18, mixed
  • Know how ТРКИ-1 works, part by part
  • Give a three-minute B1 talk
  • Pass the B1 mock exam at 66%

Ends with the B1 mock exam: ТРКИ-1, the first TORFL certificate.

Months 1 to 5 follow the textbook. Months 6 to 19 are the plan: they follow the official A2 and B1 exam programmes, and the details may change as we go.

A1, weeks 1 to 20A2, weeks 21 to 44B1, weeks 45 to 76

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How to start

  1. Connect this device

    Once, with your student key, so homework reaches Ника and progress follows you to every device.

  2. Thursday: Lesson 1

    The first 19 letters of the alphabet, in class with Ника.

  3. Saturday: Homework 1

    Review the letters, type your first Russian words, and send them for review.

Your progress and this device

Connect this device once with your student key, so homework reaches Ника and progress follows you to your other devices.

What happens in a lesson

  1. Recap: the last lesson, and Ника's comments on your homework
  2. Goal: one thing you will be able to do
  3. The lesson: a short scene first, then the rules, with three illustrations
  4. Listen and say: one pronunciation tip and the textbook's own audio
  5. Phrases and words to learn whole
  6. Class exercises, checked instantly
  7. Your turn: a few sentences of your own, sent to Ника with the homework
  8. Mini questionnaire: 80% to pass, every miss explained
  9. Homework for the next day

Homework days mix review exercises, a written task Ника reviews on the page, and reading aloud.

Six things to know