185: How to make your sentences less English

Meg asks: "How can I make my Russian sentences less English?"

Episode Summary:

• The challenge you're facing is learning to express ideas the way a Russian would
• It's not just a linguistic thing - it's a cultural thing. Compare: Good Morning / おはようございます
• There's no shortcut to doing this - it's a long, gradual process
• If you want to express yourself like a Russian, you need to spend a lot of time with Russian - listening, reading, speaking
• The process you need to practise is how to take an idea, and construct a sentence the way a Russian would. In order to achieve this, any exercise that helps you slow down the process and get feedback on your efforts can be helpful.

Try:

• Reverse translation (see below)
• Your teacher can ask you: "How do you say ___ in Russian?" and then correct you
• Talk to yourself in Russian as you walk around the house

But ultimately, a lot of listening and reading is the best policy!

Resources Mentioned In Today's Episode:

• Russian Short Stories for Beginners - Olly Richards & Alex Rawlings

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8VXmDiBfzwA

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