7 free online Russian language courses
1. Russian language courses on the educational portal of the Pushkin State Institute of Russian Language
- Level A1-C2
- video available
- pushkininstitute.ru/learn
The Pushkin Institute is an ‘epicentre’ for training Russian language methodologists and teachers. Among other things, the university has developed online courses for independent learning of Russian by foreigners for its portal. They allow those wishing to start or continue their acquaintance with the language from anywhere in the world and completely free of charge.
The online course for learning Russian from zero to advanced level, according to the European classification, contains six training modules (A1-C2). The linguistic system of the course develops all four types of speech activity: reading, writing, listening, speaking and allows you to practice pronunciation independently. Input and output testing is also provided. The materials are suitable for mastering the Russian language for everyday communication, as well as for exam preparation.
2. Express Russian language courses at the National Research University Higher School of Economics, on the ‘Universarium’ platform
- Level A1 & A2
- video included
- A1 universarium.org
- A2 universarium.org
Online Russian language courses from HSE stand out for their simple and clear interface. The courses concisely introduce the vocabulary and grammar of A1-A2 levels and help to generalise existing knowledge. They are aimed at people who have already studied Russian and are familiar with the basics of grammar. There is no intermediate language used; all material is explained in Russian and presented with the additional help of drawings and illustrations.
Both courses are divided into 15 modules, each of which is devoted to one communicative topic (‘Family’, ‘Hobbies’, ‘Talking on the phone’, ‘Health’, etc.). One module in each course contains a video lesson (dialogue on the topic, grammar explanation and vocabulary), accompanying materials and a final test.
3. Russian language. Elementary level at Tomsk Polytechnic University, on Lektorium and Stepik platforms
- Level A1
- video included
- Lektorium: lektorium.tv
- Stepik: stepik.org
The aim of the course is to master Russian phonetics, vocabulary and grammar at the elementary level (A1). The target audience – foreign applicants and students, as well as anyone else wishing to study Russian in earnest.
The course consists of five sections (‘Letters and Sounds’, ‘Familiarisation. Family’, ‘City’, etc.). Each section contains several video lessons, notes and dictionaries. In addition, each section has interactive exercises to choose the correct answer. After each chapter, you can test your knowledge and practice your skills in a simulator.
All material is explained in Russian in the video lessons. The lesson vocabulary is accompanied by English and Chinese translations.
4. ‘Elementarno.ru’ (Russian language for foreign students) by the Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation, Institute of Open Education, online platform of the Financial University.
- Level A1
- video included
- online.fa.ru
The course is divided into 8 lessons, each of which is dedicated to one communicative topic (‘My day’, ‘My hobby’, etc.), and a training simulator with sets of interactive tasks on different topics. One lesson contains a video, vocabulary, examples of short dialogues, and tasks. All materials are presented in Russian.
5. Russian for Life and Work SPbU
- A1 level
- No video
- migrant.spbu.ru
Free online Russian language course for foreign citizens. It allows you to start speaking, reading, writing in Russian and prepare for the exam to obtain a work permit.
Six versions of the course have been developed: for native speakers of English, Chinese, Uzbek, Tajik, Turkish and Vietnamese.
6. Russian as a foreign language. I will study on ‘Stepik’ in Russia at the Kazan Federal University
- A0 to A1
- video included
- stepik.org
An introductory course for foreigners wishing to get acquainted with the Russian language. The course is accompanied by Chinese subtitles and all vocabulary is translated into Chinese and English.
The course is made in the format of video lessons and is suitable for getting better acquainted with the Russian alphabet and phonetics. In addition, one module is devoted to typical situations faced by foreigners visiting Russia for the first time: ‘Getting acquainted’, ‘Passport Control’, ‘Travelling by Taxi’, ‘The City’, etc.
7. Your Siberian holidays at the Institute of Philology and Language Communication of the Siberian Federal University
- A0 to A1
- video included
- youtube.com/@Твоисибирскиеканикулы
- online.sfu-kras.ru
Each lesson contains educational videos that introduce lexico-grammatical and country-specific material. In addition, the lessons include practice tests in vocabulary, grammar and listening, quizzes and reference materials. This course will help you learn basic communication skills necessary for everyday situations in everyday life and socio-cultural spheres.
This article was prepared in partnership with experts from the Pushkin State Institute of Russian Language.