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In honour of Gorbachev
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"Коммунизм в России был построен на равенстве, работнике и силе:
силе духа, тела и характера."

Kenneth Selin(say'leen)É(eh)PC President/Party Leader








  СлаваРоссииRussian flag
Russia
Руусскийязыккрасивый.



 
Learning French, chic;
learning Russian, more so.
1/6 of the world speaks Russian.
It is spoken in Eastern Europe+Central Asia.

Введение

 введение
.5 syllables:  в-ве-де'-ни-е
.pronounced
ve-veei-deei'-nee-eei
.meaning
introduction


 My University of Ottawa philosophy professor,
 Father Stroik Ph.D. (German Catholic Oblate
 priest who lived through World War II in Germany),
 said to me in 1975:

."The best advice, I can give you,
is to learn Russian."


 This is especially true today as we go through
 a 30-year economic contraction that will *not*
 affect The Russian Commonwealth (also known
 as the Commonwealth of Independent States:
 Cодружество Независимых Государств).


 
Cодружество
 (noun, nominative case, masculine,
  singular)

 4 syllables: Cо-дру'-жест-во
.pronounced
 
sah-droo'-jeeist-ve (oo in pool)
.meaning 
commonwealth

 Независимыхурок
 (adjective, genitive case, masculine,
  plural)

 5 syllables: Не-за-ви'-си-мых
.pronounced
neei-za-vee'-see-me-ee-ik (soft, throaty k)
.
meaning independent

 Государств
 (noun, genitive case, masculine,
.plural)

 4 syllables: Го-су-дарст'-в
.pronounced 
guh-soo-dahrst-ve
.meaning 
states


 They're the former Soviet Russian-speaking
 countries *minus* those who have joined the
 European Union: Poland, Estonia, Lithuanian,
 Latvia, the Czech Republic, Slovenia, Romania,
 and the Ukraine.


 The continuing slide in the Euro and English
 sterling pound combined with the strengthening
 of the ruble  (рубль, 2 syllables: ру-бль' pro-
 nounced roo-blʹ, plural рубли': 2 syllables: руб-ли'
 pronounced roob-liʹ) combined with the European
 economy dependent on the development of the
 Russian economy for mutual benefit will propel
 the European Union into the orbit of Russia's
.Common
wealth of Independent States making
.Russia
*the* 
superpower.


 
(Currently, 1 RUB ₽ = $.02 CAD)

 Who provided Russia with badly needed $$$
 when The Soviet Union was crumbling?


 *Not* the USA who had promised to help Russia
 if it embraced democracy, but Germany.


 Russia's
official name is The Russian Federation,
 Российская Федерация.


 
Россия
 (noun, nominative case, feminine,
  singular)

 3 syllables: Рос-си'-я 
.pronounced
rahs-see'-yah
.meaning Russia


 
Российская
 (adjective, nominative case, feminine,
  singular)

 3 syllables: Рос-си'-йс-кая
.pronounced 
rahs-see'-yes-kuyah
.meaning Russian



 Федерация

 (noun, nominative case, feminine,
  singular)

.5 syllables: Фе-де-pa'-ци-я
.pronounced
feei-deei-rah'-stee-yah
.meaning federation




 Russia (Росси́я) is the biggest nation covering
 1/6 of the globe crossing 11 time zones with the
 most diversed climate.


 At The Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games, tourists
 were treated to winter in the mountains and warm
 coastal weather by the Black Sea where they were
 lodged.

arrow
 Sochi=Сочи
 2 syllables: Со-чи'
.pronounced sah-chee'



The monumental success of Sochi 2014 Olympic
 Winter Games is testimony to the dynamism
 and capability of the *new* Russia.


 Because the future belongs to
.Russia,
 
my best advice is this:
 learnRussian.


 
План
.pronounced like in English
.meaning the plan

 

 The goal is to ease you ASAP (as *quickly* as
.possible) into Russian in order to facilitate
.flash learning that allows to more easily retain
.the material learned.


.This is done in a simple, logically progressive
.way.



.You'll learn the key to language learning is the
.syllable.


.Languages like Russian and English have syllabic
.stress: one of the syllables in a word with two or
.more syllables is stressed while the others are
.destressed (devoiced).


.You'll learn how palatalization gives Russian it's
.musicality by devoicing the ending of each syllable
.so it can more easily glide into the next syllable.


.This is followed by a short, but thorough introduction
.to the Russian alphabet.


.All that is a prelude to the 15 quick, easy lessons
.that introduces you to the Russian language and
.to Russia.


.The online resources (after the 15 lessons) will
.proof very helpful in your acquistion of Russian.


.The focus is on ease of learning and fun that will
.develop the desire to learn more about Rusian
.and its language.


.As an historical footnote, Russian language
.learning was encouraged in the USA during
.the Cold War.


.When the Chinese Communist Party adopted
.the Russian style of communism, Russian was
.the foreign language that the Chinese learned
.the most for over a decade until the 1960's.



 Удачи!
 3 syllables: у-да'-чи
.pronounced ou-da'-chee
 meaning good luck


 
Добро
..(adverb)
.2 syllabes: до-бро'
.pronounced dah-broh'
.meaning
well
.
 пожаловать
 (verb)
.4 syllabes: по-жа'-ло-вать
 pronounced pah-jah-le-vat
.
meaning to visit
 *both* together meanwelcome



 Russians *traditionally*
.welcome strangers with ...


 a plate
 тарелка
 (noun, nominative case, feminine,
  singular)
 3 syllables: та-рел'-ка
.pro
nounced tuh-reeil'-kuh


 of bread

 хлеб
 (noun, nominative case, masculine,
  singular)
 pronounced hileeip
.[where
the Russian letter б
 (the
.  Russian b-letter)
 
is pronounced
     as a p-sound because it's devoiced
  at the end of the
syllable]

arrow
 and
 и
 (conjunction)
 pronounced ee


 
salt
 
соль
 (noun, nominative case, masculine,
  singular)

 pronounced sohl

 
 
"The Russian language
is...
        the greatness of Spanish,
      the liveliness of French,
      the force of German,
      the tenderness of Italian,
      and, in addition, the richness and strong
      
terse descriptiveness of Greek and Latin.

 - Mikhail Lomonosov,
  18th century
Russian scientist, writer


 
Стресс
 

(noun, nominative case, masculine,
  singular)

 pronounced (*almost* like English) streeiss
 meaning stress


 Russian words of 2 or more syllables have
 a stressed syllable that is pronounced with
 more force than the rest (just like English)


 unlike English, however, *every* syllable
 is pronounced *distinctly*


 this stress feature (where one syllable of a
.word is stressed) allows the other syllables
.to be produced quicker: it's a timesaving and
.energy saving feature


 
Note
 a syllable with the prominent

 Russian
 vowel ё (yoh) *always*
 carries the stress



 
Слогarrow
 

(noun, nominative case, masculine,
  singular)

 pronouced slok
.[where the Russian
letter г (the
  Russian g letter) is pronounced
  as a k-sound because it's devoiced
 at the end of the syllable]
 

.meaning
the
  syllable


 *the* unit of all languages
.is
the syllable




 a consonant
 
(a *constricted* air flow sound) is *not* a syllable

 consonant
 grammar.about.com
 dictionary.reference.com

 
 a vowel
 
(an *unconstricted* air flow sound) is *not* a syllable

 
vowel
  dictionary.reference.com
  dictionary.cambridge.org
  www.thefreedictionary.com


 a syllable
 a *combination* of ...
 - one vowel
.-
one consonant (or more)


 syllable
  dictionary.reference.com
  www.thefreedictionary.com

 
Example
 my 1-syllable name, Ken,
 has 2 consonants and a
short-e vowel


 Ken is the *short* form of Kenneth:
 2 syllables, Ken-neth

 

.
the *palatized* syllable



.
the Russian consonants б, д, г, ж, В
.are called voiced consonants because the vocal
.cords constrict the air flow 
when they are produced
arrow

.however, they become *these* soft (voiceless)
.consonants of п, т, к, ф produced with
.less force because the air flow is not constricted

.when 
at the end of the syllable
because you are
.getting
ready to say the next syllable


.the syllable *weakens* towards the end making
.breathing easier thanks to this eb and flow effect
.of voiced consonants at the start of the syllable
.ending with.voiceless consonants that are produced
.with less energy

     

     the *palatized* syllable is...
    - voiced up front
    - voiceless at the back

         Example
     the b-sound, represented by the Russian
     letter б,
becomes a softer, voiceless
     p-sound 
at the *end* of the syllable as
     in the word 
for bread, хлеб
     (pronounced 
hleeip)

     voiced, voiceless
     esl.about.com
     en.wikipedia.org
     www.elearnenglishlanguage.com/


     Russian palatalization
     www.youtube.com
     www.russianforeveryone.com
arrow
     Example
      the d-sound, represented by the Russian
      letter д,
becomes a softer, voiceless
      t-sound 
at the *end* of the syllable as in
      the word for 
city or town, город
      (2 syllables: го'-род pro
nounced goh'-ruht)


     Example
     the g-sound, represented by the Russian
     letter г,
becomes a softer, voiceless
     k-sound 
at the *end* of the syllable as
     in the word 
for train station, вокзал
     (
2 syllables:
вок-зал' pronounced vahg-zahl')


      .Example
     the j-sound, represented by the Russian
     letter ж,
becomes a softer, voiceless
     k-sound 
at the *end* of the syllable as
     in the word 
for spoon, ложка
     (2 syllables: лож'-ка pro
nounced lohk'-kuh)


      .Example
     the v-sound, represented by the Russian
     letter в,
becomes a softer, voiceless
     f-sound 
at the *end* of the syllable as
     in the word 
for bus, автобус
     [2 syllables: ав-то-бус pro
nounced
      af-toh'-boos
(the oo in pool)]


1-letter prepositions

.the 1-letter consonantal preposition for
.in, в, is pronounced as an f-sound
.when followed by a *voiceless* consonant
.like the Russian letter к:
в Канаде
.(pronounced fkuh-nah'-deei meaning
 in Canada)


.Note
 
the 1-letter consonantal prepositions
 are pronounced as part of the *1st*
 syllable of the word following the
 preposition


.Note
.Канаде is the prepositional case of
.Канада.

 
.Канада
.(noun, nominative case, feminine,
  singular)

     prepositional case
     masterrussian.com
     www.russianlessons.net
     www.russianforeveryone.com



the *unstressed* syllable

  .A. the Russian letter а...
         the Russian letter а in an *unstressed*
         syllable
is pronounced like a short-a,
         uh-sound


         Example
         ехать
          (verb)
          2 syllables: е'-хать
          pronounced eei'-huht (with a short-a, uh-sound)
          meaning to go
          (It looks like the 
English word exit.)

          HOWEVER, in a *stressed* syllable, it's
          pronounced as a long-a, ah-sound

arrow

 .B. the Russian letter о...
        the Russian letter о can be
         pronounced 3 ways...
            1. in the *stressed* syllable
                as an o-sound
            2. in the syllable *before* the
                stressed
syllable as a long-a,
                ah-sound

            3. everywhere else as a short-e, er-
                sound or a short-a, uh-sound
 

          HOWEVER, Russians seem to often
          prefer the short-a, uh-sound, over
          the short-e, er-sound, as in хорошо

     хорошо
     (adverb)
     3 syllables: хо-ро-шо'
     pro
nounced *huh*-rah-sho'
     meaning well


     Expression
     С Новым Годом
     Happy New Year

     С
     (preposition)
     pronounced s
     meaning 
with

     новым
     (adjective, instrumental case of новый,
       masculine, singluar)
      2 syllables: но'-вым
      pronounced noh'-vihm
      meaning new

     годом
     (noun, instrumental case of год,
      masculine, singular)
     2 syllables: го'-дом
     pronounced goh'-dem
     meaning year

     Note
     the 2nd
o in го'-дом
     is *always* pronounced
     with a short-e, an er-sound.


     like in спасибо
     (adverb)
     3 syllables: спа-си'-бо
     pronounced 
spah-see'-be
     meaning thank you

     Note
     the o in спасибо is 
     *always* pronounced as 
     a short-e, er-
sound (not
     like a short-a, an uh-sound)



     Expression
     ехать за городом
     to go out of town


     городом
     (noun, instrumental case of город,
      masculine, singular)
     3 syllables: го'-ро-дом
     
*usually* pronounced 
goh'-ruh-duhm
     meaning town

arrow

     instrumental case
     masterrussian.com
     www.youtube.com
     www.russianforeveryone.com


     за
     (preposition)
     pronounced zah
     meaning out of


     ехать
     2 syllables: е'-хать
     pronounced eei-huht
     (with 
a short-a, uh-sound because it is in
     an *unstressed* 
syllable)
     means to go (It looks like the English 
word exit.)

     Note
     the
o in an *unstressed*
     syllable in a word of foreign
     origin like радио is
     pronounced as an o-sound.


     радио
     (noun, nominative case, neuter,
       singular)
     3 syllables: ра'-ди-о
     pronounced rah'-dee-oh

     meaning radio


     see
     www.youtube.com
 
the y-glide
(the y-semi-vowel)

 5 vowels *begin* with the y-glide
 1. Я (yah) (2 vowels coming together)
        
(last letter of the alphabet, the "I" pronoun)
.2. и (ee) (2 vowels coming together)

 3. е (yeei) (2 vowels coming together)
 4. ю (yoo as in pool) (2 vowels coming togehter)
 5. ё (yoh) (2 vowels coming togehter)
        (Its syllable *always* carries the stress.)

arrow

 the y-glide is a *transition* vowel
 that glides* into the next vowel

 y-glide
 dictionary.reference.com
 english.stackexchange.com

 
Палатализация

 (noun, nominative case, feminine,
.singular)
 7 syllables: Па-ла-та-лиз'-а-ци-я
 pronounced
puh-luh-tuh-leez'-uh-stee-yah
.meaning
palatalization



 palatalization is the *key* feature
.of the Russian
language


 it involves the pulling back of the tongue
 *upwards* towards the back of the palate
.giving it a *gutteral* sound effect



 as mentioned previously above, it affects
.the last consonant of the syllable by

 making it *softer* and more *relaxed*
.because it is produced with *less* effort


.IN ADDITION, there are some consonants
.that are palatalized and some that are
.never palatalized


.these 3 consonants are 
.*not* palatalized...

 1. ж (je)
 2. ц (st)
 3. ш (sh)


 the overall effect of a *palatalized* consonant
.(ending with a y-glide) followed by a *palatalized*
.vowel (beginning with a y-glide) is the elimination
.one of the 2 y-glides

arrow
 these 2 consonant are
.*always* palatalized...

 
1. ч (ch)
 
2. щ (shsh)


 Example
 час
 (noun, nominative case,
  singular)

 pronounced chyas
.meaning
hour
 Note
.b
etween the ч consonant
.and the а vowel there is a
.y-glide

the soft sign, ь


 the ь is called the soft *sign*
.because 
it's *not* a letter, but

.a sign



.when it follows a consonant, it *palatalizes*
.the consonant by giving it a y-glide (ye-sound)
.at the end


 the soft signь
   dictionary.reference.com

 affects case endings:
.a word ending with the soft sign
.means the case ending will be -
.of course - a *palatized* vowel



 Example
 учитель

 (noun, nominative case, masculine,
  singular)

 3 syllables: у-чи'-тель
.pronouned oo-chee'-teeil
(oo in pool)
.meaning
teacher

 
its feminine equivalent takes
 a*palatized* vowel case ending

 
учителя.
arrow

 compare that with a word
.*without* the soft sign...

 студент

 (noun, nominative case, masculine,
  singular)

 2 syllables: сту-дент'
.pronounced stoo-deeint'
(oo in pool)
.meaning student

 its *feminine* equivalent
.is
 
студента


 
Russians call the soft sign, ь
 мягкий
 (adjective, nominative case, masculine,
  singular)
 3 syllables: мяг'-ки-й 
.pronounced meeyahk'-kee-ye
 Note
 the Russian letter 
г (the
 g-sound) is pronounced
 as a k-sound because
 it's at the *end* of the
 syllable

 
meaning soft



 знак
 (noun, nominative case, masculine,
  singular)

 pronounced
znak
.meaning
 sign


 palatalization makes a consonant
.sound more guttural (throaty) and smoother
.(softer) (*not* as
sharp as a hard consonant)
 giving Russian a melodic, languid quality


 
palatalization
  www.britannica.com

 the hard sign,ъ


 the ъ is called the hard *sign*
.because it's *not* a letter, but a sign

arrow

 Russians call the hard sign, ъ:
 
твёрдый
 (adjective, nominative case, masculine,
  singular)
 2 syllables: твёр'-дый 
.pronounced tvyohr'-(dee-e)ye

 
meaning hard


 знак
 (noun, nominative case, masculine,
  singular)

 pronounced
znak
.meaning 
sign



 
the soft sign, ь, indicatesa ye-sound

.the hard sign,ъ,indicates the *absence*
.of sound due to a break in the air flow, a
.glottal stop



.it's found in between...
.- a prefix and the root word
.- a word and another word
   of a compound word



 
Note
.only a *few* words

.have the hard sign,
ъ,
.like 
объект


 
объект
 (noun, nominative case, masuline
  singular)
 
2 syllables: объ-ект'
.pronounced ab-eeikt'
 meaning subject


 Note
 
the б at the end of the *1st* syllable
 is *not* voiceless because it 
 does *not* glide
 into the next

 syllable: this allows the 1st syllable
 to be shorter, said faster - with more
 energy


arrow

 another word

 
подъезд
 (noun, nominative case, masculine,
  singular)
 2 syllables: подъ-езд'
.pronounced pahd-eeizt'
 
meaning entrance, approach


 
Note
 
the *1st* д at the end of the 1st syllable
 is *not* voiceless unlike the 2nd
д
 at the end of the 2nd syllable which is and
 
becomes - as a result - a t-sound because
 it is voiceless




 
the glottal stop
 
in order for *both* vowels beside
 each other to be pronounced, there
 has to be a glottal stop, a pause
 in the air flow like in the word
 reli'able


 
glottal stop
 www.youtube.com

 
the soft sign Ъ
 graphemica.com
 www.youtube.com
 russianfluently.blogspot.ca

.
Русский

 (adjective, nominative case,
  masculine, singular)
 3 syllables: Русс'-ки-й
.pronounced rooss'-kee-ye
(the oo in pool)
.meaning
Russian

Алфавит

 (noun, nominative case, masculine,
  singular)

 3 syllabes: ал-фа-вит'
.pronounced uhl-fuh-veet'

 meaning alphabet


  Note
 
there's no "the"(definite article)
 and no "a" (indefinite article) in
 Russian

 


arrow
 Notice in Русский
 - the Р (upper case), р (lower case)
  (the Greek r)
 pronounced as r
 
- the y pronounced oo as in pool
 
- the c pronounced s
 
- the k pronounced k
 - the и pronounced as a long-e
 - the й pronounced ye


 Notice in Алфавит
 
- the Russian letter A (upper case),
  а
(lower case) is pronounced uh
   (a short a-sound) in an 
unstressed
   syllable,
but
ah
(a long a-sound)

   
in a *stressed* syllable
 
- the л pronounced l
 
- the ф pronounced f
 
- the в pronounced v
 
- the t pronounced t


 to be able to read and write Russian,
 you need to know the Russian
alphabet


 the Russian alphabet correctly known as
.the Cyrillic alphabet has
33 letters

 going from а (ah) to Я (yah)


 
the Greek monk, Saint Cyril, invented the
.Cyrillic alphabet
that carries his name



 
languages using it
 www.britannica.com


 the Cyrillic alphabet
 learnrussian.rt.com


 as of 2007 the Cyrillic alphabet
.has become the
3rd 
official
.alphabet
of the European

.Union
(EU)



 interestingly, the letters the Cyrillic
 alphabet follow the same sequence
.as that of the English alphabet and
.are pronounced like
the letters of
.the French
alphabet

 
the Cyrillic alphabet
 www.youtube.com
 www.youtube.com
 www.youtube.com
 www.russianforeveryone.com
arrow

 
Cyrillic alphabet quiz
 www.funtrivia.com


 
Cyrillic alphabet game
 www.purposegames.com


 
related sites
 quizlet.com
 www.ukindia.com
 masterrussian.com
 learningrussian.net
 www.practicerussian.com

 
the French connection

 



 the Russian royal family spent their
 summer holidays in Southern France

 this helps explain the many French
 words in the Russian language,
.
русский язык


 русский
 (adjective, nominative case,
  masculine, singular)
 3 syllables: Русс'-ки-й
.pronounced rooss'-kee-ye
 (the oo in
pool)
.meaning
Russian


 язык
 (noun, nominative case, masculine,
  singular)

 2 syllabes: я-зык'
.pronounced yah-z(e-ee)k'

 meaning language, tongue

 Examples
 - the French word for poster: affiche
   
In Russian, it's афиша.
    3 syllables: аh-фи'-ша
   pronounced
 ah-fee'-shah

    Notice
    - the ш pronounced sh


 - the French word for wardrobe: garde-robe
    In Russian, it's гардероб.
    3 syllables: гар-де-роб'
    pronounced
 gar-de-rohb' (short-e in her)
arrow
    Notice
    - the г pronounced g
    - the д pronounced d
    - the б pronounced b
    - the e is pronounced
      like the French e



 - the French word for correspondent: journaliste
    In Russian, it's журналист.
    3 syllables: жур-на-лист'
   pronounced
 joor-nah-leest' (the oo in pool)

    Notice
    - the ж pronounced je
    - the н pronounced n


 - the French word for patient: patient
    In Russian, it's пациент.
    3 syllables: па-ци-ент'
   pronounced
pah-stee-eeint'

    Notice
    - the п (the Greek p) pronounced as p

     
Note
     
it looks like the Russian
     letter л
 (pronounced l)

    - the ц pronounced st

      Note
      
it's an *emphatic* sound

    - the e pronounced as a long-e
     followed by
a short-i


 - the French word for floor: étage
    In Russian, it's этаж.
    2 syllables: э-таж'
   pronounced
 e-tahje'

    Notice
    - the э pronounced
     like
e in end, get
 

 - the French word for coffee: café
    In Russian, it's кофе.
    2 syllables: ко'-фе
   pronounced
koh'-feei (the short-i in it)
arrow
    Notice
    - the k pronounced k
    - the е pronounced
      ee followed by a short-i

 - the French word for office: bureau
    In Russian, it's бюро.
    2 syllables: бю-ро'
   pronounced
byoo-roh' (the oo in pool)

    Notice
    - the ю pronounced as a y-glide
     (
y-semi-vowel) followed by a long-u

 
 - the French word for committee: comité
    In Russian, it's комитет.
    3 syllables: ко-ми-тет'
   pronounced 
kah-mee-tyeeit' (the short-i in it)


 - the French word for technique: technique
    In Russian, it's техника.
    3 syllables: тех'-ни-ка
   pronounced
 tyeeik'-nee-ka

    Notice
    - the х pronounced k "softly" at the
     *back* of the throat 


     Note
     at the beginning of a syl
lable,
     it's
pronounced as an h like in
     the 
Russian word for bread,
   хлеб


 
Осторожно!

 

(adverb)

 4 syllables: с-то-рож'-но
.pronounced
es-tah-rohj'-ne
.meaning look out

 

 3 *similar* Russian-sounding letters

arrow
 1.и(ee)

 если
 (conjuction)
 2 syllables: ес'ли
.pronounced eeis'-lee
.meaning if


 смогу
.(verb)
.pronounced smah-goo (oo in pool)
.meaning I can (derived from
мочь)

 

мочь

.(verb)

.pronounced mohche
.meaning to be able to


 если смогу


 2.й(ye) 
 Note
 it's the *shorter* version
 of
the Russian letter и
 and is why it's called 
и
.короткоe



 короткое
 (adjective, nominative case, neuter,
   singular)
 4 syllables: ко-рот'-ко-е
.pronounced 
kah-roht'-ke-yee-e
.means
short


 это
 (pronoun, nominative case, masculine,
  singular)
 2 syllables:  э'-то
.pronounced e-tuh
(short-e in end, get)
.meaning
this

 очен
 (adverb)
 2 syllables: о’-чен
.pronounced oh-cheein
.meaning very

 интересный
 (adjective, nominative case, masculine,
  singular)
 5 syllables: ин-те-рес'-ны-й
.pronounced
 een-teei-reeis'-(ne-ee)-ye
.meaning interesting


 это - очен интересный.


 Note
 there's
no present tense "to
 be" verb 
in Russian. In print,
 a *hyphen* replaces it


 3.ы(e-ee)
 Note
 it's a short-e followed by a long-e
 making it a more emphatic sound
 than и


 ты
.pronounced te-ee
.meaning you

 Note
.ты, the *informal* you
 used with family, relatives,
 and friends, the equivalent
 of the French "tu",
the Ger-
 man "Du"

arrow


 Note
.вы, the *formal* you used
 with strangers, the equivalent
 of the French "vous",
the Ger-
 man "Sie"


и
 (conjunction)
 pronounced ee
.meaning and

 
я
 (pronoun)
 pronounced yah
.meaning I


 ты и я

.
 или
 (conjunction)

 2 syllables: и'-ли
.pronounced ee'-lee
 meaning or

 я  или ты

 How to Read Russian
 www.russianforfree.com

 
Осторожно!



 
(adverb)
 4 syllables: с-то-рож'-но
.pronounced
es-tah-rohj'-ne
.meaning look out



 Russian has 2 vowels that appear
 to be *reversed* to an English speaker
 1. the Russian vowel и (ee)
     meaning "and"
 2. the Russian vowel я (yah)
     
is the pronoun for "I" and
     the *last* letter of the
     Russian alphabet


 reversed
 www.thefreedictionary.com/rev
 dictionary.cambridge.org/dictio



 Russian has a letter that appears
 to be *both* reversed and upside
 down to an English speaker...
 - the Russian consonant ч (ch)


the Russian vowel у
 It's found in the word уже.
 2 syllabes: у-же'
.pronounced oo-jeei'
(oo in pool)
.meaning already

 It represents the oo-sound in pool.
arrow


 The English y is much more
.*complicated*
because there are
.*5* possiblities.

.It can be...
 - a consonant with a ye-sound
   like in yet, yes
 - any of *4* possible vowels

 As a *variable* vowel, it can
.be any one of the following
.4 vowels...

 - e-vowel: short or long
                  1. a short-e like in myrrh
                  2. a long-e like in army
 - i-vowel: short or long
                 3. a short-i like in myth, vinyl
                 4. a long-i like in my
 
Уpok 1

 2 syllables: y-pok'
.pronounced oo-rohk (oo in pool)

 meaning lesson


Notice

 - д pronounced d

 да!
.pronounced
dah

.Yes!

 
Уpok 2

 
Notice

 - н pronounced n

 нет!
.pronounced neeit
.No!



 не-
.- the *not* prefix

 prefix
 www.yourdictionary.com
 dictionary.reference.com

  дорого
.(adjective)
.3 syllables: до'-ро-го
.pronounced doh'-ruh-guh
.meaning expensive

 недорого
 (adjective)
 4 syllables: не-до'-ро-го
.pronounced
neei-doh'-ruh-guh
.meaning *not* expensive


 Notice
 - the last 2 os are pronounced
   like a short-a, an uh-sound,
   because they follow a *stressed*
   syllable with an o:
they can be
   pronounced as a short-e, an er-
   sound. (It depends on usage.)
arrow

 много
.(adverb)
.2 syllables: мно'-го
.pronounced mnoh'guh
.meaning a lot

 немного
 (adverb)
 3 syllables: не-мно'-го
.pronounced
neei-mnoh'-guh
.(The 2nd o is
pronounced
  as a short-a, an uh-sound.)

 meaning *not* a lot


 которые
 (adjective, nominative case, plural)
 3 syllables, ко-то'-рые
.pronounced
kah-toh'-(re-ee)
.meaning which, w
hat specifically


 Expression...
 который сейчас час?
.What time is it?


 который
 (pronominal interrogative adjective,
  nominative case, masculine, singular)
 4 syllables: ко-то'-рый
.pronounced
kah-toh'-reei
.meaning which


 сейчас
 (adverb)
 3 syllables: се-й-час
.pronounced
seei-ye-chahs'
.meaning right now


 час
 (noun, nominative case, masculine,
  singular)
.pronounced chahs
.meaning hour


 некоторые
 (pronoun)
 4 syllables: не'-ко-то-рые
.pronounced
neei'-kuh-tuh-(re-ee)
.(the 2 os
are pronounced as
  a short-a, an uh-sound)

 meaning some

 собаки
 (noun, nominative case, feminine,
  plural)
 3 syllables: cо-ба'-ки
.pronounced sah-bah'-kee
.meaning dogs (
собак
а: singular)


 некоторые собаки


 что
.pronounced shtoh
.meaning what
arrow



 Expression...
 Не за что.
Don't mention it.
 Another way of saying thank you.

 Notice
 - the Russian letter ч is *normally*
   pronounced ch, but in что, it's
   pronounced sho
 
Уpok 3

  .всё
 (adverb)
 pronounced vsyoh or fsyoh
.meaning all

 Note
 the
Russian letter B representing
 the
v-sound can be pronounced f


 ещё
 (adverb)
 2 syllables: е-щё'
.pronounced eei-shshyoh'
 meaning yet, still


 Expression...
 Неt ещё.


 *Both* всё and ещё
.*together*
meaning still


 здесь
 (adverb)
 pronounced zdeeis
.meaning here

 ты всё ещё здесь?
.You are still here?

 Notice
 - the Russian letter щ represents
   a *double* sh-sound


 Note
.the 1st
sh
is really the
 *last* consonant of the 1st
 syllable and the 2nd sh
 the *1st* consonant
 of the
 next syllable

 
Уpok 4

  .товарищ
 (noun, nominative case, masculine,
  singular)
 3 syllables: то-ва'-рищ
.pronounced
tah-vah'-reeshsh
.meaning comrade

 
как
 (adverb)
 pronounced kahk
.meaning how


 дела
 (noun, nominative case, neuter,
  plural)

 2 syllables: де-ла'
.pronounced deei-lah'
 meaning things


.дело

.(noun, nominative, neuter,
  singular)

.2 syllables: де'-ло

.pronounced deei-leh
.meaning
thing


arrow
 Note
.*singular*
neuter

.nouns end in o.
.and e



 Товарищ,
.как дела?


 Comrade,
.how are things?
(literally)
 for "Comrade, how are you?"


 Note
 the Russian letter ш
represents
 the sh-sound; the Russian letter
 щ represents the shsh-sound,
 the equivalent of *2* ш's


 *Another* word with
.the Russian letter ш...

 шесть
.pronounced sheeist
.meaning 6


 матрёшка
 (noun, nominative case, feminine,
  singular)
 3 syllables: ма-трёш'-ка
 pronounced muh-tryosh'-kuh
.meaning nesting doll

 
Note
 the 2 а's are pronounced like
 
a short-a, an uh-sound (instead
 of a long-a, an ah-sound) because
 they are not in a *stressed* syllable



 cultural note
 Russia is *world-famous* for its
.матрёшка
(wooden nesting) dolls.


 матрёшка
 en.wikipedia.org
 russian-crafts.com
 
Уpok 5

  .правда
 (noun, nominative case, feminine,
  singular)
 2 syllables: прав'-да
 pronounced prahv'-duh
.meaning truth


 газета
 (noun, nominative case, feminine,
  singular)
 3 syllables: га-зе'-та
 pronounced gah-zeei'-tuh
.meaning newspaper


arrow
 cultural note
 Russia's *famous* newspaper
 is Правда Газета.


 Правда Газета
 gazeta-pravda.ru
 
Уpok 6

    .один
 (adjective, masculine, singular)
 2 syllables: о-дин'
.pronounced uh-deen'
.meaning 1

 Note
.masculine nouns

.end in a consonant

 одна
 (adjective, feminine, singular)
 2 syllables: од-на'
.pronounced uhd-nah'
.meaning 1

 Note
.feminine nouns

.*usually* end in a vowel

 одно
 (adjective, neuter, singular)
 2 syllables: од-но'
.pronounced uhd-noh'
.meaning 1

 Note
.neuter nouns

.end in o or е


 два
 (adjective, masculine and neuter,
  plural)
 pronounced dvah
.meaning 2


 две
 (adjective, feminine, plural)
 pronounced dveei
.meaning 2


 три
 (invariable adjective)
 pronounced tree
.meaning 3


 четыре
 (invariable adjective)
 3 syllables: че-ты'-рe
 pronounced cheei-(te-ee)'-reei
.meaning 4


 пять
 (invariable adjective)
 pronounced pyat
.meaning 5
 
Уpok 7

  
.Поздравления

 (noun, nominative case, feminine,
  singular)
 5 syllables: Поз-дра-вле'-ни-я
.pronounced 
puhez-druh-vleei'-nee-yah
.meaning 
congratulations
arrow


 tip
 - ignore the 1st syllable
.
see the word as*beginning*
  with the 2nd uh-based syllable
 

  and *closing* with the я (yah)
  vowel

.- in 
between notice that there are 2
  long e-soun
ding vowels:
   the *stressed* e (ee-i) vowel 
followed
   by the
и (ee) vowel  


 Вы
 (pronoun)
 pronounced ve-ee
.meaning 
the formal (polite) you


 теперь
 (adverb)
 2 syllables: те-перь'
 pronounced teei-peeir'
.meaning now


 знаете
 (verb, 2nd person plural *formal* you
  form of знать
.  pronounced znaht
  .meaning 
to know)

 3 syllables: зна'-е-те
.pronounced 
znah'-eei-teei
.meaning know


 некоторые
 (adverb)
.4 syllables: не'-ко-то-рые
.pronounced neei'-kuh-tuh-(re-ee)
.meaning some


 российские
 (noun, accusative case, masculine,
  singular)
 5 syllables: рос-си'-йс-ки-е
.pronounced 
rahs-cee'-yes-kee-eei
.meaning Russian


 Поздравления!

 Вы теперь знаете
.некоторые российские.

 
Уpok 8

   
.по-русски

 (adverbial expression)
 3 syllables: по-русс'-ки
 pronounced pah-rooss'-kee (the oo in pool)
.meaning in Russian


 Как по-русски "book"?

 [How (do you say)
 .in
Russian "book"?]



 Книга.
 (noun, nominative case, feminine,
  singular)
 2 syllables, кни'-га
.pronounced knee'-guh
.meaning book
 
Уpok 9
arrow


говорите
 (verb, 2nd person plural *formal* you
  form of говорить, го-во-рить'
  .pronounced
guh-vah-reet'
  .meaning
to speak)

 4 syllables: го-во-ри'-те
.pronounced
guh-vah-ree'-teei
.meaning you speak


 вы говорите
.по-русски, да?



 Конечно. Ха-ха!


 конечно
 (adverb)
 3 syllables: ко-неч'-но
 pronounced kah-neeich'-nuh
.meaning of course


 ха-ха
 (interjection)
 2 identical syllables: ха-ха'
 pronounced huh-hah!
.meaning ha! ha!


 ха-ха
 en.wiktionary.org
www.wordreference.com
 en.bab.la/dictionary/russian-eng

 Немного.
 
 (adverb)
 3 syllables: не-мно'-го
.pronounced neei-mnoh'-guh
.meaning *not* a lot

 
Хорошо!

 (adverb)
 3 syllables: хо-ро-шо'
 pronounced *huh*-rah-sho'
.meaning
good


 
Note
 Russian adverbs end in o
 
English adds the suffix -ly
 
to an adjective like great to
  turn it into the adverb greatly
  as in the sentence:
  "I miss
them greatly: they
  were great people."



 suffix
 dictionary.reference.com
 www.yourdictionary.com
 
www.thefreedictionary.com
 
Уpok 10
arrow
 
.где
 (adverb)
 pronounced gdeei
.meaning where

 Москва
 (noun, nominative case, feminine,
  singular)
 2 syllables: Моск-ва'
.pronounced mahsk-vah
 
.meaning Moscow, the capital of Russia

 
Remember!
 there's no "to be" verb
.in the *present* tense

 
 Где Москва?         

  Moscow 
 
wikitravel.org
 www.lonelyplanet.com
 www.themoscowtimes.com

 
 В России.

 в
 (prepositional case preposition)
 pronounced v
.meaning in


 России
 (noun, prepositional case, feminine,
  singular)

 3 syllable: Рос-си'-и
.pronounced rahs-see'-ee
 meaning Russia


 Case Endings
 Russian noun endings vary
.depending on
their case endings
.which reflect their
function in the
.sentence.

 As subject, it takes the nominative case;
 as object, the accusative case; if indicating
 possession, the genitive case, and so forth.

 As subject, Russia, in the nominative
.case, is spelt Россия.


 Россия

 (noun, nominative case, feminine,
  singular)
 3 syllables: Рос-си'-я
.pronounced
rahs-see'-yah
.meaning Russia


 Russian case system
 www.youtube.com
 masterrussian.com
 www.alphadictionary.com
 
Уpok 11


 The Political Nerve Centre of Russia
  Кремль
 (noun, nominative case, masculine,
  singular)

 pronounced kreeiml
.meaning the Kremlin
arrow


 the Kremlin
 whc.unesco.org
 www.moscow.info
 www.geographia.com
 travel.nationalgeographic.com


 там
.pronounced tahm
.meaning over there


 Гдe Кремль в Москве?


 
Там.
 
Уpok 12



 The Russian (450-member) Parliament


  The дума is known as the Госдума.

 дума
 (noun, nominative case, feminine,
  singular)

 2 syllables, ду-ма
.pronounced
doo'-muh
.meaning parliament


 Госдума
 (noun, nominative case, feminine,
  singular)

 3 syllables: Гос-ду-ма
.pronounced
guhs-doo'-muh (the oo in pool)


 Гос
.abbreviation of
Государственная


 Государственная
 (adjective, nominative case, feminine,
  singular)

 6 syllables: Го-су-дарст'-вен-на-я
.pronounced
guh-soo-dahst-veein-nuh-yah
.meaning state


 Государственная дума
 en.wikipedia.org
 www.duma.gov.ru
 russiapedia.rt.com
 www.britannica.com
 
Уpok 13
.Красная
 (adjective, nominative case, feminine,
  singular)
 3 syllables: Крас'-на-я
.pronounced
krahs'-nah-yah
.meaning red

 Армия
 (noun, nominative case, feminine,
  singular)

 3 syllables: ар-ми-я
.pronounced
ar'-mee-yah
.meaning army

 Красная Армия
 
cultural note
the Red Army
 
is *renown* for its choir
arrow

 Kalinka 
 www.youtube.com
 

 folk songs
 www.youtube.com


.Mon pays
 *famous* poem by Quebec
 laureate and icon of Quebec
.culture,
Gilles Vigneault
by THE READ ARMY CHORUS
 www.youtube.com

 laureate
 dictionary.reference.com
 www.thefreedictionary.com

 красный
 (adjective, nominative case,
  masculine,
singular)
 3 syllables: Крас'-ны-й
.pronounced
krahs-(nee-e)-ye
.meaning red



 красное
 (adjective, nominative case,
  neuter, singular)
 3 syllables: Крас'-но-е
.pronounced
krahs-nuh-eei
.meaning red

 Note
 the nominative,
neuter singular
 
adjective ends in oe, the nomi-
 
native neuter singular noun ends
 in either
o
or e

 Example
 
винo
 (noun, nominative case, neuter,
  singular)

 2 syllables: ви-нo'
.pronounced vee-noh
 meaning wine (like the Spanish vino)


 красное винo


 gender of colours
 learningrussian.net



 площадь
 (noun, nominative case, feminine,
 
singular)
 2 syllables: пло'-щадь
.pronounced
plohsh'-shat
.meaning square

 Note
.the Russian voiced д
 is
.pronounced as a voiceless
.t-sound because it's at the
.*end* of the syllable

 Note

.though
 площадь ends
.in a consonant which would
.*normally* indicate that it's
.a masculine noun, in this
.case, it's exceptionally a
.*feminine* noun described
.by 2 *feminine* adjectives


 прекрасна
 (adjective, nominative, feminine,
  singular)

 3 syllables: пре-крас'-на
.pronounced
preei-krahs'-nuh
.meaning beautiful

arrow
 прекрасный
 (adjective, nominative, masculine,
  singular)

 3 syllables: пре-крас'-ный
.pronounced
preei-krahs'-nee-eye
.meaning beautiful



 прекраснo
 (adjective, nominative, neuter,
  singular)
 3 syllables: пре-крас'-нo
.pronounced
preei-krahs'-ne
.meaning beautiful


 Красная площадь - прекрасна.
Уpok 14
 

the *Gorbachev* revolution


 Горбачёв
 (noun, nominative, masculine,
  singular)

 3 syllables: Гор-ба-чёв'
.pronounced
ger-bah-chyohv'
.Gorbachev, a family name


 Note
 2 dots on top
of 
the Russian
 letter ё
(pronounced yoh)

 can often go
missing as in

 Горбачев


 Революция
 (noun, nominative, feminine,
  singular)

 5 syllables: Ре-во-лю'-ци-я
.pronounced
reei-vah-lyoo'-stee-yah
.meaning revolution

 Горбачёв Pеволюция
 
the *Gorbachev* revolution

 is named after Mikhail Gorbachev

.Михаил Сергеевич Горбачёв

 Михаил
 (noun, nominative case, masculine,
  singular)
 3 syllables: Ми-ха-ил'
.pronounced
 mee-huh-eel'
.meaning Michael

 Сергеевич
 (noun, nominative case, masculine,
  singular)
 3 syllables: Сер-ге'-е-вич
.pronounced
ceeir-geei'-eei-veech
.meaning Serge (Сергей)

 the patronymic name
.

 *every* Russian has one

.though it appears as a separate name
.following the 1st name, it's really the
.2nd part of the person's name

.it's derived
from the dad's 1st name
.it's called отчество

 
отчество
 (adverb)
  3 syllables: от'-чест-во
.pronounced
 oht'-cheeist-vuh
.meaning patronymic

.Note
 the term,
patronymic,
 comes from the Latin word
 for father,
"pater"

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 Сергей, his dad's name

 to this is added the masculine
 patronymic ending -евич
 (pronounced eei-veech) after
.having 
removed the last letter

.
the
*palatal* vowel, й
.
 patronymic
 learningrussian.net
 www.funrussian.com
 

 Горбачёв
 (noun, nominative, masculine,
  singular)

 3 syllables: Гор-ба-чёв'
.pronounced
ger-bah-chyohv',
.his family name: Gorbachev


 Mikhail Gorbachev
.
20th century hero
 en.wikipedia.org
 www.britannica.com
 www.biography.com

 because
 потому что
.(conjuction)
.2 syllables:
по-то-му'
.pronounced peh-tah-moo (oo in pool)

.1 syllable: что
.pronounced shtoh
.(here, the Russian
letter ч is *exceptionally*
.pronounced sh
instead of ch)

.both words *together* mean because


.the Gorbachev
revolution

 
.*ended* the Cold War and
.the threat of nuclear warfare


 

 большая
 (adjective, nominative case,
  feminine,
singular)
 3 syllables: боль-ша'-я
.pronounced
 bal-shah'-yah
.meaning big


 большое
 (adjective, nominative case,
  neuter,
singular)

 3 syllables: боль-шо'-е
.pronounced
 bal-shoh'-eei
.meaning big

 спасибо
 (noun, nominative case,
  neuter,
singular

 3 syllables: спа-си'-бо
.pronounced
spuh-see'-be
.meaning thank you

 *Большое* спасибо!
  a *big* thank-you (literally for)
.thanks - a lot!


 
большой
 (adjective, nominative case,
  masculine,
singular)
 2 syllables: боль-шой'
.pronounced bahl-shoy
.meaning big
 

.Note
.the ой is pronounced
 as 1 sound oy
    because
 it's in the *stressed* syllable

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театр
 (noun, nominative, masculine,
  singular)

 3 syllables: те-а'-тр
.pronounced
teei-ah'-ter
.meaning theatre

 Note
 there is
*no* th-sound
 
 in Russian


 the Bolshoi Theatre
 Большой театр
 www.bolshoi.ru
 en.wikipedia.org
 www.moscow.info
 boxoffice.bolshoi.org
 www.newworldencyclopedia.org
 
Уpok 15

 
Mr. Gorbachev gave us 2 *key* words
.that formed the basis of the Gorbachev
 
revolution


  1. перестройка
       (noun, nominative case, feminine,
         singular)

       4 syllables: пе-рес-трой'-ка
       pronounced 
peei-reeis-troy'-kuh
       (where the о and й
are pronounced
         *together*
 oy because
it's in a *stressed*
           syllable)


       in English,
it's "perestroika": it means
       reform 
(restructuring) (realignment) of
       *both*
 
the political and the economical 
       economical system


       though Gorbachev popularized the term,
       his predecessor, Leonid Brezhnev,
       is the author


 perestroika
 en.wikipedia.org
 russiapedia.rt.com
 www.britannica.com

  2. глаасность
       (noun, nominative case, feminine,
        singular)
       2 syllables: глас'-ность
       pronounced 
glas'-nuhst

       in English, it's 
"glasnost": it 
       means openness, transparency

 glasnost
 
en.wikipedia.org
 
russiapedia.rt.com
 www.britannica.com
arrow
 ещё
 (adverb)
 2 syllables: е-щё'
.pronounced eeish-shyoh'
.meaning still
 

.Note
.the Russian letter щ is the *last*
.consonant
 representing the sh-
.sound
of the 1st syllable and the
.*1st* consonant
 of
the 2nd syllable
.representing the sh-sound a 2nd
.time

 раз
 (adverb)
 pronounced rahz
.meaning again
.спасибо
.(noun, nominative case, neuter,
  singular)

.3 syllables: спа-си'-бо
.pronounced spuh-see'-be
.meaning thank you

Ещё раз спасибо!
 
type in Russian
russian.typeit.org
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 The Canada-Russia
 Connection
 Prime Minister Trudeau's trip to
 Russia (just after getting married
 in 1971) *defrosted* the Cold War.

 I contributed to the defrosting the
 Cold War.
 
 The Cold War was essentially about
 the threat of nuclear warfare and the
 Berlin Wall.

 Cold War spies *always* mentioned
 two things...
 1. that I was very smart though I
     
didn't even have a university
     degree
     (Now, I have 5 university degrees
     to my credit along with *almost*
     5 other 
university degrees inclu-
     ding college high tech diplomas,
     one in English and one in French.)
2. Prime Minister Trudeau

In June 1980, just shortly aften I
 had become Chief Page of the
 Senate of Canada (Trudeau had
 replaced Joe Clark as Prime Minister
 and his friend, Jean Marchand, had
 become Speaker of the Senate of
 Canada.) I received a last minute
 invitation to meet Mr. Gorbachev
 just before the 2 p.m. seating of the
 Senate that afternoon.

 A handsome man with very dark
 black  hair and a very expensive
 turquoise bluish suit bent over
 and *whispered* into my ear:

 We would like you to meet  Mr.
 Gorbachev: he is in the Senate 
 Reading Room with only 2 other
 people.

 I was at the time just on the *other*
 side of the Senate Reading Room
 in the corridor.

 I said that I would be there in a few
 seconds as I had to go to the water
closet 
at the back of the Senate
Chamber 
that was 3 meters away.

 In my excitement, my mind went
 blank and I forgot to go.

 Everyone involved in the Cold War
 in Canada knew Mr. Gorbachev was
 the key to ending the Cold War.

 Only years later, I remembered being
 extended the invitation that for me
 was the *biggest* shock of my life.
 
 When I was working for the Senate
 of Canada, I had to smile whenever
 I saw the *large* picture of Leonid
 Brezhnev in the backroom of the
 Press Gallery above the window
 where on the vending machines
 are on the 3rd floor of the Centre
 Block on Parliament Hill.

 In 1993, when Boris Yeltsin in the
 Duma (2 syllables: ду'-ма pro-
 nounced du'-mah) (The Russian
 Parliament) was surrounded by
 tanks outside, it was Prime Minister
 Brian Mulroney who was on the
 phone providing moral support.

 The Russian Constitutional Crisis

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 Toronto has the biggest, most
 important Russian community
 outside of Russia.
 During 1960-61school year at Hearst
 Public School, my Grade 2 teacher
 was the *last* surviving member of
 the Romanov czarist family, the
 Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna
 of Russia.

  (Hearst is a lumber town of 2,000 in
   the middle of the Trans-Canada
   highway in Northern Ontario:
   my parents, *Clifford
Selin (say'leen)
   and Patricia Desjardins, and my 1st
   Nations maternal grand-mother,
   Dora Piché, from Quebec are
   buried in the Catholic cemetery
   there.)

*Vice-President of Henry Selin Forest
Products: THE LARGEST privately-
owned lumber business in Northern
Ontario.

She walked with a limp and wore
the same dark dress with her hair
in a bun.

 She taught us in the basement of
 the church at the end of the block.

 The first thing she said to us was: 

My name is Mrs. Raine: I'm the
*last* surviving member of the
Russian Romanov family.

 I had no idea what that meant.

 I thought it strange that she would
 say that: I remember asking myself
 what that could possible mean.

 It was quite a dramatic moment as
 her desk and the area where she
 stood was on an 8" high platform
facing our Grade 2 class.

 She was very professional.

 I remember her teaching us English
 phonetics: being raised in a French-
 speaking lumber camp, I thought
 English to be one of the damnedest
 languages and today, with a solid
 university background in linguistics,
 I know - for a fact - it is. (Ha! Ha!)

See:
English-phonetic-confusion
vowel_reduction_vowel_confusion

 Today, I am convinced the Devil
 speaks English. :D

 Being French-speaking, I enjoy
 telling anyone learning English
 this and those who are Catholic
that they should make the sign
of the cross "before" they speak
English. (Ha! Ha!)

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 My Prediction
The Commonwealth of Independent
States (CIS)
under Russia's  gui-
dance
 will 
become the dominent
economic
power "after" the next 
30 years: these 30 years belongs
to China. :D
www.britannica.com

 Infrastructure will be in place in
Russia that allows EASY ACCESS
to Russia's rich trove of mineral
 resources that will make Russia
the ultimate world economic power.

Once Europe is subsumed by the
Commonwealth of Independent

States (CIS)
in the coming years
thanks to the influence of former
East Germans,
it's at that point

 the Russia will be *officially* the  
uncontested
dominant  economic
 force once Europe is forced to
 adopt  the Russian ruble whose
value at the beginning in 2025
has increased "already" 40%
in value.


 Once that happens, Russia will
 be the place of choice for foreign
 investors: this will only solidify
 its economic global dominance
behind China.

Russian smart diplomacy is a
big help in making all this a
reality

IMPORTANT COLD WAR FOOTNOTE
GERMANY provided Russia with
badly needed money: in other
words, GERMANY SAVED RUSSIA.

The USA who had promised to give
Russia the money it badly needed
to go from a state central planning
system to a market-based system
gave the money to Poland.

Therefore, learning Russian and
in the case of nations, being
friends with
Russia is THE
SMART THING TO DO!

 Слава
 (noun, nominative case, feminine,
  singular)
 2 syllables: Сла'-ва pronounced
 slah'vuh meaning glory


 
России
 (noun, dative case, feminine,
  singular)
 3 syllables: Рос-си'-и pronounced
 rahs-see'-ee meaning to Russia
 Russian flag
Russia
Слава России!



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