Learn the basics of Russian and make yourself understood on the spot during the World Cup.
Are you one of the lucky ones who will be traveling to Russia to attend the 2018 World Cup matches? Prepare your trip by discovering the basics of this Slavic language spoken natively by more than 145 million speakers around the world by taking with you three free applications to understand and make yourself understood during the 2018 World Cup.
Busuu
Great beginners in Russian will have to go through the compulsory stage of learning the basics. With Busuu, you will make a smooth entry into the subject since the application presents lessons classified on the model of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CERCL). Language elements to introduce you to the discovery, deepening and mastery of the Russian alphabet, a variant of the Cyrillic alphabet, Busuu allows you to acquire the essential basics of Russian and adopt the right reflexes .
Each lesson is divided into several parts: vocabulary, dialogue, conversations, tests, etc. Thanks to Busuu, the pronunciation of Russian words will have no secrets. The application allows you to work on your accent by listening to the pronunciation of phrases and words at normal speed or in slow motion (using a long press on the play button), but also to record your pronunciation in order to work on it and improve it. All the exercises are accompanied by practical advice on the use of the language but also on grammar elements. To put into practice what you have just learned, Busuu offers scenarios in simulated conversations. You will have to complete certain sentences or choose the most suitable answer from those suggested, an excellent way to check your skills.
The lessons and exercises offered in Busuu are accessible free of charge. However, there is a Premium subscription allowing access to advanced grammar units, learning other languages, downloading lessons for offline use, or having conversations with native speakers.
Download Busuu for Android (Free)
Download Busuu for iPhone (Free)
SayHi
Now that you have mastered the basics of Russian, you may need an assistant to support you during your conversations with the locals. SayHi is a multilingual translation application that works like a real instant messenger. To use it, all you have to do is choose the respective languages of the two interlocutors, French and Russian, for example, and start a conversation.
The application offers two input modes: one using the keyboard, the other aloud. Each interlocutor in turn triggers input to type or dictate what he wishes to translate into the language of his interlocutor. SayHi runs instantly and displays each recorded message in its original language along with its translation, all organized within a conversation.
Each participant has the possibility of customizing the parameters of the synthetic voices of the application. SayHi features a male and female voice and allows users to change the pronunciation speed of the translation, a good way to perfect their accent.
Download SayHi for Android (Free)
Download SayHi for iPhone (Free)
Google Translate
A true Swiss army knife of languages, Google Translate is the essential tool to complete your linguistic arsenal. Supporting keyboard input, dictation and handwriting, the app can also translate text from a simple photo. An optical character recognition module is integrated and allows to isolate the text present on any image that you submit to it.
Google Translate goes much further than just language translation. For each word submitted, the application offers to listen to its pronunciation, displays the word written in the Latin alphabet and the Cyrillic alphabet, integrates its definition in the dictionary, and suggests other translation possibilities to which the word can correspond , depending on the context in which it is used.
The icing on the cake, Google Translate can be used offline, with some limitations: provided you have previously downloaded the different language packs, the application is able to translate all the words / texts entered on the keyboard away from any Internet connection. The other input methods (dictation, image, handwriting) remain unavailable since they require access to Google’s servers to be able to be interpreted.
Download Google Translate for Android (Free)
Download Google Translate for iPhone (Free)
