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If you are a beginner, it’s normally a problem to find suitable authentic materials in Russian to listen to. Of course, there are tons of resources online, but most probably you would prefer to find something that you can understand easily.
What can you do? Well, there are at least 2 ways.
The first one is watching Russian films with subtitles in English or any language you understand. At the beginning, you may find yourself reading the subtitles and not listening to the actors, but subconsciously you will definitely remember some of the most popular words and phrases. The more you train your ear (that is: the more films you watch), the more Russian words you will recognize (and remember), especially the ones you know well or are ready to learn: most common words and everyday phrases.
Some original Russian movies can be not so easy for beginners, though. If the actors speak too fast and/or unclear, you might want to try foreign movies dubbed in Russian. Luckily, there are plenty of them available.
The second way is watching short cartoons in Russian without any subtitles. Make sure they don’t speak too much and too fast in the cartoons. Visual context must help you understand what is going on even if you don’t know all the words. With time, the context will teach you some new words and typical phrases.
I would like to know your opinion:
What are your favorite authentic listening materials in Russian for beginners? What are you using now (if you are a beginner) or what can you recommend to those who are just starting to learn Russian?
