I have listed this because I think that many would be learners of Russian are frightened at just the thought of the script.
I don't think this goes into detail enough about HOW to write the script but it does provide regular practice. The information about the letters is available in all Russian beginners text books anyway, but if you are studying alone, it could be useful to have a book just for practising it.

---

Product Description

'Teach Yourself Beginner's Russian Script' starts from scratch and teaches you how to read and write the Russian alphabet correctly from the beginning. It will enable you to understand enough from signs, directions, instructions and even menus to be able to get by on your next visit to Russia or to take your study of the language further.

---

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #77094 in Books
• Published on: 2003-04-30
• Binding: Paperback
• 176 pages

Synopsis
Russian is from the same 'family' of languages as English (Indo-European) and has been very much influenced by languages such as Latin and French, but also by Greek, Hebrew and Old Church Slavonic. In the 9th Century a monk called St Cyril is reputed to have devised the Russian script - hence its name: Cyrillic. There are only 33 letters in the Russian alphabet and learning Russian really is much simpler once you know the script. If you are going to visit Russia, you need a basic recognition of the script, at least to be able to read the street signs and find your way around. 'Teach Yourself Beginner's Russian Script' starts from scratch and teaches you how to read and write the Russian alphabet correctly from the beginning. It will enable you to understand enough from signs, directions, instructions and even menus to be able to get by on your next visit to Russia or to take your study of the language further. The book is divided into different sections. Units 1-4 introduce you to the letters of the printed alphabet step by step with exercises to practise each new point.In these units each new Russian word will also be transliterated so that you can practise saying the words as well as reading and writing them.

The fifth unit is a revision unit so that you can review what you have learnt and go back over any areas of difficulty. In Units 6 and 7, you will learn how to read and write the handwritten Russian script. Finally, in Units 8-10, you will be given practice on specific topics: town and transport, hotel and restaurant, and hobbies. By the end of the book, you will understand how the Russian script works and will have mastered the basics of reading and writing Russian. The leader in self-learning with more than 300 titles, covering all subjects. Be where you want to be with Teach Yourself.

About the Author
Teacher of Russian to school pupils and adult students for more than twenty years, Daphne West is the author of six publications on the Russian language. Formerly Head of Modern Languages and a Chief Examiner at A-level, she is now Headmistress of the Maynard School in Exeter (where she still teaches Russian); in 1993 she was awarded the Pushkin Medal by the Pushkin Institute, Moscow, for contributions to the teaching of Russian.

---

Customer Reviews

Russian type, not script
The cover of this book states the goal is "reading and writing" Russian script. My understanding of this is that it will teach you handwritten Russian. While there are examples of both typewritten and cursive letters, which will help reading, at no point does the book guide you through the process of writing a letter. For example, with the English letter B, we are taught to draw the vertical first, from top to bottom, then the "loops", again starting at the top. There is no such guidance in this book. I am sure the shape and sound of the letters are all explained adequately, but this information is available in any adequate Russian language book. The reason I bought this book, and the function implied by its title, is that it teaches Russian handwriting - it doesn't. I'd return it but I can't be bothered.

Great starting point to learning Russian.
I have no previous knowledge of Russian and was thinking of enrolling a course, merely for the sake of it. Still, I wanted to have some hint as to whether I would manage to get to grips with it or would it all be a waste of time + money. I bought this book under such intent and found it extremely user-friendly, divided in units that are both challenging and achievable, and very encoraging. I will definitely pursue learning Russian, but if anything this book made me doubt the urgence of moving into a class with a timetable I do not run. Maybe I'll stick to learn Russian with its help for the time being. Highly recommended. Congratulations to the people involved and my warm thank you. Good Health to you all.