Prepare
Read the goal and warm up with what you already know.
Understand it.
Then make it yours.
Every unit takes you from a clear explanation to Russian you can use. Follow five connected chapters, with English support at the beginning and more independent Russian as you progress.
Try the first chapter →A familiar rhythm.
A new skill each time.
Work through the chapters in order. The same words and ideas return in different forms, so each step builds on the last.
- 01
Understand the scene
Listen and read for meaning. Meet the people, the situation, and the language you will use throughout the unit.
- 02
Build usable words
Learn useful words with their sound and context. Recall them in small groups, then put them into your own phrases.
- 03
Explore the grammar
See why a form is used, compare examples, and practice one decision at a time. Follow the linked reference when you need another explanation.
- 04
Bring the skills together
Read, listen, speak, and write about the same situation. Begin with support, then try it with less help.
- 05
Review and apply
Retrieve what you learned, make something of your own, and correct it. Return after a delay so the language stays available.
One focused step at a time.
Longer chapters can take several sittings. Use the study-block estimate as a guide, and stop at a natural break.
Learn
Follow the teaching and examples. Open the teacher’s notes whenever you need more support.
Practice
Try the exercises, compare with a model, and explain a correction.
Check
Listen, retrieve, produce your own Russian, and review it before saving your chapter record.
MAKE ROOM FOR REAL RUSSIANThe course gives you a routine.
The course gives you a routine.
Using Russian gives it a purpose.
Read beyond the examples. Listen to different speakers. Have a conversation, get feedback on your writing, and return to useful expressions after a few days. Your practice space helps you track these habits alongside the textbook.
Explore the practice space →How the course supports your level From first letters to independent, nuanced Russian
Build the sound, script, and survival-language base that makes everything else easier.
What you are working toward: Read Cyrillic, pronounce core sounds, and handle essential first-contact exchanges.
Foundation before TORFL A1Operate in predictable daily situations using high-frequency language and simple sentences.
What you are working toward: Introduce yourself, order, shop, describe your world, and navigate a city.
TORFL ТЭУ / CEFR A1 practice pathwayLink ideas across time and handle common travel, health, and social situations.
What you are working toward: Tell simple stories, make plans, solve routine problems, and sustain short conversations.
TORFL ТБУ / CEFR A2 practice pathwayMove beyond rehearsed exchanges into narration, opinions, work, study, and relationships.
What you are working toward: Explain experiences and viewpoints, follow clear media, and manage most daily-life needs.
TORFL-I / CEFR B1 practice pathwayControl aspect, motion, register, and argument well enough for demanding real-world use.
What you are working toward: Debate, collaborate professionally, and understand complex speech on familiar topics.
TORFL-II / CEFR B2 practice pathwayDevelop precision, style, cultural range, and the habits of a lifelong independent user.
What you are working toward: Adapt register, interpret authentic texts, and communicate flexibly in social and professional life.
TORFL-III / CEFR C1 practice pathwayRefine lexical precision, rhetoric, interpretation, mediation, and genre control across demanding authentic contexts.
What you are working toward: Convey fine shades of meaning, mediate complex ideas, and analyze or produce sophisticated Russian with deliberate style.
TORFL-IV / CEFR C2 practice pathwayWhat a chapter check asks you to do Listening, retrieval, production, and correction
Listen through the chapter material. Submit all five retrieval answers before checking them; four correct answers reach the 80% threshold. If you miss an answer, explain one correction. A retry uses another form.
Retrieve a Russian word or phrase without a visible answer. Then produce your own Russian, review it against the chapter rubric, and explain a revision. Workshops and unit reviews also ask for a recording, from 30 seconds at A0 to ten minutes at C2.
Automatic checks confirm completion and exact answers. They do not evaluate your pronunciation or the quality of an original text. Compare your work carefully and seek outside feedback.
The course, the references, and their limits What the A0–C2 roadmap means
The course contains 28 units and 140 chapters. Its deeply taught vocabulary, optional frequency-review track, and searchable word index serve different purposes: encountering a word in a list does not mean you can use it.
A0 is our foundation stage. A1–C2 refer to proficiency goals; completing a stage does not award or guarantee that level. Only an authorized assessment provider can award an official examination certificate.
The course draws on the action-oriented CEFR framework ↗, the Russian skills assessed by TORFL / ТРКИ ↗, and usage described in Russian Corpus Grammar ↗. These organizations do not endorse or certify Russian Clearly.