Available online and open to all, Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) are one of the best ways to learn everything, including Russian. Read on for everything you need to know to get moving with a Russian MOOC.
Just keep in mind that these courses often tackle smaller concepts like cross-cultural communication with Russians, a set of essential vocabulary or a particular aspect of Russian grammar. In other words, MOOCs should be more of a supplement to the other ways you’re learning Russian—like the sour cream in your borscht or the pickle after your vodka.
Price: Free (but certificates may require payment)
Let’s kick off with the Russian equivalent of Udemy/edX/Coursera! OpenEdu.ru provides access to MOOCs from major Russian universities.
As you can see, most of the courses on the site are in Russian. For that reason, this site works best for intermediate to advanced learners. If you’re looking for courses on “Russian as a foreign language,” you can type in Русский как Иностранный or РКИ for short.
In case you have questions about enrollment or how to use the site, go to their English language FAQ section.
An online project of the Pushkin State Russian Language Institute, this site provides lessons tailored to each of the CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages) skill levels—A1, A2, B1, B2, C1 and C2.
You can also sort the courses according to subject: Russian as a foreign language, Russian language, Literature, Regional geography, Culture, Science and technology, Physical education and sports and History. If you’re just starting out in your Russian studies, go here.
The courses are available only on a schedule (i.e. not self-paced), but the selection provides a good variety of interesting classes for advanced Russian speakers.
Again, if you’re looking for classes that specifically teach the Russian language, type Русский как Иностранный or РКИ into the search bar.
Like Universarium, Stepik is a repository of Russian language courses for advanced learners.
Many of the courses are in Computer Science, so if you happen to be studying Russian and are in a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) field, this site allows you to kill two birds with one stone. You can also sort courses according to whether they offer certificates and/or whether they’re free.
Price: Depends on the course (with financial aid options available)
Coursera is a treasure trove of MOOCs offered by universities all over the world. Many of the classes operate on a set schedule, meaning you need to enroll by a certain date and meet deadlines to stay on track.
This can be a good thing for learners who need some discipline, but not as helpful for folks on a tight schedule. The good news is that Coursera lets you switch to a later session if you fall behind, and any work you’ve completed will transfer with you.
The Russian language offerings on Coursera are generally geared toward more advanced learners. The available courses at the moment can take anywhere from one week to six months to complete.
The site provides an overview of each class, telling you the number of lectures, total time and level. The classes are self-paced and the fee includes lifetime access to the course materials, making Udemy classes a great option for learners on a busy schedule.
Class Central is similar to Coursera, in that it has courses pulled from universities as well as other providers like Udemy. You can browse by subject area, provider, university and institution (Google, Microsoft, etc.), or type what you’re looking for into the search bar. For example, if you type in “Russian,” you’ll get this.
Once you have a bunch of results, you can filter them further according to level (beginner, intermediate, advanced), according to the type of course (with/without certificate, university course, non-university course), length of time, subject and language.
You’ve probably already heard that language and culture cannot be studied independently of each other. So, if there are any aspects of the Russian language or culture that don’t make sense to you, perhaps these courses can shed light on some of the more inscrutable aspects of Russia!
How to Get the Most Out of Your MOOC
Think about why you chose the course and what you’re hoping to get out of it. Is it an advanced class and you’re hoping to take your language skills to the next level? Did you choose a Russian literature course with the intention of reading some of the great Russian novelists in the original language? Whatever your reason, define it from the outset so you can stay motivated and track your progress.
Do the work. We all know there’s no easy road to mastering Russian, so prepare yourself to do the work the MOOC will require. Make time in your weekly schedule to watch the videos and complete the assignments. If you’re following a self-paced option, you might enlist a friend to hold you accountable, or set little rewards for yourself as you complete course milestones.
Reach out to other learners. One of the great features of many MOOCs is the interactive component, so take advantage of that. Check out the discussion forums, and see what you can learn from the other students in the class—and how you might be able to help them.
Test your level. Many of the Russian language MOOCs use the CEFR—a system for assessing language proficiency—to indicate their class level. So test yourself before looking for a course to make sure you’re choosing one that’s appropriate for you.
For example, you can take some Russian language quizzes on the platform FluentU.
FluentU takes authentic videos—like music videos, movie trailers, news and inspiring talks—and turns them into personalized language learning lessons.
You can try FluentU for free for 2 weeks. Check out the website or download the iOS app or Android app.
If you love learning Russian and want to immerse yourself with authentic materials from Russia, then I should also tell you more about FluentU.
FluentU naturally and gradually eases you into learning the Russian language and culture. You'll learn real Russian as it's spoken by real Russian people!
FluentU has a very broad range of contemporary videos. Just a quick look will give you an idea of the variety of Russian-language content available on FluentU:
FluentU makes these native Russian videos approachable through interactive transcripts. Tap on any word to look it up instantly.
Access a complete interactive transcript of every video under the Dialogue tab. Easily review words and phrases with audio under Vocab.
All definitions have multiple examples, and they're written for Russian learners like you. Tap to add words you'd like to review to a vocab list.
And FluentU has a learn mode which turns every video into a language learning lesson. You can always swipe left or right to see more examples.
The best part? FluentU keeps track of your vocabulary, and gives you extra practice with difficult words. It'll even remind you when it’s time to review what you’ve learned. You'll have a 100% personalized experience.
