earworms mbt
Musical Brain Trainer
™
Rapid Russian
200+ essential words and phrases
anchored into your long-term memory
with great music
Your personal audio language trainer
Your personal audio language trainer
earworms mbt™ Rapid Russian puts the words and
phrases you need not just on the tip of your tongue, but
also transports them deep into your long-term memory.
Simply by listening to these specially composed melodies
with their rhythmic repetitions of Russian and English a
few times, the sound patterns are indelibly burned into
your auditory cortex. You will have successfully learned
the Russian phrase and have the correct accent ringing in
your ears. Wherever you are, whatever you are doing:
While jogging, in the car, in the bath, doing the
ironing …you can be learning Russian at the same time!
earworms mbt™ Rapid Languages is the first language
course to get your toe tapping.
You know the phenomena of those catchy tunes or ear-
worms that you just can't get out of your head? Voulez-
vous coucher avec moi, ce soir? Well, earworms mbt™
has put this phenomena to positive use. Gone are the
days of learning pressure and frustration at not being able
to remember, the experience of many on conventional
language courses. In combination with music, the phrases
you need are automatically anchored deep into your
memory, ready for instant recall.
Music is the Key
The idea is as simple as it is old. Before the age of writing,
ancient historical events were recorded in verse and song
form for easy memorisation. In his book 'Songlines'
Bruce Chatwin describes how the Australian Aborigines
were able to navigate their way across hundreds of miles
of desert to their ancestral hunting grounds without maps.
And how? The extensive lyrics of their traditional songs
were exact descriptions of the routes!
Rhythm and words i.e. song and verse have always been
a very powerful memory aid, and this is supported by
recent scientific research. The advertising industry knows
only too well how powerful music can be in getting
the message across with brainwashing-like jingles and
soundbites.
It really works!
Developed and used over years in the classroom,
earworms mbt™ Rapid Languages has shown
phenomenal success. In tests pupils using this technique
regularly get average marks of over 90% compared to less
than 50% with conventional book based learning.
Why hasn't music been used more in education up to
now? Imagine kids at school getting a CD of hip hop
songs with all the historical dates they have to learn, or all
the irregular verbs they have to learn! Wouldn't that make
their (and teachers') school lives much easier, much
more fun, much more successful?
What you get
This volume deals with the essentials for your
visit abroad. It looks at typical situations: taking a taxi,
at the hotel, at the restaurant, requesting, polite phrases,
finding your way, numbers, dealing with problems and
so on. Volume 2 will have you talking about yourself and
others, past, present and future, likes and dislikes and
general conversational items. The themes follow closely
the Common European Framework for language learning,
a recognised benchmark of language proficiency, and the
emphasis is constantly on usefulness to the learner.
Cyrillic
This booklet contains all of the words and phrases spoken
on the CD, both English and Russian, plus the sounds of
the words. The Russian alphabet ‘Cyrillic’ looks a bit
daunting at first, but after listening while comparing the
phonetic script with the original text, you will soon find
that you have ‘cracked the code’.
Just look for a moment at these words from track one:
Coffee: kofye = кофе.
To decifer this you only need to know that: ф=f, e=ye
Thanks: Spaseeba = Спасибо. C=S, п=p, a=a, c=s, и=ee,
б=b, о=o or a (or a mixture of both).
How to use earworms: Don't think, just listen!
Sit back, relax and groove along to the melodies without
trying to listen too hard. Treat them as songs you hear on
the radio. Our recommendation is that you do familiarise
yourself with the written words in the booklet - at least
the first time you listen.
After listening several times, playfully test yourself -
cover up the English side of the phrase book and see
how many words and phrases you remember!
Lastly - a word of thanks
The earworms team would like to thank you for putting
your trust in our 'slightly different' learning concept
and are sure that you will have the success that many
others have already had. It's motivating to know that
learners are really benefiting from our research and
development. Also, as accelerated learning is a rapidly
growing field, we look forward to hearing your
experiences and successes - so feel free to visit us
on the website:
[Link]
1. I'd like…
I’d like a coffee. Ya hachoo kofye.*
Я хочу кофе.
I’d like... (I want…) Ya hachoo...
Я хочу…
I Ya
Я
coffee kofye
кофе
with milk s’malakom
с молоком
with s’
с
please pashalooista
пожалуйста
I’d like a coffee with milk, please. Ya hachoo kofye s’malakom, pashalooista.
Я хочу кофе с молоком, пожалуйста.
a tea chai
чай
a tea with lemon chay s’ limonom
чай с лимоном
with lemon s’ limonom
c лимоном
and sugar ee saharam
и сахаром
and ee
и
Very good. Ochen harasho.
Очень хорошо.
a beer peeva (sounds like beeva)
пивo
For me - please - beer. Mnye - pashalooista - peeva.
Мне - пожалуйста - пива.
For me… Mnye…
Мне…
Bring me - please - beer. Prinyeseetye - mnye - pashalooista - peeva.
Принесите мне пожалуйста пива.
Bring me… Prinyeseetya mnye…
Принесите мне…
water va-dui
воды
Thank you. Spasiba.
Спасибо.
*You can also say ‘Ya hatyel bui’. я хотел бы.
earworms
Musical Brain Trainer
mbt™
2. To order
to order zakazat’*
заказать
I would like - to order. Ya hachoo - zakazat’.
Я хочу заказать.
I would like to order wine. Ya hachoo zakazat’ vinor.
Я хочу заказать вино.
red wine krasnaye vinor
красное вино
white wine bilayer vinor
белое вино
For me - please - red wine. Mnye - pashalooista - krasnaye vinor.
Мне - пожалуйста - красное вино.
I’d like (want) - red wine. Ya hachoo - krasnaye vinor.
Я хочу - красное вино.
sparkling wine shipoochyeye vinor
шипучее вино
a carafe - of wine grafin - vinar
графин - вина
a bottle - of wine bootilkoo - vinar
бутылку - вина
a bottle of water bootilkoo va-dui
бутылку воды
And vodka? Ee vodkoo?
И водкy?
a small measure - of vodka rioomkoo - vodki
рюмку - водки
Cheers! Na - zda’rovye!
Lit.: To - health! На - здоровье!
more bread yeshor hleba
щё хлеба
more yeshor
ещё
a salad salat
салат
a vegetable salad avashnoi salat
i.e. a mixed salad овощной салат
red caviar krasnaya ikra
красная икра
Cyrillic pronunciation guide:
з=z, Я=Ya, х=h, ч=ch, у=oo, в=v, и=i, н=n, п=p, ж=sh, л=L, й=i, р=r, е=ye
*The word заказать (sakazazt’) has a ‘ь’ after the ‘т’ at the end, which has the effect of
softening the ‘т’. The sound is something like: “tss”
3. Have you got …?
Have you got...? Oo vas - yest’…?
Lit.: With you - is there…? У вас - есть…?
a table free svabodnee stolik
Lit.: free table свободный столик
a table stolik
столик
Yes, of course. Da, kanyeshna.
Да, конечно.
No, sorry. Nyet, ochyen shal.
Lit.: No, great pity. Нет, очень жаль.
Waiter! Offisiant!
Официант!
Bring - please - the menu. Prinyeseetye - pashalooista - menioo.
Принесите - пожалуйста - меню.
What - are we - drinking? Shto - boodyem - peet’?
Что - будем - пить?
What…? Shto…?
Что…?
we boodyem
будем
drinking peet’
пить
(You) want - to order? (Vui) hateetye - sakasat’?
(Вы) хотите - заказать?
Everything OK? Vser normalna?
Всё нормально?
Bon appetite – enjoy! Priyatnava appetita!
Приятного аппетита!
The bill, please. Shert, pashalooista.
Счёт, пожалуйста.
Can one pay by credit card? Moshna plateet’ po creditnoy cartachkye?
Можно платить по кредитной карточке?
Can one…? Moshna…?
Mожно…?
pay plateet’
платить
by credit card po(a) creditnoy cartachkye
по кредитной карточке
Yes, of course. Da, kanyeshna.
Да, конечно.
Many thanks. / Thank you very much. Bolshoye spasiba.
Большое спасибо.
earworms
Musical Brain Trainer
™
mbt
4. To the airport
To the city centre, please. V zentr, pashalooista.
В центр, пожалуйста.
To the airport. V aeroport.
В аэропорт.
How much? (Does it cost?) Skolka stoit?
Сколько стоит?
To this address. Pa etomu adriesoo.
По этому адресу.
To the shopping centre. K univermagoo.
К универмагу.
How much - to pay? Skolka - plateet’?
i.e. How much is it? Сколько - платить?
Keep the change. Astavtye na chai.
Lit.: The rest for tea. Oставте на чай.
Buying tickets
Where - can one - buy - tickets? G’dyeer-moshna-kooppeet’-bilyetey?
Где - можно - купить - билеты?
Where…? G’dyeer…?
Где…?
can one (can I) moshna
можно
buy kooppeet’
купить
tickets bilyetey
билеты
I’d like a ticket to St. Petersburg. Ya hachoo - bilyet - doh - Sankt Peeterboorga.
Я хочу – билет – до – Санкт - Петербурга.
I’d like… Ya hachoo…
Я хочу…
a ticket to biliyet do
билет до
St. Petersburg Sankt Peeterboorga
Санкт Петербурга
There - and - back. Tooda - ee - abratna.
Туда - и - обратно.
100 Rubels. Stoa rooblei.
сто рублей.
Platform 3. Platforma dree.
Платформа три.
Pleasant journey. Shastleevova pootee.
Счастливого пути.
5. Numbers, days & time
Number Russian Memory hooks*
1 adin (or adgin) a gin = one gin
один
2 d'va d'vide into two
два
3 dree three with a ‘d’
три
4 chetirye 4 bowls of chips in a cafeteria
четыре
5 pyat’ ( or pyatch) 5 peaches
пять
6 shest’ ‘6’ painted on a chest!
шесть
7 siem’ 7777777 all the same
семь
8 voicyem’ 8 voices in an a cappella group
восемь
9 dyevyat’ David, the boy with No. 9 on his football shirt
девять
10 dyesyat’ decimal. sounds like: D’ye’sit? (Do you sit?)
десять
11 adin-ad-zat’
одиннадцать
*Memory hooks
12 d'ven-ad-zat’
двенадцать To jog your memory it is often
helpful to try to associate the
15 pyatnad-zat’ sounds of the words with other
пятнадцать
familiar words and visual images.
20 d'va-dzat’ We have thought up some
двадцать associations to help you to
25 d'vadzat’ - pyat’ remember numbers, but the same
Двадцать пять technique can be used to
30 dree-dzat’ memorise any vocabulary.
тридцать
40 sorok Also note that the numbers from
сорок 10 on end in ‘ad-zat’ or ‘nad-zat’.
45 sorok pyat’ Think of these as: ‘and ten’ to help
cорок пять you to remember that these
numbers are in the teens.
50 pyat’-dyesyat
пятьдесят
earworms
Musical Brain Trainer
mbt™
Hours and minutes
5 o'clock pyat’ chasov
пять часов
6 o'clock shest chasov
шесть часов
7.15 siem chasov pyatnadzat minoot
Lit.: 7 o'clock 15 minutes cемь часов пятнадцать минут
9.20 dyevyat chasov d'va-dzat minoot
девять часов двадцать минут
10.45 dyesyat chasov sorok pyatch minoot
десять часов сорок пять минут
There is another way of telling the time, which for native English speakers is a bit
more complicated. Half past two is ‘half of the third hour’ for example. For now,
let’s just keep to hours and minutes.
Now you try reading the Cyrillic and filling in the gaps:
9 o'clock dyevyat’ …...
девять часов
7 o'clock …. chasov
семь часов
8.15 voicyem’ ….. pyatnadzat’ …...
Lit.:8 o'clock 15 minutes восемь часов пятнадцать минут
2.45 d'va ...... ..... pyat’ minoot
два часов сорок пять минут
The days of the week
Monday banyedyelnik
понедельник
Tuesday vtornik
вторник
Wednesday srieda
среда
Thursday chetvirg
четверг
Friday pyatnitsa
пятница
Saturday soobborta
суббота
Sunday vaskresinye
воскресенье
6. Where is there…?
Excuse me, please. Isvinitye, pashalooista.
Извините пожалуйста.
Excuse me. Isvinitye.
Извините.
Where - is there - not far - a bank? G’dyeer - yest - neardaleko - bunk?
Где - есть - недалеко - банк?
Where is there…? G’dyeer - yest…?
Где - есть…?
not far neardaleko
недалеко
To … is it not far? Doh... neardaleko?
До… недалеко?
To the supermarket - not far? Doh supermarketa - neardaleko?
До супермаркета - недалеко ?
To a cash machine (ATM) - not far? Doh bankamata - neardaleko?
До банкомата …недалеко ?
cash machine (ATM) bankamata
банкомата
To - a pharmacy/chemist’s Doh - apteki
До - аптекаи
To - a hospital Doh - balnyitsi
До - больници
Where is there not far a hospital? G’dyeer yest neardaleko balnyitsa?
Где есть недалеко больница?
nearby pablizasti
поблизости
Where is there nearby - a toilet? G’dyeer yest pablizasti - tooalyet?
Где есть поблизости - туалет?
Where is there nearby a - post office? G’dyeer yest pablizasti - pochta?
Где есть поблизости - почта?
I’m sorry, I don't know. Mnye ochen’ shal, ya nea znaioo.
Мне очень жаль, я не знаю.
I know. Ya znaioo.
Я знаю.
Yes, it’s there. Da, eta tam.
Да, это там.
Many thanks. Bolshoye spasiba.
Большое спасибо.
Don’t mention it. Nea za shta.
Lit.: Nothing for that. Не за что.
Cyrillic pronunciation guide:
Г=G, д=d, б=b, ю=ioo, ш=sh, o=o (but often sounds more like an ‘a’)
earworms
Musical Brain Trainer
™
mbt
How often do I have to listen to the earworms CD
before I can really remember all the language on it?
With the appeal of the earworms songs we
hope that it is not a question of 'having to',
it is rather a question of 'wanting to'. But seriously:
the memory is like a muscle, it needs to be trained
and exercised. Based on scientific studies, the
ideal is listening relatively intensively at the
beginning (the learning phase), thereafter
listening periodically to review what you
have learnt and refresh your memory.
In practical terms this means listening to
the whole album the first day, in order to
'tune your ear in' to the sounds of the
language. Then listen regularly, several
times, over a period of one or two weeks,
making sure that you listen to every song
equally as many times. While listening,
actually speak the words out loud, when
you can, to get a feeling for their pronun-
ciation. After this, go through the booklet
and test your knowledge, picking out any
gaps that you may wish to concentrate on.
Lastly, the review phase. As we all know,
memories fade, so it is important to refresh
your memory by listening to the CD at your
leisure, say, once a week for the following few
weeks. Thereafter, monthly.
This review phase is crucial as it consolidates
your knowledge and transfers it into your
long-term memory. Although this demands
self-discipline, it is of course without effort,
as you are only listening to songs.
The result is that you will be able to recall the
words and phrases with the same ease that
you remember your telephone number!
7. Directions
Excuse me, please. Isvinitye, pashalooista.
Извините, пожалуйста.
I’m looking for the train to Moskow. Ya ishoo poezd na Moskvoo.
Я ищу поезд на Москву.
I’m looking for… Ya ishoo…
Я ищу…
the train poezd
поезд
to Moscow na Moskvoo
На Москву
I’m looking for Red Square. Ya ishoo krasnoyioo ploshad’.
Я ищу красную площадь.
bus stop avtoboosnooioo - astanovkoo
Автобусную остановку
Can you tell me how to get to…?
Lit.:You can me tell how to get to…?
You can - me tell…? Vui morshyetye - mnye skazat’…?
Вы можете - мне сказать…?
how - to get - to…? kak - dabratsa - doa…?
как - добраться - до…?
by bus avtoboosam
автобусом
by car mashinay
машиной
on foot pishkom
пешком
Go straight on. Iditye - pryama.
Lit.: Go - straight. Идите - прямо.
Turn (to the) right. Pavyerneetye (na) prava.
Поверните (на) право.
To the left. Na lyeva.
На лево.
Is it - far? Eta - dalekoa?
Это - далеко ?
Not far. Neardalekoa.
Недалеко.
Approximately one kilometre. Primyerna adin kilameatrr.
Примерно один километр.
It’s best - by bus. Loochshye - avtoboosam.
Лучше - автобусом.
Many thanks. Bolshoye spasiba.
Большое спасибо.
earworms
Musical Brain Trainer
mbt ™
8. Where, when, what time?
What time…? Vo skolka…?
Во сколько…?
When…? Kagda…?
Когда…?
Where…? G’dyeer…?
Где…?
Where (is) your baggage? G’dyeer vash bagash?
Где Ваш багаж?
your vash
ваш
my baggage moi bagash
мой багаж
My baggage is there. Moi bagash tam.
Мой багаж там.
our baggage nash bagash
наш багаж
Where is my room? G’dyeer maya komnata?
Где моя комната?
Your room is on the second floor. Vasha komnata - na - vtarom etage.
Lit.: Your room - on - second floor. Ваша комната - на - втором этаже.
vasha komnata
your room ваша комната
na
on на
vtarom - etage
second - floor втором - этаже
na pyervam etage
on first floor (i.e ground floor in UK) на первом этаже
Vo skolka zavtrak?
What time is breakfast? Во сколько завтрак?
zavtrak
breakfast Завтрак
s’ semi…
from 7… c семи…
doa deseti
to 10 o'clock До десяти
s’…doa…
from… to … c…до…
Oo vas yest leeft?
Have you got a lift? У вас есть лифт?
Da, eta tam.
Yes, it’s over there. Да, это там.
9. Problems, problems!
I have - a problem. Oo menya - problema.
Lit.: With me - a problem. У меня - проблема.
Can you - help me? Morshetsye - menye pamoch?
Lit.: Can you - me help? Можете - мне помочь?
I have lost - my key. Ya pateryal - moi kliooch.
Я потерял - мой ключ.
I have lost…(a man says) Ya pateryal…
Я потерял…
I have lost…(a woman says) Ya pateryala…
Я потеряла…
my passport moi pasport
мой паспорт
my wallet moi koshelok
мой кошелёк
Is this it? (Is this the one?) Eta on?
Это он?
Yes, it's mine. Da, eto moi.
Да, это мой.
No, it’s not mine. Nyet, eto nea moi.
Нет, это не мой.
I need… Mnye nooshen…
Мне нужен…
plasters (USA: Band-Aid) plastir’
пластырь
Aspirin aspirin
аспирин
I need - a doctor. Mnye nooshen - doctor.
Мне нужет - доктор.
I need something against… Mnye nooshna shto-ta ot…
Мне нужно что-то от…
something against shto-ta ot
Что-то от
stomach ache boli - v - shivatye
Lit.: pains - of - the stomach Боли - в - животе
headache golavnoi boli
головной боли
head golavnoi
головной
earworms
Musical Brain Trainer
™
mbt
10. Do you speak English?
Good morning. Dobroye ootro.
Доброе утро.
Good afternoon. Dobrui vyechyer.
Добрый вечер.
How you doing? (informal) Kak dela?
Как дела?
Do you speak - English? Vui govoritye - pa angleeiski?
Lit.: You speak - in English? Вы говорите - по английски?
in Russian pa roosski
По русски
Excuse me, I don't speak (in) Russian. Isvinitye, ya nea gavarioo pa roosski.
Извините, я не говорю по русски.
I don't speak… Ya nea gavarioo…
Я не говорю…
My name is… Menya zavoot…
Меня зовут…
I don't understand. Ya nea panimaioo.
Я не понимаю.
I understand. Ya panimaio.
Я понимаю.
Slowly, please. Medlinna, pashalooista.
Медленно, пожалуйста.
It's difficult. Eta troodna.
Это трудно.
It’s not - easy. Eta nea - lehkoa.
Это не - легко.
What’s this? Shtoa eta?
Что это?
Do you - like Moscow? Tyebie - nravitsya Moskva?
Тебе нравится Москва?
Yes, I (very much) like it. Da, mnye (ochen) nravitsya.
Да, мне (очень) нравится.
How about a pizza? Kak nashoort peetse?
Как насчёт пиццы?
OK, why not. Ladna, pachyemoo bui ee nyet.
Ладно, почему бы и нет.
Why…? Pachyemoo…?
Почему…?
See you soon. Doa skorava.
Lit.: Until soon До скорого.
See you tomorrow. Doa zavtra.
Lit.: Until tomorrow. До завтра.
See you. Paka.
Пока.
A large part of learning in general and language
learning in particular is to do with the memorisation
of words, facts and other significant information. It's
a well-known fact that we use only a fraction of our
brain power and traditional book learning is now
recognised as not suiting every learner.
earworms uses simple techniques which open up
and exploit more of the brain's native power, and
come under the heading of 'accelerated learning'.
In a recent issue of the journal 'Nature'
researchers at Dartmouth College reported that
they had pinpointed the region of the brain
where 'earworms' or catchy tunes reside, the
auditory cortex. They found that the sounds
and words that have actually been heard can be
readily recalled from the auditory cortex where the
brain can listen to them 'virtually' again and again.
2. What we learn
earworms mbt™ adopts the so-called lexical
approach to language. In essence, this means we
look at language in terms of whole meaningful
chunks, then break these down into their component
bite-sized, easily absorbable parts and then
reconstruct them. You not only learn complete,
immediately useful phrases, you also intuitively
learn something about the structure (the grammar)
of the language. These 'chunks' which the learner
can 'mix and match', gradually build up to cover
whole areas of the language.
Also available in this volume:
Also check out Rapid Volume 2
Details at [Link]
earworms
Musical Brain Trainer
mbt™
The Tracks:
1. I would like… 5:34
2. To order 5:30
3. Have you got...? 7:04
4. To the airport 6:20
5. Numbers, days & time 8:11
6. Where is there…? 6:21
7. Directions 7:43
8. Where & what time? 5:51
9. Problems, problems! 7:27
10. Do you speak English? 7:26
Concept: Marlon Lodge, Project Development: Andrew Lodge, Project Management: Maria Lodge,
Editorial Supervision: Renate Elbers-Lodge, Music: earworms & AKM, Songs 5,6,9 feature
samples by [Link], Russian Voice: Tatyana Komova, Graphic Design: Jaroslaw
Suchorski & Bernd Kreuder @ HKP, Special thanks to: Jan, Jane, Evie, Anna, Freddy, Bob Glynn.
Noisebox Digital Media.
[Link]
© 2007 earwormslearning
Catalogue no. EARW 0901
Produced in the EU