List of very useful beginning Russian books?

[Kenneth Udut]

Hello SeeLangs.  My name is Kenneth Udut, and I am newly subscribed
here.  I have been learning a bit of beginning Russian using several
texts.  I don't have the exact names of the texts, as I am at work and
the books are at home, but perhaps you are familiar with them:

Beginning Russian, which I believe is published by the Teach Yourself
people.

My first 1,000 words in Russian, which uses many little pictures put
in context of a bedroom, a livingroom, a kitchen, etc.

Barron's Learn Russian the Fast and Easy Way.

and my favorite:
10,000 Russian Words by Frequency of usage

[that seems to be quite a practical book, even if the words chosen in
the frequency of usage is perhaps debatable)

I also have been using an inexpensive learn Russian computer CD on
occasion.


I realize that it is probably very difficult to achieve a basic
fluency (ie - a working knowledge of very basic things) without a
tutor, or feedback from native Russian speakers, but it is the best I
can do for the moment.

Can anybody suggest texts that have helped them out in the beginning?
Are there teaching methods which are preferred by members of the list
(for example - learning by picture context, or learning by audio, or
learning by reading, or learning by reading and writing, or learning
by rote, etc)?


I am probably more geared towards learning by rote (repeat until it
becomes automatic and integrated) but perhaps this is not a good
method to learn a language - I don't know enough to say.

Forgive me for putting so many questions in my first message - it's
bad list etiquette - but I hope that the experts here could give me
their opinions on these matters.

Thoughts?


Minya zavoot Kenneth Udut.
k_udut at yahoo.com

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