Use this technology to improve your Russian skills

Yesterday night I was watching a Russian comedy show when a Dutch friend came over. Since he didn’t understand ANYTHING of the show, I wondered if the auto-generated subtitles would be any good. A couple of years ago, auto-generated Russian subtitles were horrible, and auto-translating them to English made them simply unreadable. But with AI improving quickly, I decided to give it another shot.

And to my surprise, it was actually pretty good. I’d say 90-95% of the content was translated well. This realization made me very happy because I’ve always recommended people watch Russian series, movies, and YouTube videos to improve their language skills.

The Subtitle Problem for Russian Learners

Until recently, there was an annoying limitation. Only a handful of large, interesting Russian YouTube channels added their own English translations. This meant you could only watch a few big channels like Орел и решка, Вдудь, or Антон Птушкин.

But now, as voice recognition and translation are getting better, you can watch much more channels. And this opens up a whole new world of Russian content.

How to Access Better Russian Subtitles

Here’s how you turn on the subs.

1. Go to a Russian YouTube video
2. Click on the settings icon (gear symbol)
3. Select “Subtitles/CC”
4. Choose “Auto-translate”
5. Select your preferred language (e.g., English)

Expanding Your Russian Content Options

With these improved subtitles, one show I’d recommend is “Самый умный комик” (The Smartest Comedian) by Stand-Up Club #1. But they have much more interesting shows featuring stand-up comedians.

However, comedy can be challenging. Some jokes might go over your head, especially if you’re not familiar with cultural references or wordplay.

Best Russian Shows for Language Learners

So for those just starting out, I recommend watching simpler series. Here are a few great options:

• “Кухня” (Kitchen)
• “Интерны” (Interns)
• “Как я стал русским” (How I Became Russian)

These shows are ideal because you can see what’s happening on screen, making it much easier to understand the context of the dialogue.

The Real Benefit of Watching Russian Content

So the main reason I encourage watching Russian series or movies is to give your brain and ears the opportunity to get used to the Russian language. It’s about immersion and learning words in context.

If you try to watch without any subtitles right away, it’s just frustrating. You might only manage a few minutes before giving up. But with English subtitles, suddenly you can watch for hours.

An Unexpected Advantage of Imperfect Subtitles

Now, these AI-generated subtitles aren’t always 100% accurate. But I’d say that can be a benefit, especially for intermediate learners. It makes you to pay more attention to the Russian audio and see if you can catch anything wrong. And actively listening will help you better improve your comprehension skills.

The Importance of Consistent Exposure

Remember, the key to improving your Russian through media is time spent listening. Don’t worry if you don’t understand everything at first. The goal is to train your ear and gradually pick up new words and phrases over time.

Start with short sessions, maybe 20 minutes a day, and gradually increase as you become more comfortable. The subtitles are there to support your learning, not to be a crutch.

What to Watch?

If you’re looking for more structured guidance, I’ve put together a comprehensive list of Russian series recommendations. If you’ve signed up for my Conversations Unlocked course, you’ll receive a free sheet with 100 Russian series recommendations, most of them with good manual subtitles.