Learning to Type in Russian

As you learn Russian online with a computer or laptop, you will find learning to type on a Russian keyboard very helpful. Learning to type will not just help you learn the Cyrillic alphabet, but when you are knew to Russian it can help you with pronunciation of new words if you voice them as you're slowly typing them. Learning to type in Russian will be a great way to increase your skills in spelling, reading, and increasing your vocabulary.

The Learn Russian site on RT.com will show you:

• How to Install the Cyrillic Keyboard for Windows 7 on Your System
• How to Install the Cyrillic Keyboard for Windows Vista on Your System
• How to Install the Cyrillic Keyboard for Windows XP on Your System
• How to Install the Cyrillic Keyboard for Mac

Here is a post with video by the polyglot Moses McCormick on how to install the keyboard of a foreign language in Windows 8: How to Install and Use Foreign Keyboards.

Once you have the keyboard installed, at Amazon.com you can find and buy a Russian keyboard.

Or, if you're like me and don't want to spend $30 on a keyboard, or waste money on keyboard stickers that aren't permanent, you can use a cheat sheet.

I get by by using a Russian keyboard layout cheat sheet image taped to my computer's monitor. I created a few images to choose from and posted them on this post: Russian Keyboard Layout Image for Printing.

Lastly a tip on learning to type. Practice typing Russian words into Google translate. It helps with self-correction, because if you get something wrong ... Google Translate will not understand you and won't give you the English word you're looking for.