This can be difficult.

You forget one Russian word and your brain says:

ABORT MISSION. RETURN TO ENGLISH.

😂

Try not to.

Pause.

Use a simpler word.

Gesture.

Describe it.

Ask:

Как сказать ___ по-русски?
kak ska-ZÁT ___ pa-RÚS-kee?
How do you say ___ in Russian?

Then keep going.

The longer you stay in Russian—even imperfect Russian—the more retrieval practice you’re getting.

Click here to return to the main article: How to Improve Your Russian Recall During a Real Conversation