Sure it’s Christmas season now and the time to shop for gifts. But the gift I’m going to recommend for your Russian wife is something you would do well to consider giving her as soon as she lands in America, whether it’s Christmas season or the middle of summer. She will love having it for the access it provides her for adjusting to life in America.
As soon as Alla came to America, I gave her a high-end model Russian/English talking translator. She loves it and has been using it constantly for 2 years now. At first she used it to study and learn basic English. More recently she uses it for translation of “oddball” words and for learning phrases. Using this machine greatly accelerated her ability to speak and understand English.
There are several manufacturers of these translators. But the one company that stands head and shoulders above all others is Ectaco. They make a machine that first off is extremely feature rich. But also it is rugged, dependable, easy to use, very portable, and greatly expandable with many add on devices available.
The model of Ectaco translator I suggest you get is the ER800. Further, I suggest you buy with it the “Learning American English Supplement” which is an add on module that contains progressive 
courseware to guide a Russian speaking person through the process of learning English as used in America. So go ahead. Do your wife and yourself a huge favor. Click on Russian-English electronic talking dictionaries and text translators This link will take you to the ER800 machine description and order page. Once there if you click on “accessories”, then scroll down 3 or 4 items you’ll see the “Learning American English Supplement” add on.
And since I’m guessing that you’re a savvy “net” shopper, let me save you some time up front. You can buy these machines at what appear to be cheaper prices than at the Ectaco web site. But the keyword there is “appear”. I recommend you buy directly from Ectaco, the manufacturer, because:
- Ectaco frequently has exclusive online prices and promotional extras you won’t find anywhere else.
- You pay no additional sales charges or premiums when buying from their official site.
- Free, fast and secure worldwide shipping is standard.
- There’s no extra handling done by, or shipping done to, any third party for the machine you buy.
- In the unlikely case where you need to return the machine, it’s much simpler and faster to work directly with Ectaco than needing to interface through a third party.
I have more to write about “language” in the future.
Until then, Happy Shopping Season to you.
Gary.
