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Is English Popular......

 
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merhaba
Frequent Guest


Joined: 16 Dec 2007
Posts: 11
Location: Asia

PostPosted: Tue Feb 10, 2009 7:58 pm    Post subject: Is English Popular...... Reply with quote

How many peoples in Russia, can speak and understand English ? How much time would be required to learn and speak Russian ? How much Russian school will charge ?
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Ender
WayToRussified


Joined: 23 Aug 2006
Posts: 498
Location: Urals

PostPosted: Wed Feb 11, 2009 8:12 am    Post subject: Re: Is English Popular...... Reply with quote

merhaba wrote:
How many peoples in Russia, can speak and understand English?

Very little. Everybody study one of three foreign languages in school: English, German, French. Unfortunately chances to use foreign language are very small in ordinary life so people usually forget foreign language very quickly. Everybody know few words in English, sometimes they are able to read ads but nothing more complex. No practice. If you go on a street and address somebody in English there is very small chance that somebody will understand you.

There are group of people who work in the information technology field. They usually can't speak (no practice) but they have to read and write at least technical English.

merhaba wrote:
How much time would be required to learn and speak Russian?

In my case 33 years and I still know it worse than Pushkin for example. Very Happy In Russia scholars study Russian all the time. First it is simply called "Russian" then it is combination of "Russian" and "Literature" and in the end it is only "Literature" but de facto it is "Russian" also. Anyway at the final exam youths mostly receive average grades. Punctuation gives aches to everybody. Very small amount of Russians is able to write really flawless Russian. The only discipline that has longer length of studying is mathematic.

Here is opinion of a swiss person who knows French, English, Spanish and German also.

http://how-to-learn-any-language.com/e/languages/russian/index.html#difficulties

It is interesting that nobody in Russia speaks clean 100% correct Russian. There are zillions of dialects, words borrowed from local languages, differencies and flaws in pronunciation. Therefore a person who speaks "too clean" Russian will be noticed immediately.

merhaba wrote:
How much Russian school will charge?
I don't know. You'd better ask your local schools.
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merhaba
Frequent Guest


Joined: 16 Dec 2007
Posts: 11
Location: Asia

PostPosted: Wed Feb 11, 2009 8:00 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks very much, very informative, WOW it makes me wonder if I ever be able to speak Russian ?
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vox16
Just Starting


Joined: 14 Apr 2010
Posts: 5

PostPosted: Wed Feb 11, 2009 11:00 pm    Post subject: Re: Is English Popular...... Reply with quote

merhaba wrote:
How many peoples in Russia, can speak and understand English ?

Whoever they are, they are mostly working 5*(9-1Cool uness they are students. You may come across them at the street, but random sales clerk/bus driver /etc in unlikely to speak English.

Quote:

How much time would be required to learn and speak Russian ? How much Russian school will charge ?


Twice compared to English. Well, for native English speakers there was a study that languages like French. Spanish took twice less time tnan languages like Russian ( and other Slavic ), some 500 hours compared to 1000. As for schools, there is no such thing as widespread 'Russian as second language schools for adults' - the first place to search is the largest local universities with significant foreign contingent ( e.g. for Moscow - MSU, RUDN).
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Ender
WayToRussified


Joined: 23 Aug 2006
Posts: 498
Location: Urals

PostPosted: Thu Feb 12, 2009 6:51 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

merhaba wrote:
Thanks very much, very informative, WOW it makes me wonder if I ever be able to speak Russian ?

Why not? Year or two and you'll be able to speak. There is nothing especially difficult with pronunciation. Some sounds maybe.
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Avis
Frequent Guest


Joined: 15 Oct 2008
Posts: 42
Location: Moscow, Russia

PostPosted: Thu Feb 12, 2009 12:22 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

jmo, you'll be able to meet english speaking people in Moscow or Saint-Petersburg, mostly young, as a new generation is required to speak it a little at least and use at work.
Again, Russians are able to travel more nowdays and have more opportunities to practise their English so I won't be that pessimistic about that Smile))
As for learning languages.. Me as a Russian would not dare give any prospects but I do say I've been studying English for more than 15 years by now and I'm still far from being fluent.. But I can communicate and people understand me and I understand them most of the time so isn't it a good news? ))) Just give it a try even if it seems hard in the beginning Smile
Good luck Smile
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merhaba
Frequent Guest


Joined: 16 Dec 2007
Posts: 11
Location: Asia

PostPosted: Fri Feb 13, 2009 9:35 pm    Post subject: subject: Is English Popular...... Reply with quote

Thanks very much for the good Wishes, and applicable information, YES, I definately gonna try to learn Russian, what I have been able to check through internet with different Schools teaching Russian, its not that difficult, YES, I agree fluency and right pronounciation will take time, no problem, where their is will there is a way . . . . . .
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