Trench's Questions and Philosophies

[Sting23]

He doesn’t have a wife, but a current partner and his kids are grown and on their own.

I guess this forum is his "mistress" then as he sure spends alot of time here.  And I laughed pretty hard when I saw his post telling someone to quote him so I, who has him on ignore, could see it!  Gotta get dem visa validity periods right for all the UK lurkers who may be reading here! haha.

Moby I'm just not gonna bother replying to you anymore.  I suggest you go help your buddy Trench get a visa so he can get to Russia and find a wife.  That way you guys won't be on here arguing about useless things and actually have a real life.

[mhr7]

In the school systems in Russia  and Ukraine, British English is the standard.

It's not the English they speak. American movies, TV and music are more influential than texts.

[msmob]

He doesn’t have a wife, but a current partner and his kids are grown and on their own.

Thanks, Boethius

I interpreted this as "Please Moby, stop - I give up - I'm busted - Please stop pointing out my serial howlers"


My kids are on their own - as in don't live with me. They are 'big' - as in old enough - girls !

Lastly, I'm waiting in for a delivery - that last week's snow ( The UK ground to a halt )  delayed

Unlike, poor Sting23 I'm not on a salary

and my beloved's happily sunning herself

[Boethius]

I'm referring to the 'dumbing down' and phonetic spelling that made learning your versions of 'English' easier  - it's not like UK / IRL figure highly in your immigrants, by nationality ( UK currently 7th) - your 'English' is heavily influenced by your southern neighboUr

Noah Webster changed spellings to differentiate Americans.

Growing up, our spellings were British in Canada. That changed with computers, as word defaults are American spellings. My kids use American spellings, which always annoys me.  Our language is distinct.

mhr7-no different from kids here. But when I meet people from the FSU who learned English in school, they use British accents on words.

[msmob]

It's not the English they speak. American movies, TV and music are more influential than texts.

Quite ((

[Nightwish]

It's not the English they speak. American movies, TV and music are more influential than texts.

but given how little English (ie American) they actually hear, I mean everything is dubbed, all movies, everything on TV. Sooo frustrating when I am there visiting, given I don't understand much myself, it's annoying.
We did manage to find a couple of movies (in Cinema) that had the movie in orginial language with Ukrainian subtitles instead, but they are very far and few apart.

Here (in Sweden) we have never used voiceover on movies and TV-shows, everything is in original language and subtitled, except kids movies ofc.

[mhr7]

mhr7-no different from kids here. But when I meet people from the FSU who learned English in school, they use British accents on words.

Pretty rare that I hear one over here. To Russians, an "r" is an "r" and not an "eh". British spelling tends to be the norm though.

[Boethius]

I’ve heard Russians speaking with English accents.  Sounded strange to me.

[mhr7]

but given how little English (ie American) they actually hear, I mean everything is dubbed, all movies, everything on TV. Sooo frustrating when I am there visiting, given I don't understand much myself, it's annoying.
We did manage to find a couple of movies (in Cinema) that had the movie in orginial language with Ukrainian subtitles instead, but they are very far and few apart.

Here (in Sweden) we have never used voiceover on movies and TV-shows, everything is in original language and subtitled, except kids movies ofc.

Often when I watch a film with my gf it will be in English with Russian subtitles which I also tend to read while listening to the English. At times I wonder if we are truly watching the same film because the English I hear and the Russian I read don't quite seem to have the same meaning, to me at least.

[ML]

At times I wonder if we are truly watching the same film because the English I hear and the Russian I read don't quite seem to have the same meaning, to me at least.

As a woman from SPb once told me:
She and niece watched a UK TV show as translated into Russian and found it hilarious.
Then niece married a UK guy, moved there and watched same show in English.
It was not nearly as funny.
So most of the funny came from Russian (mis)translation.

[SANDRO43]

In my experience, the more a teacher knows about his subject(s) the better he may help his students. As an IBM instructor for 15 years, I soon realised that if I had to cover an area, say, 10 wide/deep I had better know 15 or more because of the 'irregular' questions I might receive .

On the other hand, most of my US colleagues had a different approach: they would reply that those questions were not in their stated course descriptions, and move on .

[The Natural]

Watching US movies now, even with the option of Russian subtitles, my wife prefers Norwegian subtitles.

[ML]

In my experience, the more a teacher knows about his subject(s) the better he may help his students. As an IBM instructor for 15 years, I soon realised that if I had to cover an area, say, 10 wide/deep I had better know 15 or more because of the 'irregular' questions I might receive .

On the other hand, most of my US colleagues had a different approach: they would reply that those questions were not in their stated course descriptions, and move on .

Oh my . . . what an unsubtle put down!!

[BillyB]

No.. I suggested no such thing ..I am telling you - READ - before posting daft ..

You are a US chap - no recent visits to Russia - telling a Brit - who knows Russia (FAR better than you )  and is not long back - about UK visas for Russia  ?

The Website YOU provided is for UK citizens to get visas for Russia. I trust what they, the experts, say on it, not what you "heard" from others which contradict what that website is saying. You have a habit of irritating people. Those people you talked to probably told you that you can do things with your visa so you can try it, get in trouble and get kicked out of Russia and they won't have to deal with you anymore.

[msmob]

The Website YOU provided is for UK citizens to get visas for Russia. I trust what they, the experts, say on it, not what you "heard" from others which contradict what that website is saying. You have a habit of irritating people. Those people you talked to probably told you that you can do things with your visa so you can try it, get in trouble and get kicked out of Russia and they won't have to deal with you anymore.

BillyB

That you persist with posting daft is entertaining

The WORK visa - that Trenchy was 'suggesting' he was considering has no such restrictions - OK ?

As my last RU biz visa's expiration date was nearly 3 weeks after I needed to leave Russia - due to the 90 day in 180 rule - mentioned in my Leaving Russia thread - I certainly didn't need your inability to read  - to learn anything )))

[DaveNY]

In the school systems in Russia  and Ukraine, British English is the standard.

New guy here. American married to a RW who was a high school teacher in Moscow. According to teachers in Moscow the reason British English is the standard is basically due to the cost of learning English.

When I was living in Moscow in 2000 a dept. chair from a high school (not my wife's) told me that the cost of sending a group of English teachers to America would be at least 5 times more expensive than sending the same group to the UK. Flights cost more even if only to the east coast. Accommodation and meals were more and the universities in the UK were far cheaper. In addition, many teachers wanted to visit the US but visas were more difficult to obtain and this was pre 9/11. Presumably this was always the case and still is.

Of course the Internet and American capitalism and culture has meant that American English is now common place even in Russia.

[msmob]

Of course the Internet and American capitalism and culture has meant that American English is now common place even in Russia.

Spending half my time in Russia - I don't see evidence of this - my friend is head of English at one of the schools

[mhr7]

Spending half my time in Russia - I don't see evidence of this - my friend is head of English at one of the schools

I do.

[DaveNY]

Spending half my time in Russia - I don't see evidence of this - my friend is head of English at one of the schools

Do you mean the cost of training English teachers to learn UK English vs American English or the fact that American English has permeated Russian culture?

Also I did say my conversation with the dept. chair took place in 2000. Russia wasn't in very good financial shape at the time. Most decisions back then would probably have been cost based unless other factors were more important.

[msmob]

Do you mean the cost of training English teachers to learn UK English vs American English or the fact that American English has permeated Russian culture?

'the fact' that American English has permeated Russian Culture

Also I did say my conversation with the dept. chair took place in 2000. Russia wasn't in very good financial shape at the time. Most decisions back then would probably have been cost based unless other factors were more important.

Granted you did - so why not "'the fact' that American English HAD permeated Russian Culture" ?

Sorry, you brought out the pedant in me ))

[DaveNY]

'the fact' that American English has permeated Russian Culture

Granted you did - so why not "'the fact' that American English HAD permeated Russian Culture" ?

Sorry, you brought out the pedant in me ))

It's a forum and I'm altering between several other projects on my computer. I don't have time to proofread.

I've been going to Russia since 1998 and lived there from 2000 to 2006. Since moving back to the US my wife and I have been back at least once a year. The changes are dramatic. IMO and my wife's American culture has permeated some might even say invaded Russian culture.

Another topic for those who taught English in Russia is that the theory that the Kremlin has purposely restricted the growth of English language teaching in schools.

Again, IMO, from talking with teachers some have said the Kremlin has tried to limit the growth of English language training for fear that American influence, ideas and culture would spread in Russia. Other European countries (France, Germany, etc) have noted this and their politicians have been against the spread of American culture but certainly haven't voted to stop the spread of English language training. The Kremlin however has far more clout than other Euro governments.

[mhr7]

I've been going to Russia since 1998 and lived there from 2000 to 2006. Since moving back to the US my wife and I have been back at least once a year. The changes are dramatic. IMO and my wife's American culture has permeated some might even say invaded Russian culture.

I think there's no doubt that this is the case. I see the American flag on many articles of clothing worn by teens, American movies dominate at the theaters and my coworkets love to talk about the American serials they watch online.

I've had several Russians tell me they prefer American English because it's easiier to speak, listen to and more clear, consistant and to the point.

I would disaree with the opinion that Putin is trying to limit English. It's compulsory in public schools and private English schools are eveywhere.

[DaveNY]

I would disaree with the opinion that Putin is trying to limit English. It's compulsory in public schools and private English schools are eveywhere.

What I've been told by the expats teaching English and the Russian teachers of English is that Putin isn't increasing the teaching of English in Russian schools as many European countries have done since the '90s. Many native Russian teachers of English, even in Moscow, are far from fluent in English even if they have a graduate degree in English from a Russian university.

My wife's friend was a high school English teacher in Moscow. Her degree was from the Soviet era and her course notes were full of errors but she had a doctorate in English so she was assumed to be correct. My degree was only a Msc in Physics and a JD/MBA so I obviously wasn't an expert according to many Russians. I only taught English for 15 months before finding a better paying job.     

[Boethius]

I've had several Russians tell me they prefer American English because it's easiier to speak, listen to and more clear, consistant and to the point.

Given they are the same language, with the same grammatical rules, I don't follow this.

[Boethius]

New guy here. American married to a RW who was a high school teacher in Moscow. According to teachers in Moscow the reason British English is the standard is basically due to the cost of learning English.

When I was living in Moscow in 2000 a dept. chair from a high school (not my wife's) told me that the cost of sending a group of English teachers to America would be at least 5 times more expensive than sending the same group to the UK. Flights cost more even if only to the east coast. Accommodation and meals were more and the universities in the UK were far cheaper. In addition, many teachers wanted to visit the US but visas were more difficult to obtain and this was pre 9/11. Presumably this was always the case and still is.

Of course the Internet and American capitalism and culture has meant that American English is now common place even in Russia.

In Soviet times, 99.99% of foreign language students never traveled abroad.  The better half attended an English language school, as that was the school in his district.  This was before the collapse of the USSR, obviously.  They learned British English.  No one from his school ever traveled abroad before the collapse.  His cousin came from a commie family (alcoholic low life father a party official), and through connections, she got into university as a student of English.  She never traveled abroad, nor did any of her classmates.  I'd assume most English language students still don't travel abroad, although the reasoning makes sense for some schools.