She does not speak English

[chivo]

Anything is possible, well except learning a language in 3 months .

The timelines given by VWRW and Misha are consistant with what I've experienced here with Russians learning English and my progression with Russian.

The best test of efficiency is to watch a movie in its original language. I know Russians who can communicate very well yet understand maybe half of what's said in a movie.

I have always used a timeline as it relates to a baby learning a new language. IOW after 3 years of learning Russian (basically on my own) I speak like a 3 year old, well a highly intellectual 3 year old . I understand much better than I speak because it's just an easier cognitive function and I still have problems with declination (cases) which is why I've focused on that lately. Most Russians understand my Russian but I make mistakes similar to the mistakes they make in English. I understand them just fine as well. But is that what we're talking about here? And how deep do you want your conversations to be?

How you speak to each other in any given language is also important (i.e. slower without inhaling words, no slang, idioms to a bare minimum, no humor that is strictly cultural, etc.).

When I first met my current lady she spoke English at an intermediate level and my Russian was almost nonexistent. We didn't talk much at first or if I did I always wondered how much she understood. It's better now because I can speak to her in Russian, but if the conversation goes deeper she'll speak English, or at least try to. You can certainly have fun watching movies together (with subtitles of course) teaching each other things once their or your level starts to go up.

I've tried to have relations with RW who spoke little or no English and it was just to much for all involved. Hats off to anyone who has had the patience to deal with that as it most definitely requires a tremendous amount of love (or horniness ). The frustration can be overbearing if you're a person who likes a certain amount of communication with your partner.

English occupies much of my time and yes, it has slowed my progress. My conversations with people bounce from Russian to English depending. With my lady it's about 50-50 as she wants to improve her English skills but would rather I learn Russian and communicate that way.

I'd say we're about a year away from having any serious discussion in Russian if I continue at my current pace of learning.

It can be done obviously as others have shown. If you want something bad(ly) enough (how's that for a little nuance ) chances are you'll succeed. So that's the $50,000 question. How bad do you want it?

[acctBill]

No, this is pretty standard. This is my wife's timeline so far:

Year 1: Introductory English at local immigrant centre
Year 2: Intermediate English
Year 3: Advance English + Upgrading English at continuing education
Year 4 and part of year 5: English 11 and 12 (i.e. high school academic English)
Year 6: (fingers crossed) will take first year university courses in English.

Oh, and for the past 2+ years she has been working and has to speak most of the day as she works with children...

My wife came to the UK to learn English and go to university.  She said she knew a little English from 6 months of classes in school in Moscow but it was totally different from anything she heard in London.  She took English classes in London for at least 20 hours a week, usually more.  It took her 2 years to learn English well enough to pass her English equivalency tests.

She said that what really improved her English language skills was speaking English out of class. She had girlfriends who didn't speak Russian and this was what enabled her to quickly progress from non speaker to being able to pass her English equivalency tests.   During my time in London I met many people who came to London to learn English and go to university.  Most of these people managed to master English in 2 or 3 years or less and were then able to pass the English equivalency tests and attend university. 

[possum]

Just wanted to point out that passing a test has nothing to do with a person's actual language skills.. I'm not just talking about the ability to speak it, either. Most of those tests are designed by colleges or universities to weed out applicants who clearly cannot take a class in English. That's all they're concerned about, so I wouldn't put much trust in a college test.. Of course, you can believe what you want.

[chivo]

My wife came to the UK to learn English and go to university.  She said she knew a little English from 6 months of classes in school in Moscow but it was totally different from anything she heard in London.  She took English classes in London for at least 20 hours a week, usually more.  It took her 2 years to learn English well enough to pass her English equivalency tests.

She was very determined to learn. Most however, will not spend 20 hours a week to learn.

In country with nothing else to do and living with a native, sure, but out of country living alone or with other Russians very rare, unless they're all attending English school together there.

I was wondering Bill, did she come to London to learn and live with you, or did you meet her in London? Just curious.

During my time in London I met many people who came to London to learn English and go to university.  Most of these people managed to master English in 2 or 3 years or less and were then able to pass the English equivalency tests and attend university. 

No doubt, but most that I know whom have done this were already at an acceptable level of English. While I'm sure exceptions are around, most don't move to London without a working level of English to begin with even though as you mentioned, it's a different sytle of English. "Rusglish" if you will, is what I call it . But they understand most grammar rules and can speak enough to do basic things.

She said that what really improved her English language skills was speaking English out of class. She had girlfriends who didn't speak Russian and this was what enabled her to quickly progress from non speaker to being able to pass her English equivalency tests.

Nothing beats talking to the natives. Nothing!!

Just as an example, at my current level of Russian, if I were to spend 20 hours a week studying Russian and change my life to only Russian sans English, I could probably master this language well enough to pass most tests in Russian within 2 years, maybe sooner. Certainly enough to get a citizenship.

[acctBill]

She was very determined to learn. Most however, will not spend 20 hours a week to learn.

In country with nothing else to do and living with a native, sure, but out of country living alone or with other Russians very rare, unless they're all attending English school together there.

I was wondering Bill, did she come to London to learn and live with you, or did you meet her in London? Just curious.
No doubt, but most that I know whom have done this were already at an acceptable level of English. While I'm sure exceptions are around, most don't move to London without a working level of English to begin with even though as you mentioned, it's a different sytle of English. "Rusglish" if you will, is what I call it . But they understand most grammar rules and can speak enough to do basic things.

My wife was sent to London by her parents on a scholarship given by the Russian government, in the early 1990s.   We didn't meet until several years later.  By then she was in university and working.  In the early and mid 1990s London had few Russians living there compared to today.  There were other Russians learning English but nothing like today when you can walk through a university or mall in London and hear Russian being spoken. 

As for the "Rusglish", I agree. When I first went to Russia on company business the company was told that there would be professional interpreters available to help translating between English and Russian.  The professional interpreters as it turned out were rubbish.  Most had never been out of Russia and most had not learned English from a native speaker.  They tried but after that the trips to the FSU included our own interpreters/translators.  This was the early/mid 1990s. 

[SANDRO43]

I've met well educated Russian translators who struggled with some of the "false cognates" our languages share.

They were lucky, had they been working Italian<->Spanish, they would have thrown the towel in despair . 

[Misha]

Most of these people managed to master English in 2 or 3 years or less and were then able to pass the English equivalency tests and attend university. 

By English equivalency test, I assume you mean an exam such as TOEFL? It should be noted that some of the English equivalency tests are harder than others. Nonetheless, from what I know, students can pass such tests and will still struggle for the first couple of years at university.  Again, learning a language takes time. I have yet to meet anybody who was able to go from zero to university-level fluency in two years.

[Gator]

When working in the UN for two years, I met a number of people from different countries whose English fluency varied from 3 to a 5 on a 1-5 scale.

Two of the most intriguing speakers were scientists, one from Poland and the other from Iran, and both would be rated at 2.5 on the 1-5 scale.  Their vocabulary was limited, yet their choice of short words was poetry, even with incorrect grammar.  Part of that is expressive personality, and  I suppose their intelligence was much higher than mine, even if it were not manifested in depth of vocabulary.

My RW's daughter knows more English than Mama, yet I find it easier to communicate with Mama.  That reflects differences in personality such as reticence,  facial expression, animation, and not giving a kaka if she is wrong.

[acctBill]

By English equivalency test, I assume you mean an exam such as TOEFL? It should be noted that some of the English equivalency tests are harder than others. Nonetheless, from what I know, students can pass such tests and will still struggle for the first couple of years at university.  Again, learning a language takes time. I have yet to meet anybody who was able to go from zero to university-level fluency in two years.

In the UK the tests are usually IELTS - International English Language Testing System and TOEFL - Test of English as a Foreign Language.  I don't know what test it was that my wife passed to get into university. The English language courses used to teach English are very organized and intense.  The courses tend to teach to the desired outcome.  Meaning that those students who are looking to go to business school will take slightly different courses near the end of the studies than those students who are going into sciences just because of the need for different terminology in the two areas. 

I did a graduate degree in accounting in the UK and met a number of students from eastern Europe and Asia who had come to the UK for their university studies.  They tended to be very dedicated to their studies and were willing to put in very long hours of study to learn English because they realized it was a ticket to a better life.  This was especially true of the students in grad school, they knew that a graduate degree from a UK university and the ability to speak English meant the possibility of a good job in their home country or more importantly a better life in Europe or America.   

[Billgreen54]

As far as meeting and building a relationship with a woman that doesn't speak English, it's all about two people with the desire to get to know each other.  Remember that language is just about half of our communication skills.  I know many couples that don't speak the same language and they do just fine because they have the right attitude.
Using an electronic translator is an essential part of getting past the rough spots.  A laptop or PC works as well if there is one nearby.
Larisa spoke very little English when we first met over four years ago.  With the right attitude and patience, we have done just fine.  Owning a language school doesn't hurt either.  Larisa has helped me teach many times over the past three years.  It's a fun experience for the students and a real treat for us as well.
For myself, teaching over 5,000 academic hours of English in Nikolaev has been the adventure of a lifetime.  For Larisa, she has just continued to speak and teach better day by day.
I can also tell you that while teaching students from all walks of life, we learn something new about people and daily life in Ukraine.  Most of our students agree that language difference is all about attitude and ones desire to build a relationship.  Honesty first, lot's of hard word after.

[Vincenzo]

Here is a good English test.
I've tried it on a few Russian women. Nobody could catch 100%.

[youtube=425,350]XSD9XF6S5BE[/youtube]

[acctBill]

Here is a good English test.
I've tried it on a few Russian women. Nobody could catch 100%.

[youtube=425,350]XSD9XF6S5BE[/youtube]

Makes me feel like I'm back in the UK.  He's quite understandable compared to many.  Some of the Scots, especially the poorly educated are almost incomprehensible. 

[The Natural]

Yeah, Alex Ferguson comes with subtitles here fortunately 

[Patagonie]

As far as meeting and building a relationship with a woman that doesn't speak English, it's all about two people with the desire to get to know each other.  Remember that language is just about half of our communication skills.  I know many couples that don't speak the same language and they do just fine because they have the right attitude.
Using an electronic translator is an essential part of getting past the rough spots.  A laptop or PC works as well if there is one nearby.
Larisa spoke very little English when we first met over four years ago.  With the right attitude and patience, we have done just fine.  Owning a language school doesn't hurt either.  Larisa has helped me teach many times over the past three years.  It's a fun experience for the students and a real treat for us as well.
For myself, teaching over 5,000 academic hours of English in Nikolaev has been the adventure of a lifetime.  For Larisa, she has just continued to speak and teach better day by day.
I can also tell you that while teaching students from all walks of life, we learn something new about people and daily life in Ukraine.  Most of our students agree that language difference is all about attitude and ones desire to build a relationship.  Honesty first, lot's of hard word after.

In fact communication is exactly 6% of meaning 34 % of voice intonation and the rest in body language. So really i agree with you.

[vwrw]

My wife was sent to London by her parents on a scholarship given by the Russian government, in the early 1990s. 

Don't you have to know English  well to apply for  the government scholarship in Russia? According to my knowledge,knowing English well would be a prerequisite for the application.

My timeline was for a person who  did not learn English in school and started with zero knowledge of it while being an adult. People who studied  English in school speak it well and can pass University admission exam after about a year of living and studying in a English speaking country.

[Misha]

My timeline was for a person who  did not learn English in school and started with zero knowledge of it while being an adult. People who studied  English in school speak it well and can pass University admission exam after about a year of living and studying in a English speaking country.

I agree. If a person studied at least the basics when they were a child, it will be much easier (and faster) to gain fluency as a young adult.

[acctBill]

Don't you have to know English  well to apply for  the government scholarship in Russia? According to my knowledge,knowing English well would be a prerequisite for the application.

My timeline was for a person who  did not learn English in school and started with zero knowledge of it while being an adult. People who studied  English in school speak it well and can pass University admission exam after about a year of living and studying in a English speaking country.

This was after the breakup of the USSR and the coup attempt.  The scholarship was to learn English. She had some minimal English language training but she said that what she learned in Moscow really didn't help her much with life in London in the early 1990's.  Her parents had ulterior motives, they wanted her out of the country and safe. Her father worked for the Moscow government and according to my inlaws, at the time it wasn't uncommon for government officials with some influence to send their children out of the country to safety using educational scholarships and other means.

When I was in Russia in the early/mid 1990's I really didn't think the Russian English/Russian interpreters were very good.  They were OK with common, simple English but business terminology, at least the western version was beyond most of their abilities. On later business trips my company brought their own interpreters.  On several occasions this turned out to be quite amusing.  We would have our interpreter speaking to their interpreter who would then confer with the Russian businessmen, and then the process would reverse.  IMHO it really wasn't until the late1990's that some Russian interpreters were good enough to begin to compete with the western interpreters.