First things First

[Tagger585]

Well,  I have been trying to organize my life to put a trip to Russia together for some time now.  I think that there may be an opportunity to meet a life partner from Russia.  I have been married once and it was for 19 years.  I guess the most important thing I learned from this relationship is the importance for clear communication......  which leads me to my dilemma.  I feel that I need to learn the Russian language for this to be successful...  How do you really get to know someone well enough to make a life time decision when you cannot adequately communicate what is in your mind and in your heart?   I figure it would take me a year or more to take classes to learn to communicate in Russian.  Or... my second choice is this...  Since I live in a 4 bedroom 4 bath home up in Bailey colorado, I could provide free room and board to someone who would be willing to come up here and teach me to speak Russian.   I have highspeed internet, hottub, dish network, shop space, , an extra garage and a full gym up here.  My guest will have private bedroom and bathroom, but would share rest of house.  OF COURSE>>>  I am open to option 3 if anyone has one for me.....

 So,, If anyone knows a fluent russian speaking person that would like to have a great place to stay,, please let me know.. OR>>>  if anyone has a third idea of how I can learn Russian in a short amount of time..... Please let me know.... I have over $500.00 in Russian books that are as useless as airbrakes on a turtle if you don't know how to pronounce the words.

Thanks,

Doug

[BC]

Best way to learn a language is total immersion.

If you have the time, set yourself up with an internationaly accredited university in Russia.

About 30+ % of really 'knowing' a foreign language is understanding the mentality of the people speaking it imho..

Who knows.. maybe you will meet an interesting woman along the way.. 

[Rvrwind]

I work for a company here in Tver that specializes in teaching Russian to foriegners. They can have you speaking close to fluent Russian in 6 months, I have seen it done. 3 months & you will have basic communication+ if your a quick study & serious about puttin' in an effort. I won't quote no prices but I can hook you up with the rght folks if you are really serious.

Plus I can hook you up with some fine ladies during your free time!!!:)

RVR-Canadian Cowboy/Agency Owner

[Tagger585]

Thank you for the information, however, I think I will have to learn Russian here in the Denver area.  I don't think I can take 6 months off from my businesses.  I would like to,...  but can't leave them right now.  We are just coming into our really busy months.

Doug

[catzenmouse]

Doug,

 Have you tried any of the CD or PC learning programs? I've used "Learn in Your Car" and "Pimsleur" with some success. There are plenty of different programs out there. "Rosetta Stone" is another one that I have heard some good things about.

Ken

[Tagger585]

Hey Ken,

Yup,, tried the tapes... liked to rear-ended someone twice.. ran off the road once..  The world is a safer place if I don't do anything but drive...

Other problem is my personality.  I tend to move from one subject or project to another  really fast.. most often times when the first subject or task has not yet been completed.  I think someone with a short stick and some determination may be the only way to keep me on track long enough to make it through a lesson...   I think it is called AADD.. I'm up for being the poster boy for that... If I stay focused, I have no problem with learning or retention..   Key there is  "If I stay focused". 

As far as the tapes at home,, by the second or third phrase, I am already wondering how they made the recording, who was in the studio, how long it took, why does the guy pronounce the same words differently than the girl, did they know each other before making the tape...  well.. I think you get my point.

Looks like driving down to a college in Denver may be by only hope...but it will sure take a long time.

Thanks,

Doug

[Ste]

Why bother?

You'll never know enough Russian to think in Russian unless you live there and really take it onboard and make it a lifes work. To think in her language is the only way you could communicate on the basis you want.

Best bet would be to look for someone who speaks fluent English, English is more prevalent in FSU than Russian is in the West, media, music, movies etc, English is already more embedded into their subconscious minds than Russian can ever be to us.

I'm a quick learner and study Russian quite a bit without being silly about it and I'm nothing like any good and I've been at it for the two or three years we've known each other.

Not perfect but the best there is! Any relationship with a language difference is going to compromise communication so you just have to make the best of it and  make more effort to understand in other ways.

All IMHO of course...

Good luck!

Ste

[catzenmouse]

Doug,

 How about putting an ad in the local newspapers/internet for a Russian tutor? Maybe even the Denver paper. This could possibly even be done on the phone. Just some thoughts anyway.

Ken

[Tagger585]

Hey Ste,

Thanks for the reply..  My thoughts are that we will never be perfect at anything or understand anything completely, but making the effort to become better than I am now is something I would like to do.... if not for a future partner... at least for myself...

Best Wishes,

Doug

[Elen]

Would npt m

I work for a company here in Tver that specializes in teaching Russian to foriegners. They can have you speaking close to fluent Russian in 6 months, I have seen it done. 3 months & you will have basic communication+ if your a quick study & serious about puttin' in an effort. I won't quote no prices but I can hook you up with the rght folks if you are really serious.

Plus I can hook you up with some fine ladies during your free time!!!:)

RVR-Canadian Cowboy/Agency Owner

  I wonder only why do you yourself don't speak Russian yet  ( or do you ? )

[BillyB]

[user=98]Tagger585[/user] wrote:

Since I live in a 4 bedroom 4 bath home up in Bailey colorado, I could provide free room and board to someone who would be willing to come up here and teach me to speak Russian.   I have highspeed internet, hottub, dish network, shop space, , an extra garage and a full gym up here.  My guest will have private bedroom and bathroom, but would share rest of house. 
Doug

 

Doug, Do you cook? I've got my stuff packed and headed to your place as I type this. That's right, I'm moving in! I'll be bringing all my dogs and my pet hamster Liberace. I dropped 20 lbs of dumbell on him a month ago and he doesn't walk straight anymore. But he's as cute as he is flat. I'll probably last no more than a week before you kick me out since you'll find out I speak little Russian. One thing I did learn from watching Russian people speak is that they don't move their jaw much when speaking. I've repeated words spoken to me and people have remarked I pronouce words very well and sometimes with no accent. My problem is that I can't rememeber anything. You could also try searching for women fluent in English which would be easier than learning a whole new language.

[KenC]

Doug,

Why don't you seriously consider what Ste wrote?  There are so many RW that speak at least passable English, why bother to learn Russian?  At least why procrastinate your trip because of it?  If you want to learn Russian, you can always inlist the aide of your Honey and learn it after the fact.  My wife was rather fluent in English when we met and is now correcting my English and spelling.  When I asked her if she wanted me to learn Russian, she replied, "Why bother?  We are not going to live in Russia."

I would think that your time would be better spent searching for the right woman and making a few trips.  Don't be like some of our resident "experts" that know everything there is to know about RW but have never traveled there yet.  Please believe me when I say that one trip to Russia is worth more than a million words read on the subject.  Get your butt over there and check it out!

KenC

[ConnerVT]

  I wonder only why do you yourself don't speak Russian yet ( or do you ? )

I was waiting for someone to ask that (I just knew it would be Elen).

Perhaps he is just one of those "lazy" and not clever people that Andrew keeps writing about... 

(j/k Rvr -- You know we love ya!   )

[tim 360]

"....don't move their jaw much"....that was priceless Billy and so true.  Especially with a bunch of babushkas gossiping,  its like machine gun fire and maybe you snatch every 7th word.  

Doug?  Perhaps before immersing youself in Russian which can be mucho work and time and you have your biz,  you might want to buy some Pimsleur CD's and learn a little.  Take a little step so you have some basics.  Then look for some girls who know fairly good English and give it a go. 

Then again,  Billys offer was pretty good and he is on the way.   Good luck,  Tim

[Turboguy]

Well, let me see, I have been trying to learn Russian for 10 years with about every course and tape set you can buy and at the rate I am going I should be fluent for my 150th birthday.  If I would have waited that long to go what age difference should I be looking at.  I probably could never find a 140 year old.  Should I go for 70 years difference or less?

I would say that 90% of the guys who go there looking for a wife can't speak much more than a few words of Russian.  Learn yes,  no and thank you and get yourself over there.  It is a great experience.   Maybe go on one of Jacks tours and have some assistance when you need it.

[Jooky]

I agree with Ken. The first step should be actually going to Russia and seeing what it's like. Have you been there yet? You might love it, you might hate it. Maybe a Russian woman is not for you.

Actually the first step is asking yourself the question "Why a Russian woman"?

If you seek primarily someone who you can clearly communicate with, a foreign land where women come from a different culture and speak a different native language isn't exactly the best place to start. ;-)

[Rvrwind]

  I wonder only why do you yourself don't speak Russian yet ( or do you ? )

A legitimate question Elen I & will endeavour to explain.

I do know enough to get around on my own, shop on my own & travel without an interpreter. I cannot however carry on a conversation to any passable length. I can count to 100 & can read very slowly & I understand a great deal. I just cannot pronounce many of the words correctly & sometimes it causes some embarrasment. Like when my wife splits a gut laughing because I mispronounced a word  that should have been a niceword & made it sound like a very not so nice word.

The problem is that although I work for this same company I work in a different department. I am able to recieve free lessons which I would dearly love to partake of. What the problem is, is they give the lessons in the morning. My job requires that I work all night, that doesn't leave me exactly bright eyed & bushytailed to walk into a classroom & stay awake long enough to learn anything. Now if it were possible to sleep learn, I'd be a shoein, unfortuntely I don't think that would work to well.

Even having lived here for almost three years, without a structured learning base it is impossible to learn the language correctly.

RVR-Canadian Cowboy/Agency Owner

[PeeWee]

  I wonder only why do you yourself don't speak Russian yet ( or do you ? )

A legitimate question Elen I & will endeavour to explain.

I do know enough to get around on my own, shop on my own & travel without an interpreter. I cannot however carry on a conversation to any passable length. I can count to 100 & can read very slowly & I understand a great deal. I just cannot pronounce many of the words correctly & sometimes it causes some embarrasment. Like when my wife splits a gut laughing because I mispronounced a word  that should have been a niceword & made it sound like a very not so nice word.

The problem is that although I work for this same company I work in a different department. I am able to recieve free lessons which I would dearly love to partake of. What the problem is, is they give the lessons in the morning. My job requires that I work all night, that doesn't leave me exactly bright eyed & bushytailed to walk into a classroom & stay awake long enough to learn anything. Now if it were possible to sleep learn, I'd be a shoein, unfortuntely I don't think that would work to well.

Even having lived here for almost three years, without a structured learning base it is impossible to learn the language correctly.

RVR-Canadian Cowboy/Agency Owner
[/quote]

Doug, why not use your time an learn Spanish? In the meantime find a RW that speaks English. I have had much luck finding RW that speak good English. Why make this any harder than it already is. Every challenge that you add makes it more difficult. No English, no phone, only access to email from Internet cafe, lives in a remote area or Russia, etc, etc...add all of that up and more and you have a high degree of difficulty. How much easier would it be to find a woman that lives in a large easy to ge to city, has a phone, has a computer, speaks good English, has no kids. Or rather than have you learn Russian have her learn English. What good is your Russian going to do you living in the US and married to a RW who needs to speak English if she hopes to survive in the US?

I have traveled all over the world for years. Had I thought like you and decided to learn the language spoken in every country that I planned to visit by now I would speak more languages than C3PO. Further, let's say you finally master Russian and off you go to Russia but on the way, as you transit via Copenhagen, you meet a hot Danish lady. Now do you have to learn another language because you decided to bag the lady in Russia and pursue the hot Danish babe? It could happen!

For a while I was flying in and out of Copenhagen almost daily to the point that I got to know one of the SAS ground hostesses pretty well. She was hot too. Every time I stopped at the counter that she worked at to flirt with her. Finally one day she came out from behind the counter. I will never forget it. Great legs...she was wearing hose but she did not shave her legs and the black hairs were all plastered down and yucky. That did it for me. I could not handle it. But I never have forgotten her.

Peewee

[Albert]

Like PeeWee, I have traveled on business to dozens of countries.  It would have been silly for me to try to learn any one of the languages.  And a big waste of time also since all the business people I deal with in the various countries speak English to one degree or another.  A few times some of them have suggested that I hire an interpreter to converse in their language.  I told them . . . . No, I will speak in English so you hire the interpreter.  They need me a lot more than I need them, so I have no problems.

Pretty much the same goes for the gals I meet in these countries.  English is the language of the world.  Most of the gals that have anything on the ball will know some English.  If they don't, then we don't meet.

Even if I were to live full time in FSU, I probably won't learn much of the language.  I have mentioned to a few gals that I might learn Russian or Ukrainian if I come to live with them.  Each said basically the same thing.  "No you won't!   I want to get better and better at English.  So we will always speak English."

[PeeWee]

Like PeeWee, I have traveled on business to dozens of countries.  It would have been silly for me to try to learn any one of the languages.  And a big waste of time also since all the business people I deal with in the various countries speak English to one degree or another.  A few times some of them have suggested that I hire an interpreter to converse in their language.  I told them . . . . No, I will speak in English so you hire the interpreter.  They need me a lot more than I need them, so I have no problems.

Pretty much the same goes for the gals I meet in these countries.  English is the language of the world.  Most of the gals that have anything on the ball will know some English.  If they don't, then we don't meet.

Even if I were to live full time in FSU, I probably won't learn much of the language.  I have mentioned to a few gals that I might learn Russian or Ukrainian if I come to live with them.  Each said basically the same thing.  "No you won't!   I want to get better and better at English.  So we will always speak English."

The more I think about this it seems to me that it is she that needs to learn your language not the other way around. I do want to learn Russian but my plan is to have my Russian wife teach it to me. I will help her with her English when she arrives and then when we have time for it I do want to learn to speak Russian so I will know when she is plotting against me.

Peewee

[Turboguy]

I still think it is good to try and learn a little Russian.  It can come in handy.  The gals I have met seem to get a real kick out of it when I say something in Russian.  Actually they probably want to bust thier gut laughing because it is so bad.

I have always had a little hestiation in trying my Russian, which I am starting to loose.  I can remember walking around N. Novgorod with my former fiance and I had not used my russian much other than a few simple words like Spasiba.   She told me one building was for children and I was trying to ask her in English if it was a school or orphanage.   She could not understand me and about fell over when I gave up and asked her in Russian.

 

[Rvrwind]

To learn basic Russian so you can navigate on your own, haggle with cab drivers, buy groceries & order beer at the Disco is all you really need. To try & grasp conversational Russian is really beyond most non Russians. Basic words & some polite grammer & that is all you really need to get by on your own.

But really trying to learn the language for most of us would be a distinct waste of time. Because even with your accent half the people you talk to won't understand you anyway. I never thought I had an accent till I moved to Russia & got told I do!!!:shock:

RVR-Canadian Cowboy/Agency Owner

[PeeWee]

To learn basic Russian so you can navigate on your own, haggle with cab drivers, buy groceries & order beer at the Disco is all you really need. To try & grasp conversational Russian is really beyond most non Russians. Basic words & some polite grammer & that is all you really need to get by on your own.

But really trying to learn the language for most of us would be a distinct waste of time. Because even with your accent half the people you talk to won't understand you anyway. I never thought I had an accent till I moved to Russia & got told I do!!!:shock:

RVR-Canadian Cowboy/Agency Owner

I can speak only a little Russian. The other day Lena told me that I have a Polish accent when I attempt to speak the language. LOL! Without even trying I some how managed to get a Polish spin on my Russian speaking. I can't even speak English with a Polish accent. This is good.

Peeweeski

[jb]

This is really funny.  My languages are so screwed up.

Most of you men know how sexy a Russian woman's voice speaking English sounds to our ear, not long ago I was told by several Russian women (at a party) that when I speak Russian it has the same effect on them.  They think it's cute when I habitually get the emphasis on the wrong syllable.  I always wondered why the ladies would single me out for conversation over cocktails and then insist we speak Russian.

I was also told in South America that I speak Spanish with a German accent, gawddamn! next some one will confuse me with a New Yorker.

[catzenmouse]

I never thought I had an accent till I moved to Russia & got told I do!!!:shock:

RVR-Canadian Cowboy/Agency Owner

An accent eh? You hoser you!?! Take off! KooWooKooKooKooKooKooKooo....

Ken