Language

[XMan]

I'm sure this topic has been covered, and probably more than once.  But at the moment I'm too tired and / or lazy to search.

How many of you learned more than a few words of Russian / Ukrainian?

I have started, stopped, restarted, stopped, more times than I can count.  I have progressed.  But not to where I would like to be.  At this point when we are on Skype
she tries to speak to me in English mostly (thought limited), and I try to speak to her in Russian mostly (I think I actually speak it better than she speaks English at this point).  I know the equivalents of words such as "infinity," "crazy," "projects," "time," "airplane," various dairy products and other things, how to put some various short sentences together, and yet have no clue what "table," "scissors," "knife," and other common items are.  My grammar is poor, and I mix up tenses in particular, and don't understand how things like post offices or toilets or cars or concerts can be feminine or masculine, but whatever.  At least I have put some effort into it.  If I were a vampire I might be undead long enough to become proficient, but it seems somewhat unlikely otherwise. 

Granted, she needs to speak English far more than I need to speak Russian. 

Did you put effort into learning?

[die_cast]

(I think I actually speak it better than she speaks English at this point)

...
Granted, she needs to speak English far more than I need to speak Russian. 

Wow. 

[mendeleyev]

Xman, my language resources page begins with the one resource that no beginner should be without:



Beginners Russian” by Kudyma gives consistent lesson by lesson instruction, with correct pronunciation by native speakers. This includes a full interactive online workbook and exercises from UCLA.

To accompany the very user friendly text every exercise, every quiz, every dialogue, etc, is online for free.

Learning Russian for me has been highly beneficial.

[Ooooops]

Wow. 

Why "wow"?   Assuming that they will be living in English speaking country statement "she needs to speak English far more than I need to speak Russian" is very true.

[Ooooops]

Learning Russian for me has been highly beneficial.

You live in Russia, Mendy.      My husband knows may be 10 words in Russian and it never bothered us in almost 20 years that we are together.    [size=78%] [/size]

[die_cast]

Why "wow"?   Assuming that they will be living in English speaking country statement "she needs to speak English far more than I need to speak Russian" is very true.

Exactly. And her English is (even) worse than his Russian. Wow.

[SANDRO43]

and don't understand how things like post offices or toilets or cars or concerts can be feminine or masculine

Gender of words in English is rather straightforward and logical, M/F for humans depending on their sex and Neuter for everything else (with a few exceptions), so your puzzlement is quite understandable.

However, in many other languages gender is 'arbitrary' and depends on word endings - IIRC a rule of thumb for Russian is -consonant (Masculine), -A (Feminine), -OE (Neuter). IINM, German is even worse since its endings are not much of a help: I used to draw little diagrams like the attachment to aid my memory .

See http://www.russianwomendiscussion.com/mwiki/index.php/Declensions_of_Nouns,_Pronouns,_Adjectives in our RWDpedia for a table of Russian declensions .

[cc3]

I'm sure this topic has been covered, and probably more than once.  But at the moment I'm too tired and / or lazy to search.

How many of you learned more than a few words of Russian / Ukrainian?

I have started, stopped, restarted, stopped, more times than I can count.  I have progressed.  But not to where I would like to be.  At this point when we are on Skype
she tries to speak to me in English mostly (thought limited), and I try to speak to her in Russian mostly (I think I actually speak it better than she speaks English at this point).  I know the equivalents of words such as "infinity," "crazy," "projects," "time," "airplane," various dairy products and other things, how to put some various short sentences together, and yet have no clue what "table," "scissors," "knife," and other common items are.  My grammar is poor, and I mix up tenses in particular, and don't understand how things like post offices or toilets or cars or concerts can be feminine or masculine, but whatever.  At least I have put some effort into it.  If I were a vampire I might be undead long enough to become proficient, but it seems somewhat unlikely otherwise. 

Granted, she needs to speak English far more than I need to speak Russian. 

Did you put effort into learning?

I only have a few words in Russian/Ukrainian, picked up during 10 trips to Ukraine, the last eight to be with my English speaking fiancee. She is so anxious to improve her English (she is a private English tutor and a university level English student) that we have both agreed to wait until we live together in UA to work on my Russian/Ukrainian acquisition. Unlike most men on this forum, I am not seeking to import my partner to the west, so I know that I have a lot of work ahead of me, language-wise, as a Ukrainian resident.

If you are seeking a partner whom you wish to relocate to your part of the world, I wouldn't agonize too much over your progress with Russian. From your description, it seems like you are doing rather well so far.

[BillyB]

Did you put effort into learning?

No, but my wife speaks good English and there is no language barrier.
 
You two Skype but you may not be the best teacher for her. Have you thought of getting her some English lessons with a professional? The more she learns now, the easier it will be for her to adjust to a new culture while living with you. Some people don't like to study a new language but a little stress now is better than her stressing later when living with you.

[ML]

I am with Oooooops and die_cast.

You must decide where you are going to live, work, conduct business, etc.

It is really foolish for those who will live in an English speaking country to be spending valuable life time learning other languages.

One can visit every country in the world and find someone who can and will speak English.  This cannot be said for Russian, Ukrainian or probably any other language out  there.

All the talk about showing respect for your partner, learning the culture and bla, bla, bla is just so much hoooooeeeey.

The cultural, history, geography, etc., part can be learned about any area of the world . . . in English.

Yeah, yeah I understand the one little concept of being able to know what the relatives are saying when you visit back to FSU.  But the best solution to that is to . . . force the relatives to shape up, language wise.  Crack the whip.

I know 50 or so Russian words, have traveled to FSU dozens of times, conducted business meetings there for close to 15 years and met with over a hundred FSUW without a hint of problems.

English rules the world . . . and will . . . until Chinese takes over.

Skip learning Russian, Ukrainian, etc., but enroll your children in Chinese language classes and private lessons.

[Daveman]

...

Yeah, yeah I understand the one little concept of being able to know what the relatives are saying when you visit back to FSU.  But the best solution to that is to . . . force the relatives to shape up, language wise.  Crack the whip.

...

Bwahahahah!  Excellent Idea...   

[GQBlues]

...Did you put effort into learning?

A very few greeting phrases prior to my first trip. Beyond that 'zero'.
 
The reason being is, the chances of anyone in Los Angeles understanding my wife speaking Russian to everyone when she makes through her life here will be close to zero unless she isolates herself solely to the Russian-speaking community, which then would be really silly considering she already is surrounded by Russian-speaking folks in Russia. So, keeping that mind, if US folks won't understand her speaking Russian, chances are less they'll understand me. Realizing how stupid it really is for me to learn Russian under our circumstances, we decided to concentrate on her English instead.
 
What's so cool about this is, we are actually getting through life perfectly fine so far. Imagine that.

[Daveman]

... At least I have put some effort into it.  If I were a vampire I might be undead long enough to become proficient, but it seems somewhat unlikely otherwise. 

True, but easier to use your hypnotic power to seduce them, have your way, grab a quick bite and run.   

Granted, she needs to speak English far more than I need to speak Russian. 

Absolutely, unless you intend to spend significant time there.

Did you put effort into learning?

Significant, but not really over the top.  I enjoy(ed) learning a third language and I really wanted to give myself the freedom of moving about and interacting entirely on my own.  I accomplished that level of proficiency as well as very decent pronunciation, er, for the most part (I can tie knots in cherry stems all day/night, but still can't roll a damn 'r' and I feel certain that even being an undead wouldn't help much with that process.) 


Certainly I'm far from fluent and have neither the need nor the desire to be at this moment.  However, unlike some of the others, I don't consider the effort a waste in the least.  Put the effort into it if you're, well, into it..     

[Ooooops]

The cultural, history, geography, etc., part can be learned about any area of the world . . . in English.

Yep.


Although I don't see learning other language as a "time waisted".   Another thing is the assumption that having Russian speaking partner is enough for becoming proficient in Russian language is a false one, as most of the assumptions.   

[XMan]

Wow. 

?

Since she is coming to the USA, you don't think she needs to speak English more than I need to speak Russian??  Were I going there, it would be the reverse.

[XMan]

No, but my wife speaks good English and there is no language barrier.
 
You two Skype but you may not be the best teacher for her. Have you thought of getting her some English lessons with a professional? The more she learns now, the easier it will be for her to adjust to a new culture while living with you. Some people don't like to study a new language but a little stress now is better than her stressing later when living with you.

Indeed, doing that (when possible - work / child, of course) now.

[Ooooops]

Exactly. And her English is (even) worse than his Russian. Wow.

Not sure that I follow your logic...       

[XMan]

True, but easier to use your hypnotic power to seduce them, have your way, grab a quick bite and run.   



Absolutely, unless you intend to spend significant time there.


Significant, but not really over the top.  I enjoy(ed) learning a third language and I really wanted to give myself the freedom of moving about and interacting entirely on my own.  I accomplished that level of proficiency as well as very decent pronunciation, er, for the most part (I can tie knots in cherry stems all day/night, but still can't roll a damn 'r' and I feel certain that even being an undead wouldn't help much with that process.) 


Certainly I'm far from fluent and have neither the need nor the desire to be at this moment.  However, unlike some of the others, I don't consider the effort a waste in the least.  Put the effort into it if you're, well, into it.. 

Yes, I have improved over time and it has made it far easier when traveling / visiting, communicating with people on the street, in stores, etc.   

[XMan]

Not sure that I follow your logic...   

I think what she means is "unless you speak the other person's language fluently, and / or vice versa, you are doomed."  Guess time will tell.

[Ooooops]

I think what she means is "unless you speak the other person's language fluently, and / or vice versa, you are doomed."  Guess time will tell.

I tried to give new member some benefit of a doubt.      But you are correct, only time will tell.   

[Anotherkiwi]

Yes, I have improved over time and it has made it far easier when traveling / visiting, communicating with people on the street, in stores, etc.

That was my rationale as well.  I don't expect kiosk staff or toilet attendants to speak English, although it's nice if they do.  Considering that, on my second visit, I had most of five weeks with hardly any English-speaking contact, it was just as well that I speak a little bit of Russian (and could comfortably read the street signs when I got lost)!

[lonedrake]

I promised my wife that when I return to Ukraine in January I will double the number of Ukrainian words that I know.

Currently I know three words. da, nyet and babushka


I think my wife said "momma" is the same....so maybe four.

[Ooooops]

Currently I know three words. da, nyet and babushka

Why babushka???   

[lonedrake]

Why babushka??? 

 When I first joined this site I read a thread that was all about babushkas.

 It just stuck

[Boethius]

I promised my wife that when I return to Ukraine in January I will double the number of Ukrainian words that I know.

Currently I know three words. da, nyet and babushka


I think my wife said "momma" is the same....so maybe four.

To be pedantic, those are all Russian, not Ukrainian words.  The Ukrainian equivalents are "tak", "ni", and "baba" or as a diminutive, "babusya"