Thread: Some facts about the Russian language!!!

Usefulness

Russians are not very keen on foreign languages. Those who are often speak extremely the language they studied, but most Russians only understand Russian. They know theirs is a hard language and do not expect you to speak it. This means that even modest efforts to communicate in Russian will be welcomed with enthusiasm and unlimited forgiveness for whatever mistakes you might make. This attitude applies to Russians in their country but also when they are travelling.

If you travel to Russia, I strongly encourage you learn as much Russian as you can. Even a small number of words will prove extremely useful unless you wish to be remain in your hotel or gesture like a pantomine whenever you want something.

Doing business in Russia or with Russians abroad is greatly helped if you speak their language. You do not have to be Russian to benefit from increased trust and better contact through your knowledge of the language. Quite the opposite, Russians usually will trust more a foreigner than a fellow Russian! And if they can speak only Russian, they will rather deal with you than somebody else that they could address only through an interpreter.

Chic factor

Speaking Russian fluently is as chic as can be, especially in Western Europe. Russian has the reputation of being very hard (see below) and used to be a subversive language, spoken by revolutionaries and exiled noblemen. Many people in the West do not understand how Russia used to function, and have no clue how it works today. People who speak Russian tend to become clouded with an aura of shade and mystery. If you doubt that speaking Russian is chic, try yelling orders in your cellphone in a restaurant.

Travel

You can travel to a wide variety of countries on Russian, and get whatever type of landscape you want : desert, permafrost, sea resort, huge cities, etc... Russian is a very useful language to speak when visiting former soviet republics as very few people speak any Western languages. An added advantage is that very few tourists from outside the region care to visit Russia and its former empire. As a visitor, you really get the country for yourself. Locals are usually proud of the interest you show in their country and generally very friendly. This is in sharp contrast to heavily visited destinations such as France, New York, Venice or London, where even if you have doctorate degree in the local language as a tourist you will be still be treated as a lemon to be squeezed.
Culture

If you do not live or travel regularly to Russia nor have a Russian girlfriend, you need to make sure you can practice your Russian otherwise.

This is easy with Russian! There is a wealth& of books and DVDs waiting for you, and many are accessible from the internet or even at local Russian shops if you live close to a Russian expatriate destination.

The ressources available on the Internet in Russian are incredibly rich. You can find millions of high-quality newspaper article, commercial website, download Russian music, etc...

You can spend hours reading about local news, or strange faits divers that happened in remote places in Russia from your web browser.

And if you travel to Russia, you can buy truckloads of CD-ROMS, DVDs and books for pennies in the many open-air markets in large cities.

http://how-to-learn-any-language.com/e/ ... index.html ...

Yep! Already seen this before.

Why would you copy and paste from somebody else's website?

question for the Russians,

is all that stuff true?

Originally Posted by Rasputin

question for the Russians,

is all that stuff true?

Yes. All of it. 100%.

It's a saint truth!
And also there are many white bears in the middle of the Moscow.

funny stuff... To add some more truth to this post, here are some facts about where I come from (Iowa) These are old laws that just never got removed (I think a couple did, they are marked as "repealed'....

Tanning bed facilities must warn of the risk of getting a sunburn.

A board was created to regulate among other things, hearing aids. It includes two appointees by the governor who are supposed to represent the general public.

Ministers must obtain a permit to carry their liquor across state lines. (Repealed)

Doctors who treat a person with gonorrhea must report this to the local board of health and include the disease's "probable origin". (Repealed)


All boxes used to pick hops must be exactly 36 inches long. (Repealed)

It is a violation of the law to sell or distribute illegal drugs or narcotics without having first obtained the appropriate Iowa drug tax stamp.

A man with a moustache may never kiss a woman in public.

One-armed piano players must perform for free.

Kisses may last for no more than five minutes.

Liquor stores may not place advertisements for beer outside the store. No reference is made to any other type of alcoholic beverage however. (Bettendorf)

Any hotel in the city limits must have a water bucket and a hitching post in front of the building. (Dubuque)

The fire department is required to practice fire fighting for fifteen minutes before attending a fire. (Fort Madison)

The "Ice Cream Man" and his truck are banned. (Indianola)

Horses are forbidden to eat fire hydrants. (Marshalltown)

One must obtain written permission from the City Council before throwing bricks into a highway. (Mount Vernon)

No person may pick a flower from a city park. (Mount Vernon)

All softball diamond lights must be turned off by 10:30 PM. (Mount Vernon)

Within the city limits, a man may not wink at any woman he does not know. (Ottumwa)

Since my husband has a moustache, we are probably not going to visit Iowa .

Minnesota

The land of 10,000 lakes declares mosquitoes a public nuisance.

It is illegal to stand around any building without a good reason to be there.

A person may not cross state lines with a duck atop his head.
It is illegal to sleep naked.

All men driving motorcycles must wear shirts.

Citizens may not enter Wisconsin with a chicken on their head.
Oral sex is prohibited. (Repealed)

All bathtubs must have feet.

Residents of even numbered addresses may not water their plants on odd-numbered days excluding the thirty first day where it applies. (Cottage Grove)

It shall be the duty of any policeman or any other officer to enforce the provisions of this Section, and if any cat is found running at large, or which is found in any street, alley or public place, it shall be the duty of any policeman or other officer of the city to kill such cat. (Hibbing)

Red cars may not drive down Lake Street. (Minneapolis)

Driving a truck with dirty tires is considered a public nuisance. (Minnetonka)

Placing tacks on a sidewalk is considered a public nuisance. (Minnetonka)

Any person who persuades another to enter a massage therapist business after 11:00 PM is guilty of a misdemeanor. (Minnetonka)

Hamburgers may not be eaten on Sundays. (St. Cloud)

You're not allowed to park your elephant on Main Street. (Virginia)

poor one-armed piano-players