Thread: Getting rid of the pseudo-Russian slang here

When I read "pseudo-Russian" I thought this was about learners making fools of themselves using slang words they don't master...

Slang is always an addition to any language. It is not poorer. It's not as if speakers of slang are unable to understand the standard language, even if they don't comfortably use it. But actually they do use it if the need arises.

I think if a native speaker explains or uses slang terms, then he or she should simply clarify that they might be fit only for certain purposes. I am in practically daily correspondence with several native speakers of Russian, and most of them, if slang or colloquial terms arise, say "don't say that in front of your boss" or "you wouldn't say that in the presence of minors or women". And clearly the opinions about individual words differ. For example, one lady correspondent happily used "покеда" to say bye bye, while another said "that's a bad slang word from a criminal context, don't use it". Both, by the way, being language teachers.

I have picked up colloquial terms from Russian and even Ukrainian, and from (classical) literature as a learner you may easily pick up outdated terms, too. As a learner you may be unable to assess the value of an expression (little use in using дякую instead of спасибо if the correspondent isn't Ukrainian), but it is still necessary to acknowledge the fact that different levels of speech exist in any language and to come to terms with them.

Subcultures will always have their specific terms and expressions, and learners won't always come into contact only with mainstream culture. Heck, maybe they even want to come into contact with specific subcultures! And it even extends to pronunciation. I mean, which textbook prepares you for що instead of что? There really is no use in concentrating only on standard literary language. It is the common denominator on which to base one's studies, but sooner or later one has to progress to non-standard variants. It is up to native speakers helping us learners to mark specific variants as such, and that should be all. Separate sections do not help because the learner doesn't know what goes where in the first place.

Originally Posted by bitpicker

I mean, which textbook prepares you for що instead of что? There really is no use in concentrating only on standard literary language. It is the common denominator on which to base one's studies, but sooner or later one has to progress to non-standard variants. It is up to native speakers helping us learners to mark specific variants as such, and that should be all.

"Що" is specifically Ukrainian (literary!!!) variant, Russians would use "чё?" or "шо?" instead (and this would be humorous, informal variant). It is also usefyl to know "ща" (сейчас --> щас --> ща). I cannot imagine a textbook teaching foreign learners different layers of the language. Probably, you should consider it OK to use any generic informal expression in conversation, and avoid all of them in formal writing. I guess, having graduated from a faculty of physics, I have little difficulty writing a formal, scientific-looking text. Yet some people, and I mean native speakers, cannot do it reliably and sound hilarious when they try. Formal language is a sort of a slang itself: there are certain expressions and structures that you are expected to follow. Mess them up - and you sound bad.

Originally Posted by Shady_arc

"Що" is specifically Ukrainian (literary!!!) variant, Russians would use "чё?" or "шо?" instead (and this would be humorous, informal variant).

Yes, but don't expect me to hear any difference between "що" and "шо"... I am hard-pressed to actually discern that difference just about anywhere in real life. Sure, if a Russian expressly wanted to show me the difference and spoke extremely clearly, then yes, its ok, but in real life it's all the same to me...

The trouble with formal writing is that it is needed so very rarely. And yes, there actually are textbooks on slang and whatnot, but apparently only in English. On my native German market there is little in that regard. I have two English books on Russian grammar which deal exclusively with particles like же and with elision respectively.