Quote Originally Posted by tdk2fe
I think the situation really depends on the reason your learning russian.
tdk
I agree with this quote. With me...I'm an American who has opportunity to meet and speak with native Russians (Belarussians, Ukrainians, Georgians, etc.) all the time. Speaking to be understood and listening to be able to understand is of the highest priority. Reading and writing, though and important, are a distant second for me at this stage.