Thread: May I know...please.

Hello,

I am one of the person who are learning Russian,
I have a friend who visited Russia and she told me...
Russian don't want to speak English with foreigner...
Then why do you learn English?
She said in airport also no one like to speak English with her.
Lucky she understand little of Russian.

World is strange!!

Originally Posted by Tyrant

Hello,

I am one of the person who are learning Russian,
I have a friend who visited Russia and she told me...
Russian don't want to speak English with foreigner...
Then why do you learn English?
She said in airport also no one like to speak English with her.
Lucky she understand little of Russian.

World is strange!!

Odd. When I went over there to improve my Russian, it was hard to get people to speak Russian with me because so many people were so eager to practice their English with me. A lot of the times it worked out in this odd way where I would be speaking Russian to them, and they would be responding to me in English. (I'll never forget the guy who was giving me walking directions and insisted on giving them in English, and he told me to go "left" at a certain street when, as it turned out, I needed to go right!)

Perhaps, Tyrant met Russians who didn`t speak English and ZXC usually met people who wanted to practice their English with him. IMHO, only 5% of Russians have good English language skills.

The majority probably can't hold a conversation in English.
That's why, not because they are rude. I found that people were incredibly helpful despite the fact that my standard of Russian is apalling. I just had to get started explaining what I wanted in Russian, and regular people went out of their way to help me (with the exception of a few officials.)

It is not a wise move to travel off the beaten track in a country where people generally do not speak a language that you can speak, or if you are not with somebody who speaks the language. I think the ex USSR falls into that category. I travelled to Russian speaking countries with quite bad skills ON PURPOSE, so that I'd be forced to speak Russian --- I am too lazy and embarrassed to do it unless I am am forced, same with all langauges, which is why I am rubbish at languages....

If you cannot make yourself understood, anywhere in the world, and you need to resort to English, then the best approach is, if you must ask a stranger, try for people who look like they are university students or young business professionals. In worst case scenario, go for a "high school" age person. Works in most countries.