Thread: Are native Russian speakers 'language snobs' or tolerant?

Originally Posted by Hanna

--How often do you meet foreigners who do not speak good Russian?

Often, but mostly from ex-USSR. Others include Chinese and sometimes negros (if you see a negro, most likely he speaks bad Russian

Originally Posted by Hanna

--Do you know any foreigners who have learnt Russian and can speak it well?

Yes, there are such examples.

Originally Posted by Hanna

--What would you think if you worked with someone who was not Russian and made lots of mistakes when he spoke and wrote in Russian?

Usually the Caucasus accent is perceived very negatively. Peoples from the Caucasus have very heavy accent and never can get rid of it,
even if they lived in Russia for a long time. For example, Stalin spoke with a very heavy accent although he spent most of his life in Russia.

Originally Posted by Hanna

--Can Baltic people usually speak good Russian or not? I have noticed that they always mention "native fluency in Russian" on their CV/Resume.

15 years ago most of them did. I do not know how it is now, but they generally have very light accent that disappears as the speaker progresses.

Originally Posted by Hanna

--What about the Central Asian people who work in Russia - what are their Russian skills generally like?

It depends. Kyrgiz and Kazakh people usually speak better Russian; Uzbeks, Turkmens, Tajiks usually speak worse.

Originally Posted by Hanna

--What about Westerners - how often do you meet somebody who can actually speak Russian well?

Rarely.

Originally Posted by Hanna

--Are there any nationalities (not ex Soviet) who always impress you with their skills in Russian?

No

Originally Posted by Hanna

--What foreign accents sound good/bad/cool....?

As I already said the worst accent is usually that of Caucasians, especially of South Caucasians. This is not comparable with anything.