This is to find out how native Russian speakers feel about people who speak Russian as a foreign language.

In Europe there is a varying degree of "language snobbery" depending on where you are.. A quick run-down:

England is a very tolerant place -- people don't care if somebody has a foreign accent, or even if he makes lots of mistakes when he speaks.

In Germany I have noticed that the expectations of speaking good German are generally much higher. I don't think you could get a good job in Germany unless you could speak good German.

In Sweden too, people are not always sympathetic towards those who use bad grammar or have a strong foreign accent. However this does not apply to people from Northern Europe; Germans, British, Polish, Baltic - since the general view of these nationalities is positive.

I have noticed that French people in Paris get irritated if you cannot express quickly and clearly what you want in French. They sometimes prefer not to speak English either. However I think they are quite tolerant with minor mistakes.

Spain - they are super-nice about bad language and are happy to help people who speak bad Spanish.


But I don't know what the situation is in Russia, Ukraine etc!
I am curious of course, since I am studying Russian. Are people going to laugh at me or ignore me?

--How often do you meet foreigners who do not speak good Russian?
--Is the situation different in countries like Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan?
--Do you know any foreigners who have learnt Russian and can speak it well?
--Do you think that the situation with Russian-as-a-foreign-language has changed since the Soviet era? If so, how?
--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?
--Can Baltic people usually speak good Russian or not? I have noticed that they always mention "native fluency in Russian" on their CV/Resume.
--What about the Central Asian people who work in Russia - what are their Russian skills generally like?
--What about Westerners - how often do you meet somebody who can actually speak Russian well?
--Are there any nationalities (not ex Soviet) who always impress you with their skills in Russian?
--What foreign accents sound good/bad/cool....?

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Random funny person speaking Russian: A female medical student from Asia..
What would you think of her efforts? She has spent five years in Russia.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7AEUfE7YIsU

Funny clip about Russian lessons for Russians... (it's so hard that not even natives can speak it!)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6nwovxKeMbY