Thread: Hello Everyone!

Rockzmom, why are you discouraging people? Chaika usually writes well in Russian, mistakes come from lack of exposure. There is always something left in a language. For example I'm not sure about the usage of the English Perfect aspect.

Originally Posted by Marcus

Rockzmom, why are you discouraging people? Chaika usually writes well in Russian, mistakes come from lack of exposure. There is always something left in a language. For example I'm not sure about the usage of the English Perfect aspect.

Marcus,

Thank you for posting your question/comment. I was in no way trying to discourage ANYONE... and I believe from Bryan's reply he understood that. It was more of a reality check.

Let me try to explain. Americans have this idea that we can do anything we put our minds to and can do it bigger, stronger, faster. Hmm... there is a great book Rising Sun by Michael Crichton and in it one of the character's explains this difference in thinking:

Theresa immediately took a screwdriver and removed the top. She bent over the innards. I saw a green circuit board, a black motor, and three small crystal cylinders. "Yes. It's the new setup. Very slick. Dr. Sanders, look: they're doing it with just three heads. The board must generate component RGB, because over here — you think this is compression circuitry?"

"Probably digital to analog converter," Sanders said. "Very neat. So small." He turned to me, holding up the box. "You know how the Japanese can make things this way and we can't? They kaizen 'em. A process of deliberate, patient, continual refinements. Each year the products get a little better, a little smaller, a little cheaper. Americans don't think that way. Americans are always looking for the quantum leap, the big advance forward. Americans try to hit a home run — to knock it out of the park — and then sit back. The Japanese just hit singles all day long, and they never sit back. So with something like this, you're looking at an expression of philosophy as much as anything."

So Marcus, Americans believe that they can learn Russian FLUENTLY in one year. Read, write, and speak.... fluent Russian... in one year. We really do start out wanting and believing we can hit that home run. However, sometimes we need to be reminded that it's okay to just get to first base and then to second and so on and THEN you WILL make the run in the end.

It saddens me that so many people come on this forum with the idea, the spark and joy of wanting to learn Russian and the amazing culture and history that is so unknown to us and they leave so quickly... maybe because they do get discouraged... because they didn't realize the challenge they were facing or they set unrealistic goals/time lines for themselves. They want to be able to use Transliteration instead of learning Cyrillic and don't understand WHY they just can't use transliteration. So when I saw Bryan's post I thought maybe if he read some of Hanna's posts and some of the other threads from people who have been where he is now, he might understand that is goal of being fluent in one year, albeit wonderful, might be just a bit unrealistic and he might want to readjust his timeline, but NOT his end goal.