Thread: Hello Everyone!

Hello everyone, Im Bryan from Upstate New York USA. I am very enthusiastic in learning Russian Language, Culture , and ways of living.
My fascination grows more and more everyday. I intend on traveling to Russia this year or the next. I hope to be fluent in Russian before traveling to Russia.

I'm here to learn all I can and submerge my self in Russian culture.

I'm willing to help someone learn English in exchange for learning Russian

Feel free to message me if you want to skype, email, or talk. I'm always looking for new people that I can learn from and build relationships!


До свидания!

Originally Posted by BryanK

I intend on traveling to Russia this year or the next. I hope to be fluent in Russian before traveling to Russia.

Ah Bryan...

I know you didn't mean it but you just gave me a great laugh! Welcome to MR!!

As the ONLY person on here not "really" trying to learn Russian but seeing others come and go, let me tell you, it is MUCH harder than you might think. Not to be a Debbie Downer, but as Chaika just mentioned the other day:

Originally Posted by chaika

I have been studying, reading, and to an extent writing Russian for 40 years and still can barely put a substantial sentence together without an error. Just yesterday I used an imperfective verb where it should have been perfective and was immediately corrected (on line, that is). And I am still not totally sure that the imperfective would have worked in the context.

But hey, shoot for the stars and if you don't make it at least you'll fall on top of the world! There are lots of folks on here willing and able to help you out!

You should also read Hanna's travel blog about her adventures to the area and some of her other amazing threads!!

And of course if you do go, you must start your own blog for us!

Originally Posted by rockzmom

Ah Bryan...

I know you didn't mean it but you just gave me a great laugh! Welcome to MR!!

As the ONLY person on here not "really" trying to learn Russian but seeing others come and go, let me tell you, it is MUCH harder than you might think. Not to be a Debbie Downer, but as Chaika just mentioned the other day:


But hey, shoot for the stars and if you don't make it at least you'll fall on top of the world! There are lots of folks on here willing and able to help you out!

You should also read Hanna's travel blog about her adventures to the area and some of her other amazing threads!!

And of course if you do go, you must start your own blog for us!

Haha sorry for the laugh hah But I am honest when I say this. I will be undergoing quite the Russian Learning Curve. I will be fully immersing myself into the language and culture

Ironically I am also a website/graphic designer so when I embark on my trip, I will definitely produce a blog for everyone to follow

Thank you for the tips and added link. I will be active about the forums trying to learn as much as I can. I will be fully dedicated so I hope to learn it as much as i can before going Thats all I can ask for

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.

Now I see, Rockzmom.

Americans often have a different understanding of what "fluency" means, I have noticed, than Russians or Europeans in general, who are more apt to be multilingual. For example, I would consider "fluency" in Russian to mean that I was capable of translating in court - and I'm not even sure I can understand lawyers/legalize even when they speak English! But oftentimes, some Americans think they are "fluent" even when they only speak a few phrases or words of a foreign language.

I lived in the Soviet Union for 2 years during Cold War times and I would still only call myself "conversational" in Russian at best. Achieving fluency in any language, including your own, is really a lifelong process! So I would say, do not set too high an expectation for yourself or you may become discouraged. On the other hand, you will discover that many Russians speak English, and so they will be able to help you learn Russian quickly if you have the passion for it. Good luck to you!

I am sure, it will be fascinating journey for you, BryanK. I mean studying our beautiful language. Some people are surprisingly good at languages, so one year could be sufficient term.
I hope you will not go to Moscow ? (because it is not quite Russia). Though, in other places, the assertion "many Russians speak English" is even less true!

Deborski,
Can you tell, how did you find yourself in USSR?
Nice photo, BTW

Maximixiv, long story - but to sum it up I was a journalist, and I was invited, as part of Glasnost, into Russia to help with television writing/production at what was then called the LenTeleRadioKomitet. It was the television network in (then) Leningrad. It was sort of a "joint venture" which, from the American side, was funded by a church. I worked for Soviet rubles and lived in a small apartment in - I forget the name of the district - out towards the direction of Leningrad International Airport. Rode the metro or hitched rides with cars to work every day. Was an amazing experience!

The Soviet Union collapsed during the time when I was living there, and I was out on the streets with the protesters when they "stormed" the Winter Palace the second time in history. They changed the name of Leningrad back to Santk Peterburg while I was living, and working, there as well. It was really something to see all of that change, happening so fast, right in front of our eyes.

Many of my friends from Russia remain very close to this day and I hope to travel there soon, and bring my husband to meet them.

So you were at Time of Trouble, and now have chance to see, how we live during period of stability. Sorry, I have never been to Leningrad.

Well, yeah, I think I will experience a bit of culture shock when I return, to be honest. But it will be great to see Sankt-Peterburg with all the lights and cafes