What motivates you?

[gera.livejournal.com]

Dear Russian learners, may I ask what is your motivation for studying Russian?

I think it would be interesting to many of the community members to know.

Comments

[storm-jack.livejournal.com]

I learned it while in the service, and after getting past the basics, found it to be an elegant and fun language.

It's been several years since I've had cause to use it much, and found I was getting very rusty. So I joined here to help me recover what I once had.

[gera.livejournal.com]

You mean military service?

[storm-jack.livejournal.com]

yes

[lurid-me.livejournal.com]

I have a huge fascination with Russia, and it began with the land's history. I read a few books and then I thought..well...since I'm learning so much about the country it's only natural that I learn the language. I've also always been fascinated by the language, it's so different from the way english sounds, kind of gutteral but melodic.

That's what triggered me to learn, but what pushes me now is my perfectionism, and my wish to be able to speak at least half fluently (Because my teacher is an asshole and HE certainly doesn't motivated me :( ).

[gera.livejournal.com]

Did everyone in the military service have to study Russian? Or was it an intelligence unit or something?

[kingzgurl.livejournal.com]

i have friends in ukraine and russia, and i want to be able to speak russian/ukrainian with them, instead of making them speak english all the time.

i'm also studying to teach in russia, so learning the language is a must.

[storm-jack.livejournal.com]

no, only those of us who worked as Russian translators had to learn it.

[kart.livejournal.com]

1. Great-grandparents from Russia/Belarus.
2. I've been to Russia for both business and pleasure, and I plan to return.
3. Russian is the "language of interethnic communication" in central asia.
4. Russia is cool.

[kutsuwamushi.livejournal.com]

I think it's pretty. Also, just because I can. =)

[loki-fledermaus.livejournal.com]

I have always loved languages and will hopefully train as an interpreter between Russian and English, working freelance here in London. I started to learn Russian a few years ago and love how expressive and interesting the language is! I also love Russian culture, will hopefully be studying Russian Authors for my degree.

[aclarar.livejournal.com]

Respect. I truly believe that if you are going to travel to another country the least you can do is learn a little about their culture and their language. I have dream about living in Russia since I was ten years so it's just logical to learn Russian before traveling. Oh, well, and I’m addicted to reading and I like to read on the original language of the author. I’m not really a big fan of translations.

[schwarzer-tod.livejournal.com]

Russia is the most interesting country ever, in every aspect.

[gera.livejournal.com]

1. I bet they were from the Pale? Did they tell you a lot about Russia?
3. Well, theoretically it's the language of of interethnic communication among all peoples of the former USSR. In reality, it turns out, it's not exactly so.
I've heard several funny stories about people who were deliberately avoiding Russian in business communication between different former republics, for example using English instead, despite the fact that both sides had a very poor command of it, or using their native languages even though the other side didn't know it at all.

[oikade.livejournal.com]

I'm learning Russian for my husband, clearly - who is a Russian (but now also a Canadian citizen, which explains how we met!) :)

And also for his father, who keeps asking him when I'll be able to speak to him - as he does not speak any other languages besides Russian.

I don't blame him for being curious to speak with me, but for now all I can muster is a Здравствуйте. ;/!

I really need to put a step on it, I'm very dissapointed in myself for not learning more Russian in the time that I've had.

[oikade.livejournal.com]

Cutest thing ever - the last time Dima's father called and I answered the phone, he managed a very wobbly and very cute "Hellloooo Rachael... my sooon?".

We can't even talk, but that made me love him to death. Plus he bought me an awesome book about St. Petersburg. <3

[kart.livejournal.com]

1. Yes, they were from Grodno guberniya, in modern Belarus. Great-grandfather Kotik was ethnic Russian and we think he was born in Barki, Russia. Great-grandmother was local to somewhere near Hrodna and her maiden name was something like Malish or Malius. They emigrated to America during the first world war and lived on Freeling Heisen Avenue in Newark, NJ.

3. Russian may not be the favorite language, but it's still quite practical. Though, I'd love to learn more about the Turkic languages. ;)

[ocelotkitten.livejournal.com]

1)I've always been drawn to languages with completely different writing systems
2)I became crazy obsessed with russian literature (mostly Dostoevsky)
3)Eventually, I plan on going on the Trans Siberian Railway, so I'd like to learn a thing or two about the language before jumping into the country
4)Russian sounds hot. Especially when it's sung.

[http://users.livejournal.com/critic_/]

I decided to start learning Russian because I've always been interested in Russian history and culture. Also, it being Slavic, I find it to teach one a bit about the Slavic mentality, soul, whatever you'd like to call it... ...I'm hugely fascinated with that, being a cultural thing. I also would like to visit Russia, but I don't want to before I know a fair bit of Russian.

[soidisantfille.livejournal.com]

I knew I wanted to go to grad school to study Russian history (which meant I would have to do research in Russian here and in Russia), so I started learning it two years ago.

[procrastino.livejournal.com]

various. russian culture seems to be a gravity point for the entire eastern europe, no matter how much some of us dislike that. i got fascinated with russian literature, art, and cinema, and soon enoguh understood that russian as a language is incredibly expressive.

so i decided to learn it. i am not up to the point that i understand practically everything, but my speaking and writting abilities are barely such that russians understand me (appreciating the effort, and ignoring the numerous grammar mistakes i make).

but i am Bulgarian, by birth and by virtue =] so i'm excused.

[philena.livejournal.com]

I went to the language fair before registering for classes my first year at college, and there was this (very cute) fellow (who later confessed he'd been completely hung-over that day) pushing his new class: Russian through Pushkin. Instead of reading little paragraphs about what Russian museums we'd like to see the next time we go to Russia, we read Медный всадник and various short plays. I was hooked. The second year was the same thing, only we read instead Мастер и Маргарита, and this year I started taking Russian linguistics classes. I know nothing about the history or literature, however. I leave that to my Boy.

[gera.livejournal.com]

Do you know Bulgarian?

[gera.livejournal.com]

Instead of reading little paragraphs about what Russian museums we'd like to see the next time we go to Russia, we read Медный всадник and various short plays.

I am confused. Was it a traslation? Because understanding the original requires a pretty good level of knowledge.

[procrastino.livejournal.com]

i am Bulgarian, i have lived most of my life in bulgaria, and intend to keep living there. i suppose i know it, more or less.

[superslayer18.livejournal.com]

Honestly, this is going to sound soooooo stupid, but I absolutely loved tatu when they came to America. I ended up getting to all of their English tracks. I was curious to see what their Russian tracks sounded like, especically since they have so many more tracks in Russian than they do in English. I ended up LOVING the Russian tracks, and then thought about learning Russian (I dunno what came over me... it just kinda happened lol).

Now, I'm learning 7 languages and about 80% of my music isn't even in English! Russian is my gateway language I think ^_^