Russian by telephone

[nadyezhda.livejournal.com]

I have a very difficult time speaking on the phone in Russian. My self-consciousness about my Russian abilities is raised to new heights when I speak on the phone! I get nervous and then the whole conversation gets difficult. I am travelling to Belarus shortly and anticipate making a couple of phone calls to parents of my friend, who speak no English whatsoever; does anyone have any tips for me? Tips in general?

Comments

[mangiami.livejournal.com]

Learn how to politely ask the people you're on the other end with to speak more slowly and more loudly.

Plan out some of your conversation, like what you want to say, and have some fallback sentences. Anticipate how to answer small talk too.

[linnapaw.livejournal.com]

I still get nervous about using German on the telephone, even though I'm pretty fluent. It's the thing of not having the added visual clues (and cues), I guess.

The above suggestions are excellent... I'm sure you can do it - I haven't had Russian in ages, and I managed to call somebody in Ukraine and ask them in Russian to talk to one of my friends.. He didn't understand me at first, but on the second try, he understood me enough to get my friend to the phone. If I can do that much, I'm sure you can do better. :)

[gera.livejournal.com]

Stay calm.
This should really help :)

[apredeus.livejournal.com]

talking on the phone in non-native language is difficult by itself ;)

so, just be calm and persistent, and don't get upset if someone is not getting you right away.

[frostflake.livejournal.com]

I've found that most native Russian speakers are delighted that you speak (or at least, that you're trying to speak) Russian. Don't worry. As long as you're polite and you know how to say what you need to say, you should be fine.

[kehlen-crow.livejournal.com]

Yep, perfect advice.
Yet very difficult to follow :)

tips

[spiderhood.livejournal.com]

Before making a call, sit down and think it over. If there's something you gotta tell anyway (like "I'm doing fine, I'm now in Bla Bla Hotel, I went swimming in the morning and will get drunk tonight", and especially "Good evening, that's Nadya calling, can I speak to Alex, please?"), write it down. It really helps, and they don't see you. If you make some "errhh" noices while reading it and eat or burn the draft after the call, no-one will know.

Anticipate some possible outcomes. What if that Alex imaginary character is not at home? What if he's busy with his girlgriend? What if he proposes an appointment? What if you have nothing more to talk about, but he's not hanging up? Prepare some useful phrases (just think about 'em, or write 'em down), for example, for saying "gotta go now, good buy".

Stay cool. Drink a glass of cold water before the calls. Prepare another one for later. Don't use vodka.

Make jokes. Laughing will buy you some time to come up with a new sentence.

If you don't understand something and your conversation partner is laughing, just laugh, he's trying to be funny with you. If you don't understand something and he's not laughing, ask to repeat it louder. Blame it on the quality of the telephone line (in Russia all people do).

Speak in slow pace even if it's uncomfortable for you (in face-to-face talking that's not the case, because the other person can see what you mean even if he doesn't get the words). Formulate everything in the most clear way, use short sentences.

Make all your phone calls the same time. Well, not exactly simultaneously, but one right after another. Once your mind is on it, you better use it.

Try to have fun with it. I know it's hard... phone calls are evil!

[spiderhood.livejournal.com]

In that case just keep shouting the name of the person you want to talk to. If after ten times you're still not speaking to the right guy, hang up, he's not at home ;)

[vimvim.livejournal.com]

it's usual for telephone conversations in foreign languages. so do i speaking in english, especialy when to whom i'm speaking speaks with an accent...
my tips:
- try to imagine how he or she looks like while speaking, imagine movements of lips - it helps!
- do not hestitate to ask them to repeat. You can say: "ProstIte, ya ne rasslIshal, chto vi tolko chto skazali. PovtorIte pozhAluysta eschYO raz pomEdlenneye". Nothing wrong with it. They will respect your eagerness to communicate in Russian.
- try to speak more yourself rather than to listen what they are talking about. try to lead a conversation in a pace you find it convinient for you. ideally leave them only option to say "da" or "not" :-)
good luck!

[lovimoment.livejournal.com]

No one suggested practice!

I learned to talk on the phone by dating a guy who lived on the other side of town, so we could only get together about twice a week. Now I don't really have problems.

Except for one of my friends that I talk to...he thinks I've forgotten how to speak Russian, but the truth is that he just has such a beautiful voice that I can't concentrate on what he's actually saying, I'm just listening to his voice.