the eternal student?

[0-anglichanka-0.livejournal.com]

I was talking about the phenomenon of the 'eternal student' with some friends (i.e. those people who seem to be enrolled at university for the majority of their lives) and was wondering what the Russian expression would be - would 'пожизненная студентка' make sense?
 спасибка!

Comments

[trepang.livejournal.com]

"вечный студент", "вечная студентка".

[zeqfreed.livejournal.com]

We have an expression 'вечный студент'.

[kehlen-crow.livejournal.com]

Yes we do. It would be "вечный студент". I didn't know you did also before you asked ;)

[0-anglichanka-0.livejournal.com]

haha well I'm glad the concept exists in Russian too - though there are a few English expressions really, I've certainly heard 'perpetual student' which is closer to the Russian I think...

The attitude (amongst the older generation at least) seemed to me when I was in Russia, that if you were at university you would be studying for a specific career, whereas in the UK most of us language students seem to go to university with very little idea of what we actually want to do when we leave - so we don't!

[jennerosityls05.livejournal.com]

I have seen/heard the term "professional student" used most often to describe what you are talking about. I guess it is a bit more polite to consider their schooling as their profession.

[agvares.livejournal.com]

it's better to say "вечный студент" or "вечная студентка"

[0-anglichanka-0.livejournal.com]

Ah thank you! And just out of curiousity, does пожизненная студентка convey something different, or is it just plain wrong?

[agvares.livejournal.com]

well, it's just not a stable statement and it associates with sentence

[0-anglichanka-0.livejournal.com]

oh, as in a life-sentence in prison? That's definitely not an association I want to imply!

[agvares.livejournal.com]

universities arent much better nowadays)

[zeqfreed.livejournal.com]

'Пожизненный' is often used when speaking about prisoners. Like 'пожизненный заключенный' or 'пожизненное заключение'. So, I'd suggest to stick with 'вечный'.

[david-us.livejournal.com]

In English, I have seldom heard the expression "eternal student". More common is the term "career student" -or- a student who seemingly is making a career of being a student.

I guess that makes me a "вечный студент русского языка." :)

[oryx_and_crake]

It does not because студент in Russian, unlike "student" in English, is someone who attends a university (a school does not qualify either).

[wolk-off.livejournal.com]

>вечный студент русского языка

Beware and behold -- "student" is another "false friend of interpreters." This word in Russian does not have the same meaning as in English. Студент in Russian is only and solely a college student or an university student; it is a position rather than occupation, and therefore not synonymous to "learner"; and something like "high school student" in Russian is simply laughable.

[wolk-off.livejournal.com]

BTW, just in case you wondered -- there's no such word in Russian, "спасибка". I'd recommend to avoid its use -- it's not just outright wrong, it's quite ridiculous.

[david-us.livejournal.com]

I'm glad you said that, because I had never seen it before. I was wondering if there was some kind of diminutive form of спасибо that I was unfamiliar with.

[wolk-off.livejournal.com]

Спасибочки, in its turn, is a bad provincial colloquialism. I see no point why non-native learners should be taught it.

[inoctiluci.livejournal.com]

Do people use it? I know I've heard something like "спасибочки."

[wolk-off.livejournal.com]

Well, it does not exist in modern Russian; it does exist in modern Russian slang, though, which is not exactly the topic in this community.

[wolk-off.livejournal.com]

What I mean is that a. the learner definitely should be aware of the existence of slang, but b. should learn the basics of the "normal" language first, and c. should avoid the use of the language he/she is not quite sure if it's "normal" language or slang (which is exactly the case here.) Being able to understand slang is fine; but then, a foreigner who uses the "normal" language makes the native speakers feel respect and encourage such learner, while a foreigner who is trying to use slang looks (at lest in the absolute majority of cases) simply ridiculous.

[wolk-off.livejournal.com]

Almost any slang IS ridiculous when used improperly. You and I both know that there is a lot of native English speakers who would say "she don't" or "I ain't no something"; does that mean that we would use those constructions, and NOT look ridiculous?

[wolk-off.livejournal.com]

A very bad example of illiterate provincial colloquialism.

[wolk-off.livejournal.com]

My stance is not pseudo-purist, it is exactly purist. Those who attend this community during the last five years know it only too well. It is not necessary to start this flame once again, because it's pointless :)

[wolk-off.livejournal.com]

Well, as one of this community's maintainers I certainly feel some responsibilities, and my opinionated views are at least as valuable as yours.

[0-anglichanka-0.livejournal.com]

oops - that would be the Runglish slang creeping in... a good example of why NOT to use a language mostly with non-native speakers!

[irina-medvedeva.livejournal.com]

Don,t worry, your "спасибка" looks and sounds quite well. One can just feel your sincere love of Russian.

[wolk-off.livejournal.com]

Yeah, let's teach'em чмоки, привы and other trash, then :)

[irina-medvedeva.livejournal.com]

Я не призываю учить. Я призываю подходить к каждому случаю индивидуально. Вот этот случай с "спасибкой" ничего криминального не нёс. Возникнет случай с "привы", тогда и будем реагировать. А так похоже на морализаторство.

[wolk-off.livejournal.com]

2. Thank you for your input. However, I would love to remind that the working language in this community is English.

3. The case is already here: using спасибки instead of спасибо in an educational linguistic community is exactly the same as using привы or чмоки. Angain, my point is, it is OK to know that the slang exists, and being able to tell it from the "normal" language, but if a non-native speaker is attempting to use the slang, it's always quite ridiculous, if not pitiful. I am sure you know what Ebonic or Cockney is, but would you use it in a community dedicated to the study of English language?

[irina-medvedeva.livejournal.com]

It is free of schooling area. If you are not asked, no need to answer.

[wolk-off.livejournal.com]

I am exactly "asked" - the initial question has been posted in this community, and therefore could be answered by anybody here, including even me. By the way, it is not exactly wise, leave alone polite, to try to cork others' mouths. I have the same rights here as you have, and I am as free to express my views as you are.

[irina-medvedeva.livejournal.com]

Nobody was asked about the word "спасибка".

[wolk-off.livejournal.com]

Would you siletly look at an innocent person who had stepped into something unpleasant and did't realize it yet, or you'd fulfill your Christian duty and tell him/her? :)

[irina-medvedeva.livejournal.com]

Christian duty is to believe in Human Being, in his ability himself to differentiate good and wrong. And to help when asked. ;)

[wolk-off.livejournal.com]

Christian duty is actually to believe into something else rather than Human Being. Human Being, being left by itself, once ate a very unhealthy fruit, the effects of which we are still dealing with ;-)