(no subject)

[lollydoll.livejournal.com]

Oooh, Hello again ^^
I'm in a bit of a puddle here. Next week I will be headed to Moscow, and well.. My language skills still aren't at a good level. I know how to speak a few basics "Hello, my name is ___, Do you speak English, I know a little Russian, I am American" etc, and a few other sayings and questions, but that is about all. Teaching myself with audio cds and books dosen't get very far even with a few months practice. Story goes I will be meeting someone. He knows how to speak and understand English pretty fluently, but his friends and parents do not (atleast not as well) What worries me is my pronounciation and if I will be able to understand hearing something actually spoken. Has anyone ever been to Russia before, or lives there? Also, do many people know English in Russia? I'm curious to know how well someone in my position will be able to get by and if so, how well you got by :)

Comments

[simonff.livejournal.com]

Nevertheless, American English (not to mention British, Australian English etc) has more different regional accents than Russian. Plus the foreigners are ubiquitous. In Russia, you may spend weeks without running in any of the minorities with accents, and even among those most speak accentless Russian. (I've yet to meet an ethnic Tartar who has an accent.)

[wolk-off.livejournal.com]

I've been maaried to an ethnic Tatar for 8 years, so I'm an expert in this :) Tatars in Tatar villages inside Tatarstan sometimes have accent (and sometimes speak almost no Russian, byt he way.) City people (i.e., in Kazan) have no accent at all and sometimes speak better Russian than ethnic Russians do.