|
 |
English and Russian national character | ||
Share with:
| ||
 Language Learning Forum : Philological Room |  | |
| darina Diglot Newbie Russian Federation Joined 6087 days ago 9 posts - 9 votes Speaks: Russian*, English | Message 1 of 22 26 March 2008 at 5:35pm | IP Logged | ||
|
Hi, everybody,
I'm a Russian girl and I'm a student of the philological department and very interested in English, now I'm writing a paper about the differences between English and Russian mentality and national characters and how these differences are reflected in the language. It's important for me, bacause I'm going to be a teacher of Russian language as foreign. Can you answer some questions (give some associations) for my research? Well, I can write questions here, if you have free time, please, answer. I need only English people to answer. Firstly, please, write your name (only name), age, your occupation. Then write, please, five words you think about when the case is Russia and Russian people, then five words you think about, when the case is England and English people. Can you write five features of the Russian national character and five features of the English national character (begin with the most important)? And the last request - give your associations for these words: communication, character, English, Russian, culture, language. Thank you ) 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| DaraghM Diglot Senior Member Ireland Joined 6151 days ago 1947 posts - 2923 votes  Speaks: English*, Spanish Studies: French, Russian, Hungarian | Message 2 of 22 04 April 2008 at 9:52am | IP Logged | ||
|
I don't believe in National characters, but I'll say that X are a proud, hard working people, who know how to have a good time. They are patient up to a point, but should never be pushed too far. The X language can be difficult for non native speakers, and mispronunciations a comic source of amusement for native speakers. Humour is a strong component of X, and their poetry is exceptional.
Who or what is X ? 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| Leopejo Bilingual Triglot Senior Member Italy Joined 6109 days ago 675 posts - 724 votes Speaks: Italian*, Finnish*, English Studies: French, Russian | Message 3 of 22 04 April 2008 at 10:10am | IP Logged | ||
I do instead believe in them. It is true that there is much more difference between individuals than between nations. But you are a product of your culture, of the society where you grew up. Now, to know what it is, being able to describe it, is much more difficult. For example, I can't tell what is Russian character: it is so evident in the great Russian Literature in the time frame from Lermontov to Pasternak, but I don't know how much it has changed. The Barber of Siberia, a moving, misunderstood and undervalued film by Mikhalkov, is full of it. It happens some 100 years ago, but the movie itself is quite recent - and the main reason my intimate Russian friends love it is the Russian soul it portrays, even if lightly, superficially according to some. But I don't think anybody who intimately knows foreigners or has lived in a foreign country can deny the existence of National characters. Some are clichés, as the Finnish sisu, but still have an origin in true real life. Edited by Leopejo on 04 April 2008 at 10:12am 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| darina Diglot Newbie Russian Federation Joined 6087 days ago 9 posts - 9 votes Speaks: Russian*, English | Message 4 of 22 04 April 2008 at 11:47am | IP Logged | ||
I don't agree... shurely there are personal differences, but every nation has its definite composition of features. To say that these features belong to this or those particular nation isn't correct, these features are common to all mankind, but they are reflected in the particular national character to a greater or lesser extent. And these differences between the national characters can be explained, a great amount of different factors influenced on people and this particular composition of these factors produced the phenomena which we call the national character and in a more comprehensive sense - the national mentality. 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| Chung Diglot Senior Member Joined 7156 days ago 4228 posts - 8259 votes 20 sounds Speaks: English*, French Studies: Polish, Slovak, Uzbek, Turkish, Korean, Finnish | Message 5 of 22 04 April 2008 at 1:00pm | IP Logged | ||
In the spirit of your request... Chung, x, professional Russia and Russians: fatalistic, behemoth, harsh, dominating, contradictory Britain and Britons: disciplined, traditional, reserved, dreary, order Russian national character: pride, cold, closed, ambitious, wary British national character: pride, conservative, smug, cold, mercenary communication > openness, interaction, information character > trait, mood English > illogical, ubiquitous, officious Russian > illogical, domineering, complicated culture > complex, variation, interpretation, custom, routine language > imperfect, idea, communication, distortion, script, code 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| darina Diglot Newbie Russian Federation Joined 6087 days ago 9 posts - 9 votes Speaks: Russian*, English | Message 6 of 22 04 April 2008 at 2:01pm | IP Logged | ||
|
Thank you very much for your help!!!
1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| Leopejo Bilingual Triglot Senior Member Italy Joined 6109 days ago 675 posts - 724 votes Speaks: Italian*, Finnish*, English Studies: French, Russian | Message 7 of 22 04 April 2008 at 3:40pm | IP Logged | ||
|
Now, if someone could add to Chung's wonderful list a description of humour by country. I can't, but the type of humour is the one most telling feature of a nation's character, in my opinion.
1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| risby Newbie United Kingdom Joined 6338 days ago 30 posts - 34 votes Speaks: English* Studies: French, German, Italian, Spanish | Message 8 of 22 07 April 2008 at 10:19am | IP Logged | ||
My problem is a matter of drawing a line beyond which the descriptions of national characteristics become mere bigotted prejudice (@Chung, I haven't taken offence at your posting, this isn't aimed at you). I notice in my own unconsidered response the prejudices that people from northern climes are cold, strict, picky, hard, disciplined and that southern or mediterranean characteristics are friendly, passionate, relaxed, lazy, irrational. But, surely, there is little foundation in reality for these prejudices. I find it quite obnoxious to be lumped in with "the English" with all the unpleasant associations people may have of this island's people. But I'd also feel quite pleased if people said flattering things about the nation into which I was born even though that was by pure chance. I think the idea of national characteristics is a dangerous idea but (being British :-) I think it should be possible to entertain dangerous ideas; to confront them rather than hide from them. 1 person has voted this message useful |
|  | 
Printable version
|
| Copyright 2024 FX Micheloud - All rights reserved No part of this website may be copied by any means without my written authorization. |
