Is Russian worth learning nowadays? (Specific Languages) Language Learning Forum

Is Russian worth learning nowadays?
Tags: Language Importance \| Reasons for study \| Usefulness \| Russian
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38 messages over 5 pages: 1 2 3 4 5

Paskwc
Pentaglot
Senior Member
Canada
Joined 5676 days ago
450 posts - 624 votes

Speaks: Hindi, Urdu*, Arabic (Levantine), French, English
Studies: Persian, Spanish

Message 33 of 38

23 February 2010 at 10:44pm | IP Logged

vusalgustav wrote:

1) Huge imperialistic feelings (especially among the ruling elite)
2) Significant brain drain after the collapse of the USSR
3) Widespread corruption
4) Dying nation (Number of the Russian population dwindles very fast,which is in the
contrast with rising number of immigrants especially vivid.)
5) Organised and juvenile crime (immigrants play not the last role in this)
6) Unemployment in the regions
7) Huge problem with AIDS, abuse of alcohol and narcotics
8) Huge number of illegal immigrants
9) The vast wealth of the country being distributed among few elites, who think that
they are Gods

Now tell me please, can any country in the world go through these without any social
turbulence? We as a human beings, have a tendency to blame somebody or something else
(that is why we invented the thing called "luck") for everything wrong in our lives,
as we thing ourselves always to be righteous. That is the case with Russians in a
national level.

So we should sit by as virtually every minority and nonconformist group is scapegoated
for society's ills? This isn't about whether Russians are bigoted or not. This is about
whether Russia's minorities are being treated justly or not. If, by your own
suggestion, all of the nine problems are being attributed to racial, political,
religious, and sexual minorities, that is very troubling.

Frankly, attempts to rationalize or dismiss these concerns are beyond my comprehension.
The same arguments used to explain Russia today aren't much different than those used
to justify McCarthy, Stalin, and Hitler.

Edited by Paskwc on 23 February 2010 at 10:49pm
2 persons have voted this message useful

aquablue
Senior Member
United States
Joined 6381 days ago
150 posts - 172 votes

Speaks: English*
Studies: French, Mandarin

Message 34 of 38

23 February 2010 at 11:04pm | IP Logged

What is in Siberia that is so appealing? Is the countryside that beautiful?

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vusalgustav
Tetraglot
Newbie
Azerbaijan
Joined 6275 days ago
23 posts - 56 votes

Speaks: Azerbaijani*, English, Russian, Turkish
Studies: German, Spanish

Message 35 of 38

23 February 2010 at 11:27pm | IP Logged

Paskwc wrote:

vusalgustav wrote:

1) Huge imperialistic feelings (especially among
the ruling elite)
2) Significant brain drain after the collapse of the USSR
3) Widespread corruption
4) Dying nation (Number of the Russian population dwindles very fast,which is in the
contrast with rising number of immigrants especially vivid.)
5) Organised and juvenile crime (immigrants play not the last role in this)
6) Unemployment in the regions
7) Huge problem with AIDS, abuse of alcohol and narcotics
8) Huge number of illegal immigrants
9) The vast wealth of the country being distributed among few elites, who think that
they are Gods

Now tell me please, can any country in the world go through these without any social
turbulence? We as a human beings, have a tendency to blame somebody or something else
(that is why we invented the thing called "luck") for everything wrong in our lives,
as we thing ourselves always to be righteous. That is the case with Russians in a
national level.

When there are problems, there are always reasons. Reasons might be, by our own
standards neither incomprehensible nor acceptable. But that does not change the reason
to be the reason. Understanding those reasons leads to more efficient problem resolving
rather than blind fight against it. I don't either rationalize or justify the reasons
and subsequent actions. I try to understand the reasons which leads to the problem.
After understanding I accept them and seek the most suitable ways to eliminate those
reasons. In the case of Russia those ways of getting rid of the reasons are duty of
Russian government.
Imagine there was no South Korea and whole peninsula was under control of the
communists of North Korea. How many people would be keen to learn Korean language? I
don't think too many. Would many people prefer learning the language of socially,
economically and culturally thriving Russia, rather than backward, corrupt and
xenophobic Russia? Definitely.
1 person has voted this message useful

aquablue
Senior Member
United States
Joined 6381 days ago
150 posts - 172 votes

Speaks: English*
Studies: French, Mandarin

Message 36 of 38

24 February 2010 at 12:08am | IP Logged

So, is Russian a language for the future like Chinese is said to be? Of course, in terms of economic opportunities, cultural transmission, developing into a major touristic country, etc. Russia is going to be a world power some day.

1 person has voted this message useful

guesto
Groupie
Australia
Joined 5740 days ago
76 posts - 118 votes

Speaks: English*
Studies: Italian, Spanish

Message 37 of 38

24 February 2010 at 2:32am | IP Logged

Well, it depends on you and your interests whether you should learn it. I am a rather politically/sociologically inclined person who doesn't plan to live in Russia permanently, so all of your problems listed are actually reasons why I learn Russian. It is an interesting country where something is always happening, full of contradictions and contrasts. Its future is uncertain - it could either be extremely prosperous or extremely disastrous. Either way it will be interesting and knowledge of Russian will allow you to follow and understand what is going on there. I can't even imagine learning the language of some "perfect" country like Swedish or Dutch. What would you talk about? Man falls off bike? Person insinuates that he doesn't support gay marriage, outrage ensues? Sorry but that's just dead boring.

As for economical benefit, that also probably depends more on you than the language/country. I bet there are more opportunities in Vietnamese for a skilled businessman than in Chinese (the cliché useful language) for an unskilled businessman. And nothing is guaranteed.
2 persons have voted this message useful

newyorkeric
Diglot
Moderator
Singapore
Joined 6378 days ago
1598 posts - 2174 votes

Speaks: English*, Italian
Studies: Mandarin, Malay
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Message 38 of 38

24 February 2010 at 2:42am | IP Logged

Another Russian thread closed.

1 person has voted this message useful

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