The importance of English?

[RickM]

... in response to The importance of English?, posted by ChipShot on Jan 21, 2002

My wife got here in April last year.She wrote and read pretty good English but speaking was another story.
Once here,she HAD to learn and HAS.(No-one speaks Russian here)The Ectaco 586 electronic translator is a great tool.
It can be very frustrating for both of you if there are large language barriers.
It takes a lot of PATIENCE and TIME on both of you...
I choose to think it really is a bonding process for the relationship.

Once here she can listen to tv and read closed captioning around the house.With a translator she can look up occasional words she needs to learn.If the girl is intelligent (as most RW are) she'll pick up quite quickly.
My wife is due any day now so studying hasn't been the priority around here but she goes to the doctors alone and understands everything already.Fast-speaking people can be a little intimading to her and she has definitely noticed that different parts of USA's people have accents.

It's up to you and how patient you are and willing to help.Especially those first few years.
Best of luck with all...

[Dan]

... in response to The importance of English?, posted by ChipShot on Jan 21, 2002

Olya knew almost no English when she arrived in April last year - and for the first couple of months, we spoke only Russian. As we began to venture out - and especially when we took a combined business/pleasure trip to the East Coast and she was suddenly forced to speak English with my friends - she has been progressing regularly ever since.

My situation is different than most in that I conduct business in Ukraine and have occasion for regular travel. My meeting ladies was done, more or less, in the same way I would meet ladies here in the US. Because I speak some Russian (badly, I might add --smile--), I did not exclude ladies that spoke no English. In fact, to some extent, I probably selected against ladies with English skills because it didn't help my Russian.

In any case, the lack of English has not been a major impediment in our relationship to this point and I do not expect it to become one.

The comments about importance of the language in order to more quickly assimilate into the culture and society here are accurate. To a very large extent, it depends on the comfort level of the individual lady and her willingness/interest to learn the language. I can recall many, many times coming home to find Olya with her Colorado Driver's Handbook (in English) open and marked up with hundreds of Russian words in the margins. Next to that was a pad of paper with another page or two of words written down that she either wanted to ask me about  or that she wanted to reinforce. She worked incredibly hard at the process of learning - and she has had a remarkable easy time of assimilating to this point. I don't know if the two are directly-linked, but they may be.

I hope this helps.

- Dan

[Stan B]

... in response to The importance of English?, posted by ChipShot on Jan 21, 2002

My wife said she couldn't imagine not being able to speak english well enough to converse and express her feelings and understand mine. The misunderstandings and frustrations with the added pressure of having to marry within 90 days would be just to much. Then you add the isolation and total dependance that she would have for you and your looking at a recipe for failure.
In our case she spoke enough english when we met that we could spend time alone w/ the aid of a dictionary, but when I left she took lessons at a school and spoke and read pretty well when she got here, but she is still picking up the nuances of the way we speak here and 'fast talkers' still give her trouble. But she's getting better all the time (here since Oct 2)