And for my first question...

[Safari]

How many of you guys learned Russian (or other Slavic
language) as part of your process?

If yes, was your girl impressed or indifferent?

Did you learn a lot or just a little?

Do you think it's a good idea or a waste of time? (I obviously
lean toward the former.)  And by this I mean in relation to your
search...we'll assume that learning new languages in general is
good brain fitness.

[wilmc]

... in response to And for my first question..., posted by Safari on May 20, 2003

In my experience it pays to learn some Russian.  The Russians will very much appreciate your effort.  The people that I have met understand that English is now the world's "Lingua Franca," and do not expect that you will speak Russian.  A few key phrases, greetings, please, thank you, etc. will "break a lot of ice."  I am fortunate that the ladies, 3, that I have dated were all fluent, or nearly so, in English.  They still were very pleased that I tried to learn some Russian.

[Jeff S]

... in response to And for my first question..., posted by Safari on May 20, 2003

I just posted this on the Latin board:

http://www.planet-love.com/wwwboard/latin/messages/42428.html

- Jeff

[Patrick]

... in response to And for my first question..., posted by Safari on May 20, 2003

I took 15 semester units of Spanish after I started dating a Mexican woman I met locally.  I remember before I began I was thinking I'd be having regular conversations by the end of the first semester.  Then I thought by the end of the second semester.  At the end of the third semester I had a pretty good idea of just how much effort it takes to become fluent in a language.  I don't know about Russian, but Spanish is fairly easy to learn.  English is quite a bit more difficult.

I would encourage anyone interested in this to learn the language of the ladies.   I wouldn't do it to impress them, but rather to enable yourself to better understand them and aid in communication.  It also makes you much more sensitive to the difficulties she'll be facing in trying to learn English.  One other thing- It's nice to be able to talk at least a little with her family when you visit them.

[Zink]

... in response to And for my first question..., posted by Safari on May 20, 2003

I'm still learning Russian. Most of the women are impressed if you know anything of their language. It's amazing how many people don't even try to learn a couple of words. I think it's an excellent use of your time if you plan on travelling outside of the major cities. I don't like having someone holding my hand at all times. I like to mix and mingle with ordinary people all on my own. Not many Russians speak enough English to talk to unless you have some ability with Russian.

As for my search I never used English knowledge as a criteria. I was looking for certain personality traits and I found them in a lady who speaks almost no English. For me her willingness to learn is more important than her current skill level. This is just my opinion but I feel that many guys may be passing up the real gems by sorting out the ones with poor English. I understand their reasons for this but don't follow that line of thinking. And once you're in a relationship every word of Russian that you know will help you to communicate more clearly with her. I think it's only right to meet the lady half way on this.

[Travis]

... in response to And for my first question..., posted by Safari on May 20, 2003

Learned some. She wansn't impressed but it helped me a lot!

[John K]

... in response to Re: And for my first question..., posted by Travis on May 20, 2003

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