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Why is not the Russian language popular among former Soviet Bloc countries? As after all Russia is a neighbour to those former East Bloc countries. Of course, during Soviet Bloc times Russian was taught in the schools there, but since the fall of the Soviet Union it has changed and there is much less people learning Russian.
Russian language is not too difficult for East Europeans like Poles, and other Slavic countries.
Because Russian language has become irrelevant in those countries. What is the value in learning Russian these days? What advantages do they gain? Most people learn a foreign language for business opportunities or to consume media. Russia is not a wealthy country so not that many business opportunities and Russia doesn’t produce much of high quality media these days so not that much to entice consumers. Furthermore Russia doesn’t have the same prestige that it once held and most of those countries view Russia as occupiers anyway, especially now with how Russia invaded Ukraine. I imagine that many Rusophones in Ukraine will switch to Ukrainian language going forward so Russian language will become even more irrelevant in the future.
For better or worse English is the global lingua Franca and if you are going to put time and energy to learn a second language you might as well learn English. The difference with Spanish and Arabic is that a bunch of countries already speak Spanish/Arabic as a first language. Russian on the other hand is only widely spoken in Russia, Belarus and Ukraine and some post soviet countries with large Russian communities. But countries like Poland and Bulgaria don’t have large Russian communities so that language has lost any influence it once had during Soviet times.
Because Russian language has become irrelevant in those countries. What is the value in learning Russian these days? What advantages do they gain? Most people learn a foreign language for business opportunities or to consume media. Russia is not a wealthy country so not that many business opportunities and Russia doesn’t produce much of high quality media these days so not that much to entice consumers. Furthermore Russia doesn’t have the same prestige that it once held and most of those countries view Russia as occupiers anyway, especially now with how Russia invaded Ukraine. I imagine that many Rusophones in Ukraine will switch to Ukrainian language going forward so Russian language will become even more irrelevant in Wthe future.
For better or worse English is the global lingua Franca and if you are going to put time and energy to learn a second language you might as well learn English. The difference with Spanish and Arabic is that a bunch of countries already speak Spanish/Arabic as a first language. Russian on the other hand is only widely spoken in Russia, Belarus and Ukraine and some post soviet countries with large Russian communities. But countries like Poland and Bulgaria don’t have large Russian communities so that language has lost any influence it once had during Soviet times.
I am learning Russian and I live in Australia. Russia is very far from Australia. I find the Russian language a beautiful language. I have always been interested in Russian culture and history and that is a real motivator of learning Russian. Plus Russian speakers are found everywhere. An example in my last overseas trip which was Bali, it was common encountering Russian speakers. It was the same when I was in Thailand too. In fact one of the hotels I stayed at most people were from Russia and Ukraine. BTW learning a language such as Russian is equipping yourself with a tool you can use to communicate with others, expand your knowledge of the world, and potentially expand your skillset.
The politics of Russian is not a factor of my desire to learn Russian.
BTW I am also been learning for years another language which I was told was not useful which is Japanese. I could have taken their advice, but I choose not to. BTW there is no such thing as a useless language to learn.
Eastern Europe has masses of Ukranians and the Ukrainians are much more likely to know Russian than English. Communicating in a language they already know does certainly help them.
Because: listen to how Spanish or Italian sound and now try Russian, Ukrainian, Belarusian. So now you know.
Not really. I like the sound much better than German, for example
I just think that Russian isn't just very useful language to know, unless one has some family or work ties to it or loves to learn languages.
Why is not the Russian language popular among former Soviet Bloc countries? As after all Russia is a neighbour to those former East Bloc countries. Of course, during Soviet Bloc times Russian was taught in the schools there, but since the fall of the Soviet Union it has changed and there is much less people learning Russian.
Russian language is not too difficult for East Europeans like Poles, and other Slavic countries.
Because:
1. It was forced on them for decades by the USSR
2. English is the language of commerce, cool videos & other media, etc.
3. Other languages are viewed as more practical, besides English.
I am learning Russian and I live in Australia. Russia is very far from Australia. I find the Russian language a beautiful language. I have always been interested in Russian culture and history and that is a real motivator of learning Russian. Plus Russian speakers are found everywhere. An example in my last overseas trip which was Bali, it was common encountering Russian speakers. It was the same when I was in Thailand too. In fact one of the hotels I stayed at most people were from Russia and Ukraine. BTW learning a language such as Russian is equipping yourself with a tool you can use to communicate with others, expand your knowledge of the world, and potentially expand your skillset.
The politics of Russian is not a factor of my desire to learn Russian.
BTW I am also been learning for years another language which I was told was not useful which is Japanese. I could have taken their advice, but I choose not to. BTW there is no such thing as a useless language to learn.
Eastern Europe has masses of Ukranians and the Ukrainians are much more likely to know Russian than English. Communicating in a language they already know does certainly help them.
I have nothing against the language, after all I speak the language and grew up with it. And I think it’s great that you want to learn the Russian language and culture, but for the typical Eastern European that isn’t going to be the case for understandable reasons. Of course there will be the few odd people who will want to learn it for curiosity sake, but that alone is usually not a strong enough of a reason for a person to learn a language. And at this point if you want to learn a language to travel around Eastern Europe you’re better off learning Interslavic (a pan-Slavic auxiliary language. Its purpose is to facilitate communication between speakers of various Slavic languages, as well as to allow people who do not speak a Slavic language to communicate with Slavic speakers by being mutually intelligible with most, if not all, Slavic languages. For Slavs and non-Slavs, it can fulfil an educational role as well.) than Russian as many Eastern Europeans are put off by the Russian language and will refuse to communicate with you.
My sister-in-law was born in 1969 under communism in Romania studied Russian and English in school. She told me she and her classmates loved English because it represented freedom and the modern world. They all disliked Russian and resented having to study it because it represented the opposite.
She ended up moving to Germany and had to learn German, which after 25 years she speaks fluently. She also married an American (my husband's brother), so her English is not too bad either. Russian has no relevance to her at all.
Because:
1. It was forced on them for decades by the USSR
2. English is the language of commerce, cool videos & other media, etc.
You must also add that all people from ex-soviet countries that lives in major cities HATE RUSSIA. All ex-soviet countries endured decades of suffering by Russia.
Only in the smaller villages that border Russia some people speak Russian and long for the old days of soviet era.
I have nothing against the language, after all I speak the language and grew up with it. And I think it’s great that you want to learn the Russian language and culture, but for the typical Eastern European that isn’t going to be the case for understandable reasons. Of course there will be the few odd people who will want to learn it for curiosity sake, but that alone is usually not a strong enough of a reason for a person to learn a language. And at this point if you want to learn a language to travel around Eastern Europe you’re better off learning Interslavic (a pan-Slavic auxiliary language. Its purpose is to facilitate communication between speakers of various Slavic languages, as well as to allow people who do not speak a Slavic language to communicate with Slavic speakers by being mutually intelligible with most, if not all, Slavic languages. For Slavs and non-Slavs, it can fulfil an educational role as well.) then Russian as many Eastern Europeans are put off by the Russian language and will refuse to communicate with you.
Well the situation can change in the Future, and there was a time in the past when many East Europeans were put off with the German language and refused to communicate with you if you spoke German. German language is common in Eastern Europe as a third language.
With doing business with Russia, those Russians that are unable to do business with the west due to boycots have moved abroad:
According to the BCS Global Markets analytical firm, individual Russians sent $14 billion abroad in the first nine months of the year.
In addition, more than 1,000 international companies have stop working in Russia because of unprecedented Western sanctions levied against Moscow following the invasion. Some 320 have left Russia completely. Hundreds of Russian businesses have also sought greener pastures abroad.
It not just former USSR countries that are reaping the benefit, but Turkey as well as its economy has risen, and the only NATO member that has not put sanctions.
s. Turkey is the only NATO member that did not impose sanctions on Russia over the unprovoked invasion. In June, Turkish exports to Russia reached $791 million, a 46 percent rise over the previous year and the highest one-month volume since 2010. Over the year, trade between the two countries is expected to exceed $60 billion.
Turkish economic growth was 7.6 percent in the second quarter, exceeding expectations and making Turkey one of the fastest-growing of the Group of 20 (G20) leading economies.
In addition Turkish main cities have seen housing prices increase largely due to the shear number of Russians that have there.
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