Johnson's Russia List
#4566
7 October 2000
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#12
From: [log in to unmask] (Ron Pope)
Date: Fri, 6 Oct 2000 
Subject: Do Americans Need to Know Russian?

Guy Netscher asks a very logical question (JRL #4563):  If Russians need to 
know English before visiting the U.S. as a part of an exchange program, do 
Americans need to know Russian before traveling there?

Based on my experience (see our web site:  www.serendipity-russia.com), 
Russians do need to have a decent command of English in order to get the most 
out of visits to the U.S., while Americans can learn a respectable amount 
during a brief visit without knowing Russian.  There are at least two reasons 
for this.  First, very few Americans know Russian, while a substantial number 
of Russians know English.  In other words, an American visitor in Moscow or 
Vladimir (where we are headquartered) can find people to talk to, and there 
will be no shortage of interpreters; while a Russian visitor--who doesn't 
know English--generally cannot communicate with the people he or she meets in 
the U.S. without an interpreter.  Second, what the Russians need to learn 
about democracy and a free market is generally more complicated than what 
Americans can profitably learn about Russia during a short visit.  The latter 
"lessons" include the fact that Russia is a culturally rich country with a 
very decent and hospitable people.  In my experience, once Americans learn 
this firsthand, they are generally much more willing to try to be of 
assistance.  This includes hosting visiting Russians.  (Staying with a host 
family is a very valuable experience.)  

For example, last April we arranged for a local high school basketball coach, 
Cal Hubbard, and his wife, Vivian, a speech therapist, to visit Russia.  More 
than 50 coaches attended a three day basketball clinic in Vladimir while 
Vivian visited schools.  (They stayed with the family of one of our Russian 
teachers.  The father and son are both avid basketball players.)  As a 
followup to this, we hope to have a Russian coach and senior player here this 
next June to attend Cal's yearly clinic and a tournament.  They are both 
studying English at the American Home in preparation for this visit.  They 
will stay with the Hubbards.

Because of the fact that the Russians need to comprehend relatively complex 
matters for their visits to be truly profitable, as I have argued in JRL--and 
The Moscow Times--they need to stay in the U.S. for more than a few days.  
For the longer stays, English is simply a must.  In this connection, I've 
been involved with law enforcement exchanges for a number of years.  A new 
militia officer is scheduled to arrive next Saturday for a six month stay in 
our community. Without a decent knowledge of English, his visit simply 
wouldn't be possible.  None of the law enforcement people he will be dealing 
with knows Russian, and we don't have the resources here to provide him with 
an interpreter day in and day out.  Most important, he will be able to learn 
a good deal more--and communicate more from his perspective--because he knows 
English.  (For the record, we provided him with a year of English lessons 
through the American Home in Vladimir.  Again, see our web site.)

Americans involved in long term stays in Russia also definitely need to know 
the local language.  Unfortunately, some don't bother to learn it, or at 
least don't learn it very well.  In my experience, this has included 
missionaries who have been in Vladimir for more than a year.  Their failure 
to gain a decent command of Russian is both an insult to their hosts--why 
isn't this rich language worth learning?--and a major barrier to their full 
understanding of Russian culture.  This lack of cultural understanding, in 
turn, has, in my opinion, been a major contributor to the Russian's frequent 
hostility toward foreign missionaries.  It has also created other problems.

On the other hand, I am certain that my dealings with the Russian legal 
system in the wake of the embezzlement of a substantial amount by a former 
Russian employee would have been much more difficult, if not impossible to 
successfully pursue had I needed an interpreter.  (See my article on this 
subject on our web site.)

One last point.  Given the tremendous value of Russians learning English, it 
is surprising that neither the U.S. government nor, to the best of my 
knowledge, any American foundations are promoting the teaching of English in 
Russia to any significant extent.  Our English Program in Vladimir has been 
self supporting since 1992.  We currently serve over 300 students a semester. 
 With a modest amount of outside funding to supplement what the students can 
afford to pay, we could accomplish a great deal more.  I'm sure there are 
other programs that are equally in need of modest support.  It seems to me 
that a tremendous opportunity to communicate across the language and cultural 
divide is to a significant extent being missed.  (I will greatly appreciate 
information on any exceptions to this general lack of funding.) 

Ron Pope, President
Serendipity-Russia
Associate Professor of Russian Politics
Illinois State University

******


Andrew Jameson
Chair, Russian Committee, ALL 
Reviews Editor, Rusistika
Listowner, allnet, cont-ed-lang, russian-teaching
1 Brook Street, Lancaster LA1 1SL   UK 
Tel: 01524 32371  (+44 1524 32371)


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