Language Deterioration

Speaking a second langauge is not like riding a bicycle. You still recognize words here and there, but active understanding and usage requires practice, practice, practice.

After hearing about her arrival in Moscow, I had wondered whether Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was going to use a translator, in spite of the fact that she speaks Russian. Looks as though she should have used one.

Condoleezza Rice tried out her rusty Russian in a Moscow radio interview Wednesday, only to get caught out by a question on whether she might run for president.

"Da (Yes)," Rice answered in Russian, before realizing her misunderstanding and hastily adding "Nyet" (No) -- seven times. [SNIP]

Apparently meaning to say that she would like to do her next interview in the language of her host, she chose a verb that sounded more like "to earn money" than the Russian for "to do."

"You understand it will be very difficult because I am out of practice, and in your language there are these awful cases!" she continued. "It's very difficult for us, and it is very difficult to talk without making mistakes."

Actually, this makes me feel better. I used to speak fairly decent Russian as well. (Cases! ARRGGHH!!!) Now I only remember enough to tell you how плохой my язык is. (I can still leave you pretty well cussed-out, however.)

Perhaps it’s time for a refresher course; for both of us, but for the SOS especially. A shot of vodka before class helps; believe me.

(Thanks to Boi from Troy)

Comments

[David]

Ваш русский лучше чем мой!

Ok, so I cheated a bit by using a translator program. What little Russian I know I learned on a Mission trip there last September. I'll get a chance to learn a bit more when I go back there this September.

Дэвид

[StinKerr]

Funny how the cuss words seem to stick, in any language.

[Brian H]

Psych research on mice has conclusively shown that you have a hard time remembering when drunk what you learned sober, and vice versa. LOL
So, to regain what you learned in class . . . .

[Ken Summers]

My Spanish teacher in Jr. High was Russian, born in China after her parents fled the revolution, and she taught a Russian club after school. All I remember is the alphabet and a few random words.

Sadly, she never taught us cuss words.

[wayne]

Hell, after spending all of my time blogging from my cave-like work area, my English is starting to get that way!! Add in the fact that my wife is a Filipina and her English is...colorful to understand sometimes and I do pick up her mannerisms from time to time so I'm getting really sloppy in my speaking.

Its gotten so bad that the other day, when she said to me "Honey you seen my ano? I went ano and put my ano over umm, ano. You know?" and I replied "Honey, you keys on the kitchen table where you left when dinner makin'. I'm not sure whose worse and English is not her native tongue. Either that or I'm a psychic in tagalog creole.

[Stan LS]

Speaking of languages... Reminds me of a funny story from a few years ago. I am a native russian speaker and this girl from my dorm asked me to translate the back of a t-shirt that her parents got her while vacationing in St.Petersburg. So, I am staring at it and its driving me nuts cause I see the cyrillic letters, but I can't figure out a single word. Anyway, after like a minute it hit me - I was staring at the Russian alphabet. Heh.

[Marty]

Estes and I had a chuckle over this. Guess she won't be scoring 2/2 this year, eh?

[DagneyT]

Before she went to work in the White House, Dr. Rice spent a great deal of time talking with a friend in Russian, so they would not get "rusty". I am sure her busy schedule precluded her ability to do that very often. If she'd known earlier she would become Secretary of State, she might have tried to make time for her friend.

And I prefer to consider her "ya" as more of a freudian slip, than an actual denial...I hope! Even I, who knows two words in Russian, know the difference between nyet and ya!

[JSAllison]

And then you have yobs like me, who knew just enough arabic to use arabic script to transliterate english and spanish words so that when the translator spoke out loud an english speaker understood, while driving every arabic speaker in the room nuts...muahahaha!

[baldilocks]

Marty: Heh. Now I can say that I score sero pluses just like the SOS.

[Dave]

I studied French for four years back in HS and college, then forgot it for 20 years. Then my wife was assigned to Belgium and I had to remember it very very quickly.

I managed to make myself understood for 4 years over there.. but I caused a lot of patient smiles and a few winces.

I am confident that the Russian people are extremely impressed by our SOS. They are not accustomed to ANY Americans bothering to learn their language. Except Yukos executives, of course.. and they are, apparently, a dying breed. :-)

[Chevy Rose]

I'm with DagneyT, I hope it was a slip of truth.

[Carridine]

I studied and taught Korean at the DLI, then picked up Thai after 6 months of all-day immersion here in Thailand.

No matter how well I speak, I'll never be 'one of us', but by trying to speak (Thai/Korean) 'our' language, there is usually enough goodwill generated to smooth over the mal-pronunciations and gaffes...

And most Americans here in Thailand are equally tolerant of Thais struggling with the convolutions of Engrish.

And stories? I've got language stories that would really polish yr nickle...

[wayne]

Try learing Japanese in Japan. Its very difficult because everyone is busy practicing their English on you so you never get a chance!

[Brian H]

Uh, that would be "da", not "ya" AFAIK. Unless "yeah" has invaded Russia.

this is a crap website. cheers

[baldilocks]

A legitimate opinion, no-name; at least it's not run by a person too cowardly to leave a name or an email address.

Passive-aggressiveness is so pathological.