{"id":84080,"date":"2020-10-01T13:06:54","date_gmt":"2020-10-01T13:06:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/staging.expatinfodesk.com\/?page_id=84080"},"modified":"2024-03-06T10:29:51","modified_gmt":"2024-03-06T10:29:51","slug":"language","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.expatinfodesk.com\/moscow\/language\/","title":{"rendered":"Language"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Russia is, in terms of territory, the largest country in the world. The time difference between Moscow and Vladivostok, the largest Russian port city on the Pacific Ocean, is 7 hours. Outside of Moscow and St Petersburg, English speakers are hard to find. If you are only going to be in Moscow for one or two years then you can survive comfortably with English, apart from learning a few rudimentary phrases to be sociable.
\nIf you are going to be here for longer then roll up your sleeves and prepare to tackle Russian. It’s hard work, but rewarding. The biggest reward will come from your work colleagues, subordinates and the Russians you deal with in business. Russian is recognized as a difficult language and your willingness to learn the native tongue will be well-respected. As a guideline, consider that Russian universities generally insist on a one-year course of study for foreign students to master the language before going into academic study in the subjects chosen, including students who have already studied some Russian in their home country. That’s nine months of six-hour days with homework.
\nConcentrate on practical Russian enabling you to function better in the country rather than aiming to be able to read Pushkin or Lermontov in the original. If you truly want to communicate, do take the time to study the grammar and structure from the start, rather than trying to learn set phrases – otherwise you will plateau very quickly.<\/p>\n

Learning opportunities can be grouped in four main categories. A selection of contacts is provided.<\/p>\n

Tape-based home study<\/h3>\n