Name: Anonymous 2008-01-07 7:24
I think, of all the languages I've looked into thus far, Russian is by far the most understudied/overrated. It has clear (albeit somewhat tricky) grammar, an essentially phonetic and practical alphabet (unlike English/French in particular, but many asian languages also) and excellent, colourful and clear expression with a decent-but-not-too-large vocabulary. It seems everyone flocks to Japanese these days just to be cool and understand anime/manga.
Nearly the only drawback is that words are typically 2-3 syllables longer and the syllables themselves can be frustrating (eg rolled r's, distinction between hard and soft consonants).
But overall (and having studied French, Spanish, German, some Hindi and Chinese) genuinely adore Russian and encourage others to do the same. It is a functional, sensible and (mostly!) beautiful language that deserves more attention, IMHO
Post your thoughts here.
Nearly the only drawback is that words are typically 2-3 syllables longer and the syllables themselves can be frustrating (eg rolled r's, distinction between hard and soft consonants).
But overall (and having studied French, Spanish, German, some Hindi and Chinese) genuinely adore Russian and encourage others to do the same. It is a functional, sensible and (mostly!) beautiful language that deserves more attention, IMHO
Post your thoughts here.