How long have you been studying Russian? What first attracted you to the language?

Have you ever had your level of Russian tested?

No, not officially. I’ve only taken placement tests thus far. However, I’d love to take the CEFRL or TORFL. My most recent test placed me at the upper intermediate level, but I hope to eventually score a C1 (Effective operational proficiency) on the CEFRL scale, or a TORFL-III. In fact, I’ve already created a study plan in preparation for taking the CEFRL test in 2020. My goal for 2020 is a score of B2, the officially recognized upper intermediate level.

Is there anything that you really struggle with, like grammar or pronunciation? Do you have a plan of attack for improving your skills?

Interestingly enough, I’ve never had trouble with pronunciation. My instructors (native speakers) say I speak with a near native accent. Nor is Russian grammar too hard to understand. If there’s anything I’ve struggled with thus far, it’s:
a) intonation,
b) those blasted prefixed verbs of motion, or
c) just communicating in Russian at regular pace.

I haven’t yet formulated a clear plan of attack – I think I simply need to find a conversation partner. In the typical Russian class, I spend 75% of the time listening to other students speak and make mistakes. It’s not easy to improve your speaking skills when you can barely get a few sentences in!

What’s something about the Russian language that you think is misunderstood?

The Cyrillic alphabet! At least in my neck of the woods, I always overhear people saying they’re afraid to approach Russia due to its “very difficult alphabet”. To which I’d reply: “It’s not as bad as you think!” Many Cyrillic letters look similar to Latin letters and sound like their English counterparts. Others look different from Latin letters but also sound like English ones. Some are completely foreign, but aren’t hard to learn. It can take a few days and a few drills, but it can be done!

I know you’re a huge Russian bookworm. Can you recommend a few recent favorite reads?

• The Yellow Arrow or any other Victor Pelevin book written before 1999. Early Pelevin is my favorite modern Russian writer, hands-down. He is a wordsmith who successfully mixes the sublime with the ridiculous and comes up with wildly turbulent tales that are always more than interesting and thought provoking.

• The Russian Word’s Worth by Michele Berdy. An entertaining and ironic look at the Russian langauge which inspired me to take up translation.

• Vladimir Putin and Russian Statecraft by Allen C. Lynch. A little outdated, but still the best and most balanced Putin biography on the market (and believe me, there are many).

• The Return by Daniel Treisman. Reading Russia done right.

• Russia Under Western Eyes by Martin Malia.

• Грех (Sin) by Zakhar Prilepin.