Question by ABC: Why do the Russian students master the Arabic language faster than others?
Whenever I watch a Russian political guest or a an entreviewer coming on a program, I notice that he/ she speaks pure almost flawless Arabic unlike the other foreigners including the Americans who with no offence speak the worse ever heard Arabic.
Is it related to the verygood Arabic classes they have in Russia , the long historical relations between the Arab world and the Russian Empire, the similarities that might exist between the Arabic and Russian languages or simply because the Russain studend study harder than his counterpart?
Answers and Views:
Answer by Handsome Chuck
I think that might be an unwarranted extrapolation. First, you don’t have a lot of data (is it reasonable to assume that the relatively small number of Russians and Americans you have seen are representative?). Also, your conclusion is based on your subjective personal sense of the phenomenon. It might not be valid.
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Undisclosed Disires says
Dude. I know plenty of Americans that can speak fantastic Arabic. Quit being ignorant.
By the way, Russian and Arabic have nothing to do with each other.
Wave2012 says
I think very important reason of your impression is pronunciation. Except 3 or 4 sounds (including different "h"), all the other sounds can be learned very fast by Russian.
The same – for people from Arab countries studying Russian and Europeans or Americans studying Russian.
Eur. and Amer. have to "struggle" to pronounce Russian words but Arabic-speaking person can cope very easily.
PS: I know that Russian and Arabic are nothing to do with each other. I'm Russian and learning Arabic. I just told that Arabic-speaking students in Russia speak Russianc much better than students from any other countries, including English-speaking. I don't mean grammar, I mean general impression. They speak MUCH faster and pronounce long Russian words very easily.
Anatoliy Krukchi says
For a student from Russia to go abroad is very hard 'cos we have something like a competition and u can go only if u'll be a winner.So u are studying all the days and nights to learn it.Sometimes,to go abroad is a one chance on a million to succeed in a life.And russians just try to use this chance for 100%.It's VERY important for them.
Maybe I'm not correct-I'm from Ukraine but our countries are very close in our culture and education system so I'm just compare it with our life.I don't think it's a very big difference.
RE says
I believe that although Arabic may not be widely taught in Russian schools, their education system in general is excellent and probably instills a work ethic and high standards that carry over into all fields of endeavor. And they also have a good sense of public relations. Realizing that political guests and interviewees represent the image of their country, they try to send only the best and most fluent of Arabic speakers to such programs. There was a time when the United States also used to take pride in academic and linguistic accomplishments. But not recently.
Aleksandria says
I think, the biggest similarity in Russian and Arabian is the way we use words. One word can have many meanings, sometimes completely different and not connected at all. Plus the way we form our words looks pretty similar.
As for Arabic classes – no, there's not such a thing in your random school. You can learn Arabic in Uni, but, again, not in every University, even not in every city )). I think, it's mostly a need to know it well then anything else.