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Why
Learn Russian?
The
Russian people are known for their hospitality, long and splendid history,
world-famous literature, and beautiful, difficult language. Below, you’ll
find Russian studies rationalized from a business, personal, and academic
point of view, but the bottom line is that Russia is a fascinating land,
the people and the language worthy of introspection and full of allure
for scholars of all disciplines and all backgrounds.
Business
Russia’s
vast supply of natural resources and a young, well-educated workforce
provide strong reasons for investment in this developing economy. A recent
poll of Russians has revealed increasing optimism in Russia’s economic
future and many foreign firms are planning to invest in joint ventures
and commercial enterprises throughout Russia. While much of foreign investment
is channeled through Moscow, the firms operating in lesser-known regions
of Russia are likely to generate the highest returns on investment. Those
who can locate and identify areas of Russia and of Russian business with
the greatest potential can expect to share in the profits.
Academic
After the
collapse of the Soviet Union, Russia continues to be a major political
and military power and the scarcity of Russian linguists remains acute.
Demand for Russian linguists/translators is, and will remain, strong.
Students can look forward to immediate and rewarding employment upon graduation.
Those seeking a future in business will find Russia full of possibilities
for the entrepreneur and language specialist alike. Linguamir will provide
students with the necessary cultural and linguistic basis necessary for
a future career in Russia’s business arena.
Culture
The study
of Russian as a Foreign Language for personal growth and intellectual
satisfaction should also be seriously considered. As a nation-state, Russia
has played an important and often decisive role in world affairs. It has
a fascinating history stretching from the formation of Kievskaya-Rus’
to today’s economic reforms. The Russian people are known for their
hospitality and contributions to technological innovation and the creative
arts. The golden age of Russian literature was a period unsurpassed in
excellence. Pushkin, Tolstoy, Dostoyevsky, Gogol’ and Turgenev among
many others. embody the finest collection of literature in existence.
The satisfaction of reading this classic literature in its original language
is immeasurable.
 A
few words on Russian language and culture
Russian also
provides some unique challenges for a scholar of foreign languages. It
belongs to the Indo-European language family, though its Cyrillic alphabet
and difficult grammar place it far from the Germanic and Romance languages
(such as English and French). A diligent student of Russian will find
that the language by means of its very diversity opens new realms of thought
and offers a fresh perspective of life as a whole. The language to some
extent represents the Russian psyche, especially when compared to English
and the psychology of native-English-speakers. For example, “I”
is the most prevalent word in the English language, and anglophones are
generally known to be independent and individualistic. Russian has a preponderance
of indirect constructions, “it is needed by me”, “next
to me there is”, and “it is necessary for me”, all of
which create a sense of decreased personal responsibility and greater
reliance on the group as society’s basic unit. To understand this
intriguing culture, one needs a foundation in the language.
Don’t
miss this opportunity to see Russia, to live with real Russians and to
discuss their hopes and dreams.
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