Would it be difficult getting by in Russia without speaking fluent Russian?

Question

I was invited to accompany a friend to Russia -- her dad is a circuit overseer in their religion, and he is there visiting friends who are at their branch office, and she invited me along to join her when she goes.

I speak absolutely no Russian, but I am sure I could learn some in the upcoming months. She speaks very limited Russian, and we will not be able to be with her father the majority of the time.

Would we have tremendous difficulty in Russia if we do not speak fluent Russian? Would we be able to get by with English (I know that may sound arrogant thinking the world will speak English, and I truly don't intend to come across that way)

Aside from language, are there any concerns that we should address before going?

Thank you so much for any help that you can offer. I am really excited about the trip, and want to make sure that we are adequately prepared.

Answer 1

No, you will not be ok, you need to know the a little bit of Russian, so you should buy the Pimsleur Cds from your local book store, I am currently using it to learn Russian, and it is great, but it will be hard getting by in Russia, and they like you to speak their language, so here you go, I recommend you purchase and learn mst of this before you go.

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Basic-R...

to learn other helpful things

http://www.languagehelpers.com/members/r...

Answer 2

watch out for Georgians and U.S. nukes

Answer 3

If you use simple English, then you will probably get by. Gesticulate a lot to say what you mean. Speak slowly, put a russian accent on english words.

Bring a dictionary with you. You will probably get by with that in addition to your limited russian.

Answer 4

You'll get by OK, but do study the language before you go and don't expect that you will meet up on any regular basis with English speakers. People who come to Russia and tell how so many of the people speak English are usually people who come to Moscow or St. Petersburg, if yours is a religious trip, chances are it won't be to these two cities. As a minimum, study and learn the Russian alphabet, you will not see signs in English and besides, the alphabet is not hard to learn. If you even can get to a beginners level in Russian, it will make your trip much more enjoyable. Also, don't be worried even after learning some Russian before you go when you come and find that you don't understand anything people are saying; it takes a little time for your ears and brain to get acclimated, that's all.

Answer 5

I've had a few friends that went to russia and don't speak any russian and they were able to get by.... just bring a book that has russian/english and look over it a bit before you go and take it with you when you travel, that should help just in case, im sure the younger generation speak a little bit of Russian though, and esp in touristy spots you'll find someone that speaks english.  Just learn at least thank you, please, excuse me and do you speak english, those are useful and shows you have manners.

enjoy