What is so scary about the Russian alphabet, after all?

Don't fret: this is just a bunch of letters!

One of the most ridiculous reasons I've heard for not choosing to study Russian is that "the alphabet is too frightening/difficult/scary/different...". The simple answer to that is that it is, in fact, none of the above.

It is not so difficult to learn 33 letters: people do learn 26 in English and French, 28 in Arabic, and 29 in Spanish, not to mention the about 4,000 characters learned in Chinese. Why Russian is being singled out for the number of letters is unclear.

The Russian Cyrillic alphabet is not SO different from the Latin one: if it were, how would I be able to type the following Russian letters without changing my keyboard layout? A E K M O C T X (that's 8 out of 33 you don't have to really learn anew at all, if you already know the English alphabet). Then we add the ones that are similar and/or not hard to grasp in terms of writing: B, H, Ё, 3, У, P (that's 6 more). Then the ones that would be familiar to anyone that has an interest in mathematics or has seen the names of sororities and fraternities at universities, written in Greek: Г, Д, Л, П, Ф (5 more). What remains "scary" and "unusual" and "never before seen or imagined" is 14 letters, at most. Will you really allow 14 letters to stand between you and one of the world's richest cultures? You must be joking.

Going to the Sochi Olympics or planning to follow them? Learn Russian! You won't regret it.

, anyone?

If you are planning to go to the Sochi Olypics in Russia, starting very soon, you may want to brush up on your Russian or even still have time to get some of the basics before you go. Russian would be good to have in Sochi, believe me! Yes, there will be many people who speak English (with very varying success) or pretend to speak it, but you should not count on being 100% comfortable without any Russian. This is, after all, a great opportunity for you to learn one of the world's most beautiful and popular languages.

Even if you are not attending the Sochi Olympics, but will be keeping track of the Games and/or connected with them in some fashion professionally, you may want to use the time until the Games to study Russian.

I still have available spots for Russian classes in Edmonton or online via Skype. Contact me for details!

Why would someone want to learn Russian?

The notes below are not meant to be scientific, just some personal research info, with my favourites highlighted in yellow.

If you ask around, the reasons that people name for learning Russian or wanting to learn Russian appear to be shifting or at least developing in an interesting way. Based on a number of conversations with those that have been around Russian language training for longer than myself, during the Cold War era, some of the reasons you would have found were:

"The Russians are coming!"

• The Russians are going to invade soon anyway, so I should be prepared
• The Sputnik and the first man in space mean that Russia is way ahead in terms of their technology
• I'm interested in history, and Russia seems to be one of the most important elements of world history
• Don't tell anyone, but I'm being trained to infiltrate the USSR and send top-secret info

The reasons 15-20 years ago used to be mostly within the lines of:

• I want to read Russian literature in the original
• I want to do travel to Russia and have more independence while I'm there
• My company wants to expand to the former Soviet Union
• I have Russian heritage and want to reunite with my cultural roots

Nowadays, people are also learning Russian for a few new reasons:

• Russia is the computer virus and malware centre of the world. If IT security is your thing, Russian is the language to know.
• Russians and Russia are beautiful and mystical
• I needed a personal challenge, and yet a manageable one (unlike, apparently, Arabic or Chinese)
• My significant other has Russian roots or speaks that language
• I have keen interest in Orthodox Christianity
• I want to be able to communicate with Russian speakers playing the same MMORPG or shooter
• Russian sounds sexy/cool
• I'm interested in adopting a child from Russia
• I've recently discovered Russian music and want to be able to understand the lyrics
• Russia is still a major geopolitical rival

And what about you? Why are you interested in learning Russian?

Learning Russian is easier than you think: you just need to start

There are still many reasons to learn Russian

Since coming to Canada from Russia in 2004, I've taught my native language in the form of individual tutoring sessions, university classes and in casual conversations with friends and colleagues. The main stereotype that always makes it difficult for people to start learning Russian is that "it's such a difficult language...". If you don't try, you will never know the true beauty of the Russian language or appreciate the literary masterpieces to the fullest.

I've had students starting out in their Russian learning journey with little enthusiasm and even less hope - now they specialize in Eastern European culture, literature, politics and/or are involved with business and communications involving Russia and its neighbours. Russian is fun - see it for yourself today!