You’ve heard Tim the teacher and Tim the traveler. But what about Tim the student? In Episode 9, Tim shares his experience learning Russian from almost zero while living in Moscow 2006-2009.
You’ve heard Tim the teacher and Tim the traveler. But what about Tim the student? In Episode 9, Tim shares his experience learning Russian from almost zero while living in Moscow 2006-2009.
Thanks for sharing, Tim. You are so motivating ! I would like to say that your pronunciation is really brilliant.
Could you pls explain how you might keep the level the language if you don’t use it on the regular basic?
Hi Yulia! I am so glad you liked the episode!
About your question, there are two things here.
First, you’re right that I forget much slower than most people seem to. I for example almost never speak German now and am still fortunate enough to speak it more or less how I did way, way back in 2004. I think a large part of the answer is that I am just lucky.
The other thing is that I do use Russian sometimes- I talk with friends from those days, or give classes to raw beginners or (more rarely) speak Russian with local Russian-speaking people here in Cincinnati. I also sometimes read in Russian. And in classes I sometimes translate this or that word. All of this helps!
If I may, I’d suggest a few ideas. Tim’s an exceptional linguistic talent, but we, common people, need a bit more exposure;) Generally, try to surround yourself with as much English as possible: watch series and shows in English, listen to and sing songs, go to speaking clubs (AMC offers a lot of free opportunities and has an online library), find a partner for speaking or give tandem classes, chat with GPT, change the language on your smartphone/laptop …
Don’t be too modest, Elizaveta- I remember your English as being among the best I’ve ever heard from a non-native!
Your advice is very good, but I admit Chat GPT makes my blood run cold! I wonder how much of language teachers’ work will be done by it instead of us in the future.
Thank you, Tim, for your kind words. I really love English, for its vast and versatile vocabulary, elegant syntax – you can express anything in English as opposed to German and its fixed concrete-like structures, in which you need to squeeze your thoughts. As for Chat GPT, I’m almost sure, it will replace people in certain professions like doctors and teachers and only few people will be able to afford “humans” in these roles.
The episode sounds like a stand-up performance to me) I laughed and felt the physical pain of learning Russian at the same time. I clearly remember the moment when I heard you changing the stress of a noun in an object case and I realized you’re a Sprachgenie. Moscow was fun at that time, though brutal at times.
Right after pressing stop on the mic, I remembered a Russian friend of mine who’d moved to Moscow some years before we met. “Moscow damaged my central nervous system”, he told me. This is pretty much what happened to me!
I’m glad you liked the episode! I will do more episodes about my time in Moscow in the future, so stay tuned…