One of the biggest concerns that Western men have is the language barrier. Communication between two genders is not always easy in the first place. Add the language barrier to it and you are in trouble. I wrote this post just to give you a heads up on where your Russian wife can learn English after she arrives.
Before you start getting concerned, I have to tell you that no matter what your wife’s level of English is, with enough determination and with your help, she should be able to speak English comfortably after a year living in this country. Assuming of course, that she does try to learn English and not spend all her day talking to her Russian friends and watching Russian channels on TV.
Many Russian women know at least the basics of the English language, because the language is often taught at schools (as a part of the curriculum) and in colleges (as you probably noticed the majority of Russian women have college degrees).
There is no doubt that the better her English is in the beginning, the easier it will be for you two to communicate with each other, but don’t think that if her English seems fluent (when you are corresponding via email), she will not have any difficulties.
I went to a specialized English school in Russia and I though my English was brilliant (my teachers told me that). My self-esteem suffered quite a bit when I arrived to NYC and couldn’t understand a single soul. People could understand me, but because of accents and slang I couldn’t understand much of anything for a while.
So, where to learn English?
My first recommendation would be taking ESL classes in a community college.
Firstly, these classes are really cheap.
Secondly, they are taught by professionals who were trained to teach English to foreigners.
Thirdly, they have classes for different levels, so if your wife’s English is decent, she doesn’t have to learn her ABC’s again. She will be put to a class according to her level.
If your wife doesn’t drive yet and public transportation is a problem, consider taking some English language classes online. There are plenty of free ESL courses and lessons online (just Google: “Learn English online”) and you will see yourself. Both of you can sit down and browse through different websites to determine which level of courses your wife can handle.
A great way to learn English is to watch TV. I know a friend who learned Polish simply by watching soaps. It is true that soaps do not have any intellectual or educational value, but it is only true if you are watching them in your native language. If your Russian wife’s English skills are lacking, she will not be able to handle watching the Discovery channel or CNN news, but watching soaps is an ideal way to learn conversational English fast and without much effort (unless, of course you absolutely can’t stand soaps). Watching children’s movies or movies with subtitles works well for beginners too.
Ideally, all three methods should be used. This way she will learn English very fast, but if she can’t take ESL classes in community college or if you don’t have cable, work with what you have. Just remember to support her and encourage her along the way.
