Letters | Tips for would-be Chinese teachers in Russia
- Readers discuss the popularity of Chinese lessons in Russia, and the deafening Western silence on the Indian crackdown on Sikh separatism
But while a Briton can teach his language abroad without learning a new vernacular, a Chinese here must first learn Russian. Speaking as a Muscovite with a Certificate of Proficiency in English issued by Cambridge University, let me give some advice to those of your readers ready for a teaching career in Russia.
Use your ears. Even in nonliterate societies, people could learn a new language by spending some time with a neighbouring tribe; nowadays, a gadget allowing you to stream audio from a Moscow radio station will suffice.
Use your eyes and always look up a word. Reading my first book in English, Bram Stoker’s Dracula, I learned such simple words as “garlic”, “countermand”, “cerebration” and “quondam”.
Use your tongue – carefully. A century ago, a Chinese trader in Siberia thought he had mastered my language, but only my grandfather could understand him, with others being convinced that the man was for some reason singing.
And keep on studying no matter what your achievements are.