Speaking Russian

When off the beaten tourist track non-Russian speakers will find that busy shop clerks, devious taxi drivers, and surly waiters usually have little tolerance for those who haven't spent years developing their Russian language ability. On the other hand, when in a social environment any effort on your part to speak Russian will serve not only to break the ice but will also help the listener to feel more relaxed about trying to speak your language. You will constantly hear apologies from Russians for their pronunciation and vocabulary even if they are quite conversational in your language. When speaking a foreign language to Russians be aware that modesty may keep them from asking you to repeat something that they feel they should have understood the first time.