What are the main differences between Russian and English? Comparative analysis of two cultures of england and russia.
Anastasia Ovchinnikova
The interaction between the Russians and the British, like many other peoples, occurs with some complications.
To begin with, it is worth mentioning the attitude of the Russians and the British towards each other. As A. V. Pavlovskaya writes in her book “England and the British”: “The attitude of the British towards Russians is generally benevolent ... The standard reaction to the message that you are Russian is a phrase about the weather. That is, the British in general, as is well known, always talk about the weather, but in combination with our country, this is inevitably a theme of cold. If you travel in the summer, it means that there will be no limit to the surprise of the interlocutor when, in response to a question about the weather in Russia, he hears that it is hot there now. If you are asked about the weather in winter, then please make your interlocutor a pleasure, write down a real Russian winter, even if the usual winter slush is at home at this time ...
But nevertheless, Russians cause some fears: the fault here is on television, which tells all the time about our crime, and our own modern feature films praising the immortal mafia, and sometimes the behavior of our compatriots, who breathed the air of freedom. "
The Russian national character is characterized by heightened interest, curiosity and goodwill towards foreigners in general and the British in particular. Accordingly, the words foreign and foreign do not have inherent (that is, originally inherent regardless of the context) negative connotations, rather the opposite. These are words that arouse interest and increased attention, adjusting to the perception of something new, exciting, unknown. The British are one of the most respected nations for the Russians. Perhaps this is due to the positive image of the British taken from literature and films. And even after personal contact, despite all the oddities of the British, Russians still perceive them positively. The English words foreign and foreigner are usually used in negative contexts. In the illustrative phraseology of English dictionaries, the foreigner is presented in a clearly condescending light.
An important problem that you face when you find yourself in a foreign country is the language problem. As a matter of fact, it is not central. Other factors, such as mood, are much more important for enjoying your stay in another country. If it is positive, if you firmly decided that you will be fine, then most likely it will be so. It is very important to know and understand another culture, the desire to understand, accept and even forgive those cases that run counter to your ideas about beauty. It is enough to agree that someone else's does not mean bad, and that means just something else, so that life abroad becomes much easier.
It is quite possible to do without a language in another country. For this there is a language of facial expressions and gestures. But, of course, knowing the language helps a lot and makes your life different. You see more, understand more, fear less, feel calmer. The problem with the English language is that almost everyone knows it at least a little, but few understand it. To begin with, the English that we have always been taught, the so-called Royal English (in England itself it is called BBC English or Oxford English) is suitable mainly for a conversation with the Queen. In order to learn live English, you need to communicate with a native speaker of either England or Russia. Educational tourism pursues exactly this goal: for people to practice language knowledge in a native speaker country. There is another difficulty that many tourists will agree with: often a foreigner who speaks a non-native English is much easier to understand than a native Englishman. In addition, the English language on a small island by our scale has a huge number of dialects, accents and variants, primarily phonetic.
It is interesting that the younger generation, who grew up more relaxed and cosmopolitan, as a rule, does not have much difficulty in using their, albeit the most meager, knowledge. But the elder, even having studied all the rules of grammar and phonetics, very often cannot open his mouth and is completely unable to communicate. Which proves once again that the problem here is not in knowledge, but in psychology.
As A.V. advises. Pavlovskaya: “If you want to be understood, firstly, put the porridge in your mouth and in no case pronounce the sounds clearly - we will pretend that this is a joke, although this is the impression that often arises when first communicating with the British. Use facial expressions and gestures more, in England this is, however, not accepted, but it can help you find your way or, like Figaro and Lefty, have lunch. And most importantly, relax, do not worry, do not be afraid to make a mistake: the British are very lenient towards foreigners and will try to understand you in any case, and if they suddenly succeed, they will certainly be surprised how good your English is. " Unlike the British, Russians are perhaps the only nation that laughs at the attempts of foreigners to speak Russian.
Since the most popular accommodation option is the so-called. Host families, it is worth mentioning the peculiarities of life in an English family.
Family life is an integral part of the curriculum. The family is usually carefully selected by the school administration or the company in many ways. Typically, a group escort or sales manager explains to tourists that an English family will be culturally different, such as no showers, different food and pets in the home. A family in England can be called a family consisting of a husband, wife, sometimes children, or a single woman or man. Sometimes family pets are given more attention than children. That is, even the British are pretty cool about their children. Therefore, do not wait for a warm welcome when you enter their house.
From time immemorial, the Russian people were famous for their hospitality and hospitality. In any home and family, Russians warmly welcomed and accept acquaintances and strangers, give a place to sleep, treat with everything they can. 80% of English people are quite clear about foreign students in their home - shelter, food, a little conversation at dinner. This is where all communication ends. The British are characterized by a love of silence and solitude, the desire not to interfere in the affairs of others.
At the same time, there will be less conflict if you keep your family informed of your movements.
Eating in the family is often also a problem, since we have different opinions about the taste and nutritional value of products. The problem can be solved by simply talking to the family. Usually, if the request is within the bounds of courtesy, the family will accept it.
On the first day of arrival, students usually write a test to determine the level of the language. Cheating is a very big mistake our students make. In England, and in many other countries, this is strictly prohibited. Cheating is one of the clearest examples of collectivist culture. In an individualistic culture, cheating can be severely punished.
A big role in communicating with the British is played by a smile. One of strange features representatives of Russian culture in the eyes of the West are gloom, coldness, lack of a smile. In our time, when international contacts are becoming more massive and intense (both sides are making up for lost time over decades of isolation), the problem of smiling suddenly became especially acute.
Russians do not smile (and hence they are "gloomy savages", aggressive by nature, etc.), they are an unsmiling nation (they are an unsmiling nation) and therefore you need to be on your guard with them: you can expect anything from these gloomy types. No matter how ridiculous it may seem for the Russians, the furor made by Mikhail Gorbachev in England in December 1984, from which his "triumphal march" began in the Western world, was caused, in particular, by a pleasant surprise - a smiling high-ranking Soviet ruler.
So, the West's claim to the "mysterious Russian soul": why not smile? Thousands of foreign tourists, especially from English-speaking countries, leaving Russia and enthusiastically speaking about what they saw, complain at the end: but why are people on the street so gloomy, why not smile?
On the contrary, Russian people, once in the English-speaking world, are perplexed about smiles.
In the Western world in general and in the English-speaking world in particular, a smile is a sign of culture (culture, of course, in the ethnographic sense of the word), it is a tradition, a custom: to stretch your lips to the appropriate position to show that you have no aggressive intentions, you are not going to rob or kill. This is a way of formally demonstrating to others that they belong to a given culture, to a given society. The method is very pleasant, especially for representatives of those cultures in which a smile is an expression of a natural sincere disposition, sympathy, good attitude, as in Russia.
These are completely different smiles in different cultures. In the Western world, a smile is at the same time a formal sign of culture, which has nothing to do with sincere affection for the one you smile at, and, of course, like all mankind, a biological reaction to positive emotions; the Russians have only the latter. And you don't need to worry about this, or shrug your shoulders, or suspect of intrigues - everything is fine, everything is natural: in one culture - this way, in another - differently.
Russians have a completely different mentality, different traditions, a different life, a different culture - in this matter, everything is exactly the opposite. The higher the social position of a person, the more serious his image should be. If you are applying for a high office, you must show your future voters that you are a solid, serious, intelligent person and, therefore, aware of what difficult business you are facing, what kind of serious problems have to decide. A smile in such a situation is inappropriate, it will only show that the person is frivolous, does not realize the responsibility of his work and therefore cannot be trusted.
It cannot be said that Russians lack manners in the Western European sense of the word. They have manners, they just are not quite the same as in the West.
Where a super-polite Japanese will probably tell you something like: "Could you make the window open?" : "Open the window, please" - and thus save a lot of time and energy.
Good manners include a quiet voice, calm gestures, and not overly provocative clothing. However, Russians will not hesitate to express their feelings in a public place. For example, if you do not like the way you are served in a store or restaurant, you can tell the seller or the waiter what you think about him, about his relatives, near and far, about his habits and sexual preferences.
To beat or not to beat
But fighting in public is condemned. It is said that in Ireland, if you see two fighting, you can walk up and politely ask if this is a private fight or anyone can take part. And if the answer allows it, you have the right to take off your jacket and do your part. This is not the case in Russia. If someone uses their fists, as a rule, there is someone trying to dissolve the fighters. The Russian may even get into a fight in the hope that someone will stop him: "Hold me until I smeared this son of a bitch on the wall!"
Kiss me then i you
When a man meets, if they Good friends and have not seen each other for a long time, they can kiss on both cheeks. Three kisses are possible if they are priests or one of them is Brezhnev.
Not so long ago, young people kissing in public could be taken to the police. Passers-by at the sight of the kissing couple blushed and turned away. Now you can freely kiss even the policeman himself, and no one will tell you a word: this is how far the Russians have gone, imitating the manners of the corrupted West!
To the question of slippers
Entering the apartment, the Russians take off their shoes and put on slippers. Every housewife has a pair of slippers for guests. This is because even in cities, not all streets are covered with asphalt, and even if there is asphalt, it often looks like a small tank unit drove over it. Moreover, since it is not forbidden to throw garbage on the street, and the scanty salary of janitors does not induce them to laborious zeal, dirt on shoes is simply inevitable.
At a time when standing in lines was an essential element of Russian life, a kind of etiquette developed, with its own rules and prohibitions: you cannot crawl through the queue, you cannot leave the queue for a long time, etc. Now that the shops are full of goods and the only remaining problem is where take money for all this, more than one housewife secretly yearns for the times when she spent long hours in line talking with her own kind: good company, she is good company.
As a substitute for this occupation, Russian women (as a rule, the elderly) use benches at the entrance to their porches. You can always see the gossips sitting on the benches, scrutinizing everyone entering and leaving and exchanging the latest courtyard news. You can rely on them if you want to know if Tanya Manina is at home, or if Manya Tanya has replaced another fan.
How do they say hello
Like an English priest, Russians use the word "you" when referring to God. But while the priest in all other cases says "you", Russians "poke" a lot: they are parents, close relatives, good friends (and sometimes enemies - to show how much they are despised). If the Russians start a lively discussion with "you" and then, at some crucial moment, change it to "you", this often means a sharp break in diplomatic relations.
Your parents are always "you": because why be too polite with the people you are destined to live with anyway? On the other hand, when lovers drop the polite "you" and switch to "you", it means that certain intimate changes have taken place in their life.
There are no references like "sir" or "madam" in Russia, which causes a lot of inconvenience to Russians. Before the October Revolution of 1917, the normal form of address was "sir" or "madam". These words sounded very “bourgeois” and were rejected by the Bolsheviks, who suggested “citizen” or “comrade”. Unfortunately, the "citizen" has gradually become associated not so much with everyday life as with the court or being brought to the police station. "Comrade" - a word from the lexicon The communist party and after the fall of the communist regime, those who were against the previous system did not want to use this word anymore; and there were many of them. “Sir,” however, sounds terribly old-fashioned, which is why the situation is still insoluble.
If you know the last name of a person, you can always refer to him as "Mr. Ivanov" or "Mrs. Ivanova", but this is a very formal address. Desperate to find something suitable, Russians use the simple "Man!" and "Woman!", however, many reject such addresses, finding them vulgar. As a temporary measure, the Russians use "Sorry, please!" They do not name the interlocutor in any way, but simply draw attention to themselves.
Since ancient times, Russians respectfully address older people using the names of degrees of kinship: "Grandma!", "Uncle!" and "Daughter!" The rougher times are the harsher morals: the rather unceremonious-sounding "Grandfather!" to any age person with a beard. But the "Old Man!" as an appeal to a young peer sounds quite friendly. The ways of language are truly inscrutable!
Full report
If you meet a Russian friend on the street and imprudently ask how he is doing, he will stop, take a deep breath and begin to educate you in the most detailed way.
He will list all his ailments and the ailments of his wife; tell you what happened after he followed the doctor's advice; you will find out how it feels in this moment; he will tell you about his son's progress in school and what the teacher said at the last parent-teacher meeting.
Never, never ask a Russian how he is doing unless you really want to know if he slept and what he ate for breakfast today.
Conversation
The most favorite subject of conversation is politics. Any Russian, sane or not, will tell you how bad everything is on the political front, and what he would do if he became president. There is no one who does not have their own proposals on how to save Russia from incompetent rulers, or detailed plan economic development. A common feature of all these plans is an ardent desire to hang all the current rulers on lampposts.
Unlike the British, the Russians do not have the art of talking about the weather throughout the entire transatlantic sea voyage. Russians are able to talk endlessly about anything: about politics, about family matters, about the health of your second cousin's youngest daughter, or about the concept of the Holy Trinity. There are, however, a few subjects that the Russians tend to avoid and cannot be compelled to talk about. They are very embarrassed to talk about sexual problems - even in the doctor's office, and even more so with friends, with children or parents. But with the advent of erotic films and magazines and even (oh, Lord!) Sex shops, the attitude towards this subject becomes calmer. From the windows of every newsstand, not very modestly dressed girls look at you with a promise frozen in their eyes. Now you can hear such previously taboo words as condom, intercourse or group sex. Homosexual relationships are still considered vile and shameful, but no longer criminalized. Sexuality education remains a complete taboo. Russians and especially educators still believe that children are found in cabbage or bought for foreign currency in elite stores.
Most of the Russian curses are related to sex. The Russians are proud that their abuse is known to sailors of all countries, and these sailors rarely realize what they are saying. If they knew, they would probably think twice before applying such killer curses. Fortunately, Russians themselves rarely think what they are saying.
Among the most common curses are swearing, profanity related to sex and relationships, and relatively harmless words such as "whore" and "son of a bitch." Recent acquisition, very sharp, challenging - "goat".
Have you seen this?
Special attention should be paid to gestures and facial expressions. The British, apparently, can do without gesticulation at all, but if you tie the hands of an Italian, he will be discouragedly silent, for a gesture is a necessary part of the Italian language. The Russian language is somewhere in the middle between these two extremes: it is possible to speak without gesturing, but, you must agree, it is very inconvenient.
Most of the Russian gestures differ little from the gestures of other peoples, but sometimes their meanings differ greatly. Some of the gestures typical of Western cultures are missing at all. There is no, for example, the gesture "I am deceiving", when a Western European rubs his cheek with his index finger or crosses his index and middle fingers... Some gestures differ in detail: when calling a taxi, Russians, as a rule, raise their hand and keep it parallel to the ground, while in the West they lower their hand, as if showing where to drive. True, after watching foreign films, Russians also begin to imitate this gesture.
Share your smile
There is nothing in human behavior that is more specific than a smile. The role of a smile in Russia is completely different from that in the West. An American in response to the question: "How are you?" - will answer: "Great!" And he will smile, even if he just received a notice of dismissal from his job. A Japanese man will report the death of his beloved daughter with a smile - and not at all because he is so heartless. In all countries of the world, people suffer in the same way, but in some cultures a smile is a kind of shield: I may feel bad, but I do not ask for your sympathy, I will cope with my misfortune myself.
A Russian who is feeling bad will not smile: he wants the whole world to know about his trouble; well, if not the whole world, even if at least the whole microdistrict. And if the Russian sees that the other is bad, he will immediately rush to help him. Again, we have before us a manifestation of community thinking: "Woe for two is half a mountain; joy for two is two joys"... Why help someone who smiles and says that he is already fine?
Among peoples for whom a smile is a kind of protective wall, Russians are known as gloomy and stern or insensitive and boring people, because they do not smile as often as they do. Foreigners in Russia even instead of: "This will happen when the cancer whistles on the mountain" - they say: "It will happen when someone on the trolleybus smiles."
But the Russians are not at all to blame for all these sins. They just believe that "laughing for no reason is a sign of foolishness." Why pretend to be fun if you're not having fun ?! Well, and if it's fun, then you can not hesitate to demonstrate it.
Sit next to me ...
It's a good idea to keep in mind that there are cultural differences in how close you should be to someone and how often you have the right to touch them during a conversation. During one experiment, the Puerto Ricans sitting at the restaurant table touched each other 180 times an hour, the French 110, and the British never. Unfortunately, no one has tested the Russians, but you can be sure that they are clearly somewhere in between the Puerto Ricans and the French.
Russians are closer to the interlocutor than, for example, English-speaking peoples, but farther than Latin Americans. It seems to the Russians that the British and Americans are constantly moving away from them, and those that the Russians are constantly pressing them. Hence the possible misunderstandings: if an American stops a Russian woman to ask how to get to a hotel, she will come so close to him that the American might think that she wants to get to know him better. Perhaps he will begin to behave accordingly, to the indignation of a woman whose idea of acquaintance has not even occurred to her.
While walking nearby, the Russians are much closer to each other than the representatives of the English-speaking peoples. The same principle applies in the queue: Western Europeans stand on great distance from each other without invading someone else's territory. The Russians can snuggle up closely, without experiencing great inconvenience: they probably do this so that no one crawls through the queue. But only at a great distance it is even more difficult to crawl between people: after all, every maneuver is clearly visible here!
For Russians, people of the same sex can hold hands, for English speakers - under no circumstances: what good, others will think that they are homosexuals ... But Russian young people of different sexes hold hands only if they are in love. For the English-speaking peoples, this is a neutral gesture that does not mean exactly anything. As a result, Russians may get the impression that the British or Americans are sexually licentious people, and these latter may think that Russians are almost universally homosexuals. For the same reason, joint dances of people of the same sex are completely impossible in the West.
The big difference is in how people from different nations make their way through the crowd. Russians do not like it when strangers touch them with their hands, so they prefer to break through with their torso, while the English-speaking peoples consider such behavior rude and aggressive and push people away with their hands, which is already regarded by the Russians as the limit of bad manners.
On the whole, Western residents believe that Russians behave in a familiar, unceremonious manner with strangers, like with relatives, and Russians - that Western Europeans even with relatives behave like strangers. Both are equally wrong, and solely due to their cultural ignorance.
Could an ordinary house window be an expression of the national mentality? As it turned out, why not? Many articles and even books have been written about the difference between Russians and Anglo-Saxons, but a very interesting nuance is usually overlooked - “ours” are distinguished from Englishmen ... windows. The Russian window is the "eye", the eye of the dwelling, with the help of which its inhabitants can look "into the world." Hence the famous "window to Europe". Russia cut it through in order to gain advanced experience in science, technology, and public administration from European countries.
V English language The window is more closely related to the respiratory system. Meanwhile, in modern times, when England received wide use Puritanism is a radical trend in Protestantism, english window also became an eye, only not for the inhabitants of the dwelling, who want to look at the world, but for a society that seeks to control to the smallest detail any subtleties of the life of the English man in the street.
The phrase "puritanical views" still symbolizes asceticism and fanatical "honesty" of those who share such views. The Puritans sought to place the entire private life of the people under the control of the religious community. For this, they needed windows. Until recently, the Calvinist Netherlands and even Lutheran Sweden had bans on window curtains... It was believed that a good Christian had nothing to hide from prying eyes. Any Puritan could calmly walk up to the window and see what his neighbors were doing down the street. It was not considered shameful, on the contrary? was approved by the society in every possible way. By the way, in Switzerland during the "dictatorship" of the founder of Calvinism, John Calvin, dissidents were expected to be punished no less cruel than in Spain or Italy, where the Catholic Inquisition was raging.
In Russia, we see a completely different cultural tradition. Although privacy is called one of the main values of Western culture, in reality it has always been much more developed in Russia than in England itself. Therefore, in Russian culture there are so many proverbs and sayings about uninvited guests.
It is considered indecent to look through other people's windows in Russia, this is explained to Russian people in early childhood. For a Russian person, home is his private sphere, his inner world, into which only his master can let him in. The "order" in the traditional Russian house was followed not by neighbors through the window, but by icons from the walls. The Russian person himself was ashamed of icons, his level of self-regulation and self-discipline was always higher than that of a Western person.
Contemporary values West, the lifestyle of the heirs of the Puritans only repeat the vector that was set centuries ago. An open society, transparency of public life, juvenile justice, unceremoniously invading the private life of families - these are classic manifestations of the "all-seeing eye" of Western society, a system of total supervision that has been developing in the West for centuries. It is good that the Russian windows served a different purpose.
Since the ultimate goal of using any language is to describe the situation that exists in real life, a conversation about linguistic differences can be conducted only taking into account the implementation of the set goal, i.e. first of all, we must learn to understand how the description of a real life situation in one language differs from the description of a real life situation in another.
The first difference
The first and most important difference, which practically determines all the others: in the English language, words do not have endings. Let's try to figure out how it looks in practice. In the process of the long historical development of the Russian language, a system of endings has developed in it, with the help of which words seem to be linked together in order to get a phrase (sentence) that correctly describes a situation in life. In modern Russian, each word (with a few exceptions) exists only with a certain set of endings, which we use, depending on which particular situation this word is taken to describe at the moment.
For example:
Chalk is on the table.
There is no chalk on the table.
Chalk fell under the table.
They knocked on the table with chalk.
Mel was found under the table.
These examples describe five different situations and all descriptions are correct. But let's try to play with the endings:
Chalk lie on the table.
Mela lies on the table.
The chalk is on the tables.
Found chalk under the table.
In the second case, the endings were chosen incorrectly, there was no connection between the words, the meaning (correct description of the situation) was not built.
Yes, but how do you “construct meaning” to describe the same situations in English if there are no endings?
How do the English make words interact correctly with each other?
The historical development of the English language took place in a completely different direction. While our ancestors created and improved the system of endings, the ancestors of the modern English concentrated their efforts on the development of verbs, i.e. words for actions. They reasoned approximately like this: it is impossible to describe any life situation by a simple enumeration of objects, since life is a continuous movement, and objects in it do not exist on their own, but only in constant interaction with each other. Therefore, to describe any situation, it is necessary to designate an action, which should force all objects and concepts involved in the description of a specific situation to correctly interact with each other. In other words, that part of the work that endings do in Russian, the British instructed the verb to do. This means that in order to build an English sentence, you do not need to think about what form to give each word (as in Russian). You just need to put the verb correctly (the predicate is called in the sentence). So, in our examples with chalk and a table English words chalk and table will look exactly the same in all situations. Only the predicate will change.
The second difference
The second main difference follows from the first and lies in the fact that in English no sentence can exist without the main members - the subject and the predicate. There are many such sentences in Russian.
For example:
It's five o'clock.
They gave me a book.
Day is breaking.
When describing such situations in English, we will have to artificially introduce the main terms into the sentence. So, the message about the time in English looks like this:
This (subject) is (predicate) five o'clock now.
Here we must understand that the need for the mandatory presence of the main members in the sentence is caused by the absence of endings in the English language - if in the Russian sentence the words are connected sequentially with one another with the help of endings, then in English they seem to be grouped around the predicate, which cannot exist without the subject , because it coordinates its form only with him.
So, in any English sentence there must be both subject and predicate:
I am a student. - Russian variant.
I am a student. - English version.
The only exception can be some moments in colloquial speech, when the main terms are easily guessed in meaning and therefore can be omitted.
The third difference
The third main difference is not related to the first, but I think it is extremely important: the difference in the description of many real life situations.
For example:
I attend courses. - Russian variant
I am taking courses. - English version
I have ... - Russian version
I have ... - English version
I'm thirsty. - Russian variant
I am thirsty. - English version
This applies mostly to colloquial speech, i.e. to describe those situations that arise most often in life and which, as a result, have become, as it were, a cliché, firmly established structures. This includes greetings, goodbyes, courtesy, etc. We will consider such situations in the Colloquial Expressions section. But differences in the description of situations exist not only in everyday colloquial speech, they generally occur quite often at all linguistic levels. Therefore, here my advice is this: strive not to simply translate words from one language to another, but to give a correct description of the situation in the language that you are using at the moment.
For example:
Hearing English: Remember me to your sister.
We make a literal translation to ourselves (that is, we take into account every word and rule that a native English speaker used to describe the situation in order to convey its meaning), and we get:
Remind me to your sister.
The situation is clear, but we don't speak Russian like that. We find an equivalent Russian sentence:
Say hello to your sister for me.
This is the correct description of the situation in Russian, although the words used in both languages for the same purpose are somewhat different. Now the situation can be described out loud or on paper. We work in exactly the same way in the opposite direction, from Russian to English. The conclusion to all of the above in this part can be made as follows: the literal translation should be used only as an intermediate stage, the final goal of any sentence is the correct description of the situation. Although, of course, in many cases the description of situations in different languages happens the same, and then literal translation is normal.
The fourth difference
The fourth main difference follows from the first: in Russian, the parts of speech differ in endings(selling is a verb, selling is a noun, selling is an adjective), in English, due to the lack of endings, the various parts of speech very often do not differ at all in appearance from each other: like - to like (verb) / like - similar ( adjective); book - book (noun) / book - order in advance a ticket, place (verb); need - to need (verb) / need - need (noun), etc. This should be remembered in cases where a word from the English language does not fit in your perception of the situation described in English, although the translation of this word seems to be known.
Refer to the dictionary. By the way, many people who study foreign languages do not know how to use dictionaries at all because they are too lazy to read the introductory part of the dictionary, which gives full recommendations and explanations on how to use this dictionary. And yet - the larger the dictionary in volume, the more competent and reliable it is. Therefore, I believe that small dictionaries, such as pocket dictionaries, are completely unsuitable for serious language learning. They simply lack many of the necessary meanings of words and other important information. Another difference between the English language and Russian is based on the impossibility of distinguishing in many cases the parts of speech.
The fifth difference
In English, there is a strictly established and strictly observed word order in a sentence. This means that each member of the sentence must stand in its own, definite place, otherwise they can simply be confused (after all, there are no endings!).
2. Introduction ……………………………………………………………………… .3
3. The main part - Traditions and customs of Russia and England ………………… ... 4
3.1. "Tea drinking" ……………………………………………………………… .4-5
3.2. " Love for gardens ( English garden) » ……. ……………………………….6
3.3. "Monarchy" .....................................................................................................7
3.4. " Strict (English) education "……………………………………… 8
3.5. "Private boarding schools" …………………………………………… 9
3.6. "Love for your home» …………………………………………………..10
3.7. " Politeness and poise» ………………………………………11
3.8. " Communication "…………………………………………………………… 12-13
3.9. " Transport movement "……………………………………………… ..14
3.10. "Love for animals" ……………………………………………… ..15
3.11. " National sports» …………………………………………..16
4. Results of comparing traditions in Russian and English families ... 17-18
5. Similarities and differences between English and Russian traditions …………………… 19
6.Conclusion ………………………………………………………………… 20
7. List of used literature ……………………………………… ..21
Introduction
Tradition is a set of ideas, rituals, habits and skills of practical and social activities, passed down from generation to generation, acting as one of the regulators of social relations.
In my work, I want to compare the customs and traditions of Russia and England, to find out whether they have similarities and differences.
The relevance of research:Nowadays, borders are blurred between countries, people travel, so it is very important to know the traditions and language of the country you are visiting.
The purpose This report is to reveal the features of English culture and its traditions by comparing the cultures of England and Russia.
Tasks:
1) identify the traditions that exist in England;
2) find similarities and differences in English and Russian traditions;
3) assess the level of knowledge about English traditions between students in grades 3 and 4;
4) prove the need to study folk traditions in order to better understand the English and Russian languages.
Hypotheses tested:
1) Are there any similarities in English and Russian traditions;
2) Does the geographical location, history of the country and its climate influence the culture of the people?
Research objectare English and Russian folk traditions.
Methods used:literature analysis, observation, comparison, questioning.
Traditions and customs of Russia and England.
Tea drinking
The oldest and most well-known tradition in England, it is considered to be treated with special reverence and this tradition in England is revered no less than in the east. Tea in England, of course, is drunk Indian, although Chinese is also revered as refined and delicate. The self-respecting British take their own, especially blended tea with them on a trip. The traditions of tea drinking in our countries differ significantly: the English tradition originated in the 16th century, with the help of tea the British plan their day to this day, in Russia tea appeared later in the 17th century and since then this tradition has changed a lot.
In England there is a tradition of drinking tea six times a day.
1st cup of tea
The British wake up at 6-7 am and drink tea in bed before washing and dressing. The tradition arose from England's damp climate and morning fogs. A cup of tea helps them wake up.
2nd cup of tea
After they wake up, they go to the living room for breakfast. For breakfast, the British drink tea with milk and eat, most often, oatmeal, fish or scrambled eggs and bacon.
3rd cup of tea
Second breakfast at the British (Lunch time) starts from 12.00 to 14.00. They also drink tea during this time.
4th cup of tea
"Five-o-clock" is an English afternoon tea at 17.00, accompanied by tea and small snacks.
5th cup of tea
Lunch with the British comes very late at 19.00 - 20.00, accompanied by tea ("High tea") and plentiful consumption of food in the living room behind a huge round table by the fireplace, where the conversations are taking place.
6th cup of tea
After a late dinner, shortly before bedtime, the British can have another cup of tea.
There is a tradition of tea drinking in Russia, but over time it has changed significantly. Tea used to be very expensive and not everyone could afford it. Therefore, a tea ceremony appeared in Russia, which consisted in the ability to brew and pour tea so that each of the guests received his portion of tea of the same strength. Tea was brewed in a samovar, and then drank from cups and deep saucers with a bite of jam and sugar. Nowadays, this is no longer a ceremony, but an ordinary evening tea party or family Saturday gatherings with cakes, pies, jam and sweets.
« Love for Gardens (English Garden) "
Even an Englishman cannot imagine a house without a well-kept garden near his house. This is a special custom in England, which is revered by everyone. To identify better garden near the houses, even contests are held. An Englishman, whose garden near the house is recognized as the best, is considered a very respected person and he can rightfully be proud of himself.
English gardens, the main thing in the style of which is skillful imitation natural nature"Wildness" created by human hands is the strongest national hobby.
Not all Russians have gardens, usually a dacha with a vegetable garden. In Russia, they strive to use gardens, first of all, not for decorative purposes, but for growing cultivated plants and obtaining a harvest.
Monarchy
There is a queen in England who does not really rule the country. She is part of the traditions of this country. The British believe that the monarchy helps to unite the nation and maintain the national spirit.
Russia is a country ruled by a president, he has real power and can take independent decisions... Before the Great October Socialist Revolution in Russia there was a monarchy, and the head of state was the tsar-emperor, who possessed power and ruled the country.
"Strict (English) education"
It is customary to keep children in England strict, and the higher in society you are, the more strict. It is not uncommon to see how in a rich English house, with a huge living room, a giant bedroom, a majestic study, the so-called children's room is located almost in the attic and is a wretched closet, and this is done quite deliberately, from fundamental considerations, so as not to undead, but to temper. It is no coincidence, apparently, that the Boy Scouts movement originated at the beginning of the 20th century in England, and its slogan became “Be ready!”. A true Englishman must be ready for any difficulties at any moment.
In Russia, upbringing is more democratic in nature, parents are more lenient towards their children and less strict.
"Private boarding schools"
Another great tradition in England is a good, prestigious education for their children. Wealthy English people prefer to send their children to private boarding schools, schools with separate education for boys and girls are especially popular (it is believed that nothing will distract children from their studies). Boys and girls in England very often study in private boarding schools away from their parents, they come home only for the holidays. The tradition of studying in such schools originated in the Middle Ages, when the British left for work in the colonies and left their children in boarding schools. Girls study in some boarding houses, boys in others. They are very rare.
In Russia, girls and boys live with their parents and study together, usually in mainstream schools... V last years private schools also began to appear.
« Love for your home "
The British love to be at home. They say “My house is my castle” because they do not want the neighbors to know what is happening at home. The British prefer to live in separate houses built for one family. The center of the house is a fireplace, around which all family members like to sit and look at the fire, exchanging news of the day. A mantelpiece often contains a clock, mirror, or photographs
Russians love their home, but most often it is an apartment, and even more they like to invite people to visit or walk by themselves, because they are more hospitable and hospitable than the British. Russian people are more open and often interested in the affairs of their neighbors.
"Politeness and poise"
The British are polite and often say "Thank you" and "I'm sorry." They don't speak loudly on the street. They don't hustle buses to take free place, they buy tickets showing their place in lines at bus stops. Residents of England do not shake hands when meeting each other, they do not show their emotions even in tragic situations.
Unlike the British, russians not very polite and more emotional, but good-natured and very hospitable. In ancient times, a Russian person, leaving the house, left the door open and food ready for the wanderer, and therefore there were legends about the breadth of the Russian soul. Due to their greater emotionality, Russians are characterized by openness, responsiveness and sincerity in communication.
Communication in England and Russia
1.Russia
Communication is extremely high degree importance in Russian culture. One of the features of communication is collegiality, characterized by the opinion of the collective, the opinion of outsiders. The next feature of Russian communicative behavior is the prescription of sincerity and sincerity. Sincerity is the desire and ability to establish personal relationships at any level of social relationships.
A smile in Russian communication is not an obligatory attribute of politeness. In the West, the more a person smiles, the more politeness he shows. The smile of Russians demonstrates a personal disposition towards another person, which, of course, does not apply to everyone. The “smile on duty” has a negative connotation. There is no requirement to “keep your face”, “keep your dignity”. The contactiness of Russian communicative culture is incomparably higher than in the West. In a conversation, Russians often touch the interlocutor's brush, violating their personal space.
In Russian communication there is a very wide range of topics discussed, especially in comparison with the communicative culture of the West.
For a Russian person, heart-to-heart talk is a priority. The Russian person has a persistent tendency to ask the interlocutor deeply personal questions as a manifestation of friendliness, which are considered taboo for Western communicative behavior (this is how Russians are close to the Greeks).
A love of disputes on global, philosophical issues is a striking feature of Russian communicative behavior. Emotional gestures are also possible, raising your voice is permissible, a sharp expression of denial: “No way! In no case!". Although this is often viewed by foreigners as a quarrel, rudeness, for Russians it often means just a great emotionality of communication, and does not carry ill will or authoritarianism towards the interlocutor.
2. United Kingdom
At first glance, the British seem to be reserved and unperturbed people. And very often it turns out that the British almost never say what they think. The British, unlike, for example, the Americans, have a favorite pastime - to complain. WITH important species, nodding and feeling unity in general displeasure with others, they grumble about everything in the world, until, finally, they agree amicably that everything around is very bad, and somehow it is absolutely impossible to improve the state of affairs.
In a conversation, the British use a huge number of platitudes to support the conversation or cover up their own unwillingness to say anything specific on a particular issue. Weather among the English - not only is the most preferred topic of conversation, it also serves to fill in the pauses in the conversation. Having lost the weather theme, the Englishman feels almost unarmed during the conversation.
English jokes are often extremely sophisticated. Sometimes the meaning of such a joke is almost impossible to grasp. They love irony and expect the same from others. The main thing in the communication of the British with each other are the words expressing a request, gratitude and, most importantly, an apology. If you don't say the right amount words of gratitude or regret, the British will certainly immediately put you on the list of "unpleasant" people, that is, those who are not kind and polite enough.
Try to avoid excessive gesticulation when communicating with the British. This is considered a sign of theatricality, and therefore insincerity. It is considered extremely ill-mannered to talk with your hands in your pockets. Hands should always be visible. The English usually use gestures only when absolutely necessary - for example, when showing the way (the index finger of the right hand is extended). Or, if they stubbornly defend their position (the index and middle fingers of the right hand are raised and depict the letter "V").
It is considered indecent to contact to strangers until you are introduced to them. When greeting and addressing, it is customary to use titles of nobility, even in the circle of close friends. Although the "American" habit of calling each other by name is gaining more and more popularity. Avoid touching when communicating, except when shaking hands. V in public places do not look at other people under any circumstances. The British avoid eye contact, considering it indecent. The British try to shake hands quickly and easily. The British prefer a short, energetic handshake, without any attempt to keep your hand in theirs.
"Left-hand traffic"
Everyone knows about right-hand drive and left-hand traffic in England, so when crossing the street, just in case, look in all directions. Left-hand traffic dates back to knightly times, when horsemen rode on the left to right hand, in which they held weapons, was ready to instantly strike the enemy riding towards them.
In Russia, right-hand traffic of transport, therefore, when crossing the carriageway, you must first look to the left, from where the transport is moving, and, reaching the middle, to the right, not forgetting to look at what is happening around. Right-hand traffic in Russia has developed historically in those days when horse teams rode the streets. They had to stick to the right to avoid collisions.
"Love to the animals"
The British are very fond of pets. They have approximately five million dogs, nearly as many cats, 3 million parrots and other birds, fish in aquariums - and 1 million exotic pets such as reptiles. In the UK they have specialty shops dogs selling food, clothing, and other items for dogs. There are dog hairdressing salons and dog cemeteries. In the UK, pets can send Christmas cards to their friends. There are special animal hotels at airports. The English people believe that they are the only nation on earth that is truly kind to animals.
Russians too they love animals, but, unfortunately, in Russia not everyone has the opportunity to keep large representatives of the animal world. Most often, residents of Russia can afford small animals such as: cats, dogs, small rodents and parrots. And animal care services are not so widespread in our country.
"National sports"
English entertainment are also traditional. National sports are golf, cricket, tennis, polo, fishing and fox hunting. For the British, cricket is more than a game. The British play it every Sunday. If you really want to gain their trust, try learning the rules of cricket.
In Russia since ancient times, everyone, young and old, took part in festivities and celebrations. During the festivities, a rare day off from work, people sought to take a break from the hard everyday work by playing, competing, or simply participating in fun as spectators. But not only amusements and entertainment served them games, but also military training before battles with opponents. National sports Russians are rounders, towns and kettlebell sports.
Comparison of traditions in Russian and English families
Comparison of holidays in Russia and Great Britain
Consider specific examples comparisons of holidays that are celebrated both in Russia and in the UK.
Christmas
Christmas is the most important holiday in the UK. It is celebrated on December 25th. The British give each other gifts, decorate the Christmas tree, look forward to Santa Claus, listen to the Queen's speech. During the festive week, they visit and sing sacred songs.
Celebrating Russian Christmas has some differences. Firstly, in Russia Christmas is celebrated on January 7th. Secondly, the main holiday in Russia is considered New Year... It is on this holiday that people give each other gifts, visit, listen to the president's speech and wait for Santa Claus. The similarity lies in the fact that at Christmas, Russians sing songs that are called "carols".
Pancake week
In the UK and Russia, people are celebrating Maslenitsa. The traditions of celebrating this day are similar in both countries. The British bake pancakes, organize competitions on the speed of baking and eating them. However, Russians celebrate for a whole week instead of one day. Shrovetide is a very important holiday for many Russians, perhaps this is due to the fact that after its celebration, many observe Great Lent. Shrovetide is much brighter and more interesting in Russia than in Great Britain.
The chanting of moms is associated with the annual Greek spring festival in honor of Rhea, the mother of all children. Christians celebrated this festival on the fourth Sunday in March in honor of Mary, mother of Christ. In England, this holiday was expanded to include the celebration of all mothers, and was called Mother's Sunday. In Russia, we celebrate Women's Day on March 8th. On this day, all men agree to do everything around the house and even cook dinner.
Every second Sunday in May, English moms become queens of the day. Children give cards, flowers, congratulate their mothers. It is a tradition to be sure to visit mom on this day. That is, the celebration of Mother's Day in the UK has much in common with the celebration of International Women's Day in Russia.
The May holidays
In Russia, the holiday of May 1 is known to everyone. It has been celebrated since Soviet times and is famous for the words "Peace, Labor, May". Thousands of people participated in parades, rallies, and subbotniks were organized in schools and offices. Today, May 1, is a great opportunity for Russians to have a picnic, to spend their free time outdoors with their family.
It is very interesting that the idea of celebrating May Day in the UK is completely different. May 1st was very important in the Middle Ages. The celebration of May Day has a history associated with the celebration of the Roman festival of flowers, which heralded the beginning of summer. People used to decorate their homes with freshly cut flowers and believed that floral perfumes would bring them good luck. Early in the morning the girls went to the fields and washed themselves with dew. They believed that it made them prettier. Also on May day, young people competed in archery, tug-of-war. The British cheerfully celebrate this holiday to this day: they dance, sing songs, play various folk games.
Conclusion
The culture and traditions of England and Russia differ significantly. This is due to the geographical location of countries, their history and climate.
England is a very small country surrounded by seas. This means that the climate is humid. The weather is often damp and cloudy, which is why the British drink tea so often.
Russia is a huge country. It also has seas, but most of the country is remote from them. The climate in our country is not so damp. But in some areas it is even dry.
The histories of the development of the English and Russian peoples are also very different from each other.
After conducting a survey among students in grades 6-7 of our school, I concluded that the guys know about English traditions, but not all.
When asked about the similarities between Russians and English traditions most of the students answered no.
