Let us look at the languages spoken in Europe and then understand if learning Russian would be an advantage in Europe.
Russian, French, German, Italian and English have more than fifty million native speakers in Europe and Russian is the most spoken native language in Europe. It has approximately 140 million native speakers across the continent.
Russian belongs to the Slavic languages family which is a part of the Indo-European languages family.
Russian is the official language of Russia, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, and Kazakhstan. It is also widely spoken in Ukraine and other former Soviet countries which includes Azerbaijan, Estonia, Georgia, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.
Russian is taught as a second language in most former Soviet countries and thus a large population speaks this language both as a native language and a second language in Eastern
Now let us see if learning Russian could be an advantage in Europe.
Looking at the above numbers, you must have understood that learning Russian can definitely be of help to you especially in Europe.
It is the world’s eighth most spoken language with approximately 260 million speakers with 140 million native speakers across the continent of Europe.
You can have a great travel experience especially in the Eastern European region
Not many people speak English in Russia. Learning the language can help you communicate with the locals at least at the basic level. You may even find signboards in Russian. Thus, learning the Cyrillic alphabet can come to your rescue. Many times, understanding the local language can help you discover or experience travel in depth which might be missed in the usual travel itinerary.
It can help you understand the Russian culture
You may not have realised how unique Russian culture is. Learning and understanding the Russian language can help you understand the culture of the people who speak it. You get to learn the true culture which may be very different from the stereotypes you have heard or seen about the Russian culture which includes the rich history of Russia, its literature, ballet, classical music, painting and various other forms of arts.
You can learn other Slavic languages
If you are interested in learning multiple languages and would like to learn other Slavic languages, Russian can be your gateway to learn them.
You can improve your business or employment opportunities
For someone who is looking to work in any of the major industries in the European region or expand their business where Russian is spoken widely, learning the language can be an added advantage.
How can you learn the Russian language?
Well, it is said that immersion is the best way of learning a language. However, it may or may not be possible for you to quickly move to learn the language. There are many institutions that offer regular classes for the Russian language.
These days the option of learning online has increased manifolds. Thus, you can even find a good online class where you can learn Russian based on your level.
Both online and regular classes have their own benefits. Depending on your comfort, convenience, accessibility and learning abilities and attitude you can choose any of them.
You can also book a free demo session with Multibhashi to start learning Russian from the comfort of your own space at your own pace.