This topic appears from time to time in the forum.
Certainly, it’s a very important topic for everybody who studies one or several foreign language.
That’s why I decided to write this article in Russian.
But I would appriciate if someone can translate this article into English, German, French or Spanish.
Here is the link to the Russian version:
I’d be happy to try to make an English translation and recording for you Evgueny … I’ll take the lesson now.
Thanks, Maths!
I believe that this article will be interesting not only for people who are learning Russian, but also for everybody who learns any foreign language.
Now you have an opportunity to read also an English version of this article.
The tranlation was made by Lewis (Maths).
Thanks a lot, Maths!
This is the link to the English translation:
Interesting excerpt of this lesson:
“The slowest of all to start speaking in Russian are the Swiss. They are reluctant to be seen as “fumbling”, and thus remain quiet. Still, one to one it’s possible somehow for them to talk a little. But speaking in a group doesn’t work so well. A small but proud nation, they don’t wish to be seen as worse than others, they are deathly scared of mistakes.”
Is this really true, or some kind of prejudice??
Of course, there are different students from the Swiss as well, but the general tend is as I’m writing.
But it doesn’t mean that they are lazy. On the contrary, they are very laborous.
But they like to be perfectionists rightaway, and it can disturb by language learning, at least at the first levels when it’s just impossible to be absolutely perfect.
But I like them.
Das ist ja unglaublich! Da werden Vorurteile kreiert,dass mir die Haare zu Berge stehen.So etwas verschlägt mir wirklich die Sprache!!
j:-(
“… But they like to be perfectionists rightaway, …” …
I am also a perfectionist, and I tend to remain quiet, until I feel comfortable in a new language… So I am a Swiss too. 
What’s more, in my experience, Japanese and Chinese people are also “deathly scared of mistakes” (makes them “lose face”). That is one the main reasons that they don’t speak a lot, and therefore they have problems speaking correctly and fluently. But of course, there are exceptions, like everywhere.
@jolanda – Du bist die Ausnahme von Evguenys “Regel”
@jolanda: Yeah, and I explained already that I like such people because I was one of them in my childhood.
THat is not a bit insalt at all!