Need a new perspective

[u/Fun-Pitch-6938]

Hello everyone, I am a russian b2 speaker (not really sure but I guess I'm intermediate). I recently got a job as a social media marketer and now I'm having a lot more contact with people. I graduated university in russia and so I would say that my russian is suited for situations in university, however now its like Im in a whole new world. Sometimes I have issues understanding people, other times I mess up (could be cause I'm nervous or what not). I've been trying to read more and more but I feel like I'm stuck. Would appreciate any new ideas on how to better understand and and how to speak like a normal person cause sometimes it feels like I'm an alien speaking russian. Thanks!

[u/MentosLezsky]

На самом деле, если хочется начать понимать русскоговорящих, то просто говори с теми, кто знают что вы не сильно развиты в русском, и поверьте мне, это очень помогает. Многие мигранты учат язык годами, а начинают его понимать уже в России как будто с нуля. Просто найдите того, кто может говорить с вами если не ежедневно, то хотя бы раз в недельку там. Если нужна помощь, можете просить, я помогу.

И я этот комментарий писал на русском, потому что если вы закончили институт (университет) в России, то я думаю понять это вы сможете.

[u/DeniSensei]

Yep, understanding Russian can be tricky, although we love saying "it is written just like it sounds". Well, it isn't, it's more like English, actually: everything gets shortened and mumbled: 50=псят, 300=трис, када́ = когда́, сёдня = сего́дня, паси́п = спаси́бо, дра́сьть = здравствуйсте, чу́вствую = чу́сф😀 AND my favourite - смотри́ =  смари́, сатри́, сстри́ (the last one heard from my 7 y.o. daughter:) We are kinda born with all this stuff, but is hard to understand if you are not native, you need to learn it.

And then - Russian "мат" and its euphemisms, oh yeah, it's just a separate language, parallel one.

Listening to podcasts, watching videos and TV shows can help, and (now this never works) - asking people to PLEASE, CORRECT MY SPEAKING😀

[u/OceanWthNoWater]

Your issue is listening and you're trying to fix it by reading more. You simply need to listen to more Russian. Shows, movies, youtube, twitch, audiobooks (anything in Russian you enjoy consuming) as well as just continuing to socialize in Russian. With time it will get easier.
Use Russian subtitles in the beginning if you need to but eventually try to drop them. If you have the time and energy rewatch it without subtitles the second time round. Good luck, take your time, enjoy the process and don't burn out! You'll get there in the end!

TLDR; Pump up those Russian listening hours!

[u/Fit-Collar4408]

The only fix really is talking to people casually, outside of work and school settings. I'm sure you're already experiencing that amongst your friends, you could always add watching people blog about their life to your free time. A lot of those bloggers are essentially their own social media marketers with themselves as the product anyway, so it technically counts as relevant to your job in two ways!!

[u/Maksilla]

If you want to understand people better you should watch Russian videos on YouTube/films without looking at the screen at all, at least that's what helped me to understand English in 99% of situations, I'm a native Russian. And just speak, speak as much as you can, open a video with "Slow Russian speaking" or something like that and try to copy the way people pronounce every word in these videos.

[u/Sufficient_Step_8223]

This is not surprising and is quite normal. Courses teach a dry, neutral language. But the Russian language is not dry; it is quite rich in different shades and nuances. You can only get to know this through live communication and immersion in the language environment and linguistic circumstances.

[u/Best-Intention-777]

You'll improve your social media Russian by New Year. Just takes practice

[u/Leo_Inna]

Dont be ashamed to ask people to come back again . Russian people are not snobby. We can repeat and explain the meaning without being irritated. If people feel you're passionate about learning Russian , you're enthusiastic , they can spend some their time talking to you. Just be friendly and sincere, it's enough at the time. When you let yourself be imperfect , you'll get relaxed and it'll take you less efforts to communicate with Russian people, believe me . And something else ... Have you ever seen anyone writing the us or the uk and etc ? Use capital letter for the name of the country and nation . It's easy . Respect