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Russian- and Ukrainian-Speaking Communities and Education

Russian is the most widely spoken language in Europe and the most widespread of the Slavic languages. It is the first language of about 145 million people and the second language of an additional 110 million. Sizeable Russian-speaking communities also exist in the U.S. (especially in large urban centers such as New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Miami, and Chicago). According to the United States 2000 Census, Russian was reported as the language spoken at home by 1.5% of the population, or about 4.2 million people, making Russian the 10th most spoken language in the United States. Deciding when and how to offer translation services for Russian or Ukrainian can be invaluable to communicating with immigrant K12 students and their families.

Russian is the official language of Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan and is one of the official languages of the United Nations. It belongs to the family of Indo-European languages, and is therefore related to Sanskrit, Greek, and Latin, as well as the modern Germanic, Romance, and Celtic languages including English, French, and Irish, respectively.

Today Russian is primarily spoken in Russia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once part of the USSR, where it was widely taught in school. However, younger generations are usually not fluent in it, because Russian is no longer mandatory in the K12 school system. It was widely taught to K12 equivalent students in Asian countries such as Laos, Vietnam, and Mongolia due to the Soviet influence, and is still used as a lingua franca in Afghanistan by various tribes.s:

Russian is written using a modified version of the Cyrillic alphabet, consisting of 33 letters. Setting up Russian documents and web sites requires some preparation and knowledge of Cyrillic typesetting issues. To read Russian correctly you must have the correct language settings and fonts on your computer, which adds another level of complexity to Russian document translation.

When focusing translating services on Russian it is important to know your target audience and where they are located to reach them effectively. For example, when deciding how to best incorporate translation services for immigrants from the former USSR, Russian should be your first choice because Russian was the official language. However, for many immigrants, Russian is not their native tongue, but rather their second language. This includes Ukrainians, the largest non-Russian ethnic group of the former USSR. Even though both languages are written in the Cyrillic alphabet and are similar, they are not mutually understandable, posing unique challenges for translation services professionals. Belarusian is between the two and is often understood by both Russians and Ukrainians.

Russians are family-oriented and multi-generational families are common in the United States. Grandparents are often expected to care for grandchildren when parents are at work. Involving older family members in volunteer activities at K12 schools can benefit these immigrant families. Generally, K12-aged children of Russian immigrants are taught to be obedient and respectful of elders. Education is also highly valued in this culture.

Most recent Russian immigrants are highly educated and many speak English. However, there still may be significant barriers when undertaking translation service efforts targeted at older immigrants and families from lower socioeconomic circumstances in the former USSR.

One of the main reasons for leaving the former USSR or the Ukraine was to escape religious persecution. Therefore, many immigrants in this group are Ukrainian or Russian Pentecostals. There’s been a steady flow of refugees since 1985 in many areas. Belief systems of the Pentecostal religion sometimes differ from those of the general American population and therefore some cultural conflicts can arise between those groups. For example, there’s a stronger emphasis on girls taking care of the family or the family business as they get older, so less importance might be placed on high school and further education. Early involvement between the school and families facilitated with the help of targeted translation services, with special attention paid to these K12 students, could prevent high dropout rates in this group.

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