Dear Steemians. This is the second in a series I'm posting to support Golos. I'm a Russophile and I'm tremendously excited about the changes Russia is experiencing.  I hope you enjoy it:

Speaking in a second language is not nearly as straightforward as you might think. In fact 'To speak another tongue' is far more literal description than you might imagine. For those who don't know, proficiency in more than one spoken language can often feel like having interchangeable tongues which are swapped in and out of the mouth when needed.

And yet the tongue doesn't do ALL the work.  Here's Emperor Charlemagne of the Holy Roman Empire to give you his perspective:

You hear that? If you learn Russian you're eventually going to get another soul.  

The only problem is that it will be a Russian Soul. This complicates things. Russian souls are not like other souls...

Ask Pushkin about Russian souls. Ask Gogol, ask Tolstoy. But don't ask Dostoyevsky. He's too depressing.

Here's a passage from Tolstoy.

Oh go on then. Ask miserable old Dostoyevsky as well.

'A Dark Place?' Who wants that for a soul.

 These answers leave us with even more questions.
 

Why are the descriptions so different?
Are they mutually exclusive?
Is one of them right?
Is one of them wrong?  

And what on earth does this have to do with helping us learn Russian?  

It has everything to do with learning Russian. Let me explain...  Traditional language courses divide learning into four main parts:  Reading, Writing Speaking and Listening  However I have discovered  that for optimal progress there should be a fifth.  

Mimicry.

When I speak French, the result is far better if I pretend to be a French person at the same time. I mimic the gestures, the expressions, Sometimes I even throw in a Gallic shrug for effect.

If I'm speaking Italian my gestures change. My movements slow, my head sits slightly further back on my neck. The corners of my mouth turn down. Sometimes I think I'm the Godfather.

If I'm speaking Dutch my expression eases and my gestures soften.

In short, when I speak another language, my body language changes in the same way that my tongue changes. And through this over time, when speaking that language, my thought patterns change. 

Now I'm sorry to say you can't acquire a Russian soul that easily. Apparently there's a waiting list. I suspect you need at least five cold hard Russian winters under your belt to be even considered. It's possible to acquire one but it takes time.

However  the application can be fast tracked if you acquire Russian mannerisms.  Luckily, this is easy and fun.

Go to Youtube and search 'Happy Russians'.

Watch a few videos. Mimic their movements. Copy some of the words they say; just the sounds if you don't understand the words. 

Now look for 'Angry Russians.' Do the same.

'Tired Russians'. Same again 

'Drunk Russians' (This one is good) 

'Confused Russians?' You get the idea...  

'Russian Fail Compilations' are an excellent source of watching Russians with their guard down. They have a great sense of humour and are happy to laugh at themselves. 

 Once you've got an idea of how Russians move and sound my technique require you to develop something I call a trigger phrase. This needs to be something that unlocks your feeling for Russian behavior. It needs to be something you can say in a Russian accent and in a Russian way. Imagine doing a short stereotypical impression of a Russian at a dinner party. Might it make people laugh? Good. 

That's your phrase.

I use this one: 

In Soviet Russia bear hunt you...  

This is perfect because it has multiple levels of Russian built into it. You literally cannot say it without sounding Russian.  The last bit is simple. Every time you engage with learning Russia, you repeat your phrase.

Hopefully, if you've picked a good one, and if you apply yourself like a good little Stanchovite, you'll soon be learning to speak good Russian. Drinking vodka, squatting, being fantastic at chess and changing your name to  Sergei are all optional.

And remember that Charlemagne mastered reading but struggled with writing, do don't be discouraged. You're already far ahead of him!