UK v US language difficulties reply to post from MAIN

[dumbledore11214]

zanooda:
> I personally understand, say, Ukrainian, so much better when I 
read 
> in it, not when I listen to it :-). If I can see how the word is 
> written, it's easier for me to recognize it or guess its meaning.


Alla:

When I grew up in Kiev many people for whom Russian was first 
language did not want to learn Ukrainian. I do not know where you 
are from, but if you are from any republic other than Russia, I am 
sure you remember how any native language, be it Ukrainian, 
Belorussian or Uzbek was sorta secondary to Russian during Soviet 
Union times in all republics.

I mean, you were supposed to learn it in school, but all official 
correspondence was in Russian, etc. Now they totally avoid Russian 
in many independent republics, sorta other extreme if you ask me.

So, I could never understand that - I enjoyed the language, still 
do, even if do not have much reason to speak it. 



Alla: 
> > I think you and myself have no problem understanding both 
versions 
> > because we in school learned british version.
> 
Zanooda: 
> Yeah, exactly, words like jumpers are not a problem for us :-). I 
> read HP books in US edition first, so when I met an unfamiliar 
word 
> there, I didn't really know if the word was British or American, 
as 
> for me both versions are equally foreign :-). I usually just look 
the 
> word up, in case I can't figure it out from the context. 
> 
> I must say I learned some stuff thanks to HP. For example, I met 
> this "black pudding" before in some other books, but I was never 
> curious enough to find out what it was, I was quite satisfied to 
> understand that it was some food. Well, now I know exactly what it 
> is, and believe me, it's not at all what I imagined ... :-).
>

Alla:

Oh yeah, did not mean to say that I understand all the words LOL. Of 
course I will just look it up if I do not know it as well.