Transcript of Bonus Ep 7 pt. 1.mp3

Charlie:
Welcome to the British English podcast with myself, Charlie Baxter, the show helping you learn British English and understand British culture. And today we are looking at it through the perspective of a Russian person, because I have a friend in Moscow. Roughly speaking Moscow, I should say. But I made friends with this person two years ago and they helped me set up a workshop when I came to Moscow to teach some lovely YouTube followers. And it was amazing. We've kept in touch since and I thought it would be fantastic to get her on the show to better understand how Russian people see British people. And because she went to the UK at one point. So we're going to get into it. And her name is Anya. Hello, Anya. How are you today?

Anya:
Hello, Charlie. I'm fine, thank you. Thank you for inviting me on this podcast. I'm really happy to see you.

Charlie:
Oh, nice. Yeah, it's been a while, isn't it? It's lovely to see your face. So I should say you also do your own podcast, don't you?

Anya:
Yeah. So-.

Charlie:
What's the-.

Anya:
Parents and for? Um, not only for teachers, for educators, for every person who is somehow connected to education, educating children.

Charlie:
Educating children. Ok, yeah. Because you're very busy on your Instagram. Has your podcast distracted you a little bit and you're keeping more busy on your podcast than your Instagram now? What do you do?

Anya:
Yeah, yeah, yeah. I actually spend lots of my free time recording and interviewing people and then, yeah. Reading about those people who I'm going to interview like preparing lots of my time.

Charlie:
Yeah. Yeah.

Anya:
I think that you know what I'm talking about because it just takes ages

Charlie:
It does take a while doesn't it? Takes a lot longer than you think.

Charlie:
This episode comes with a free worksheet over on the website, www.thebritishenglishpodcast.com so grab that and you can listen along whilst using it.

Charlie:
And you've just had a child or you've got a nine-month old baby, girl? Yeah, is that right?

Anya:
Baby girl, Polina? Yeah.

Charlie:
And before starting this recording, you were saying that her name is Polina and you were trying to tell me the difference between our nicknames. The way that we would maybe, say, a term of endearment, like sweetie or darling. You have- you have an extension of the name, is that right?

Anya:
Yeah. Extension. This is the word. I'm not sure that this is a nickname. Nickname. This is, if I'm not mistaken, this is usually another word not always connected to the name.

Charlie:
Yeah, that's true. Yeah. It's often a nickname comes from your school.

Anya:
Yeah.

Charlie:
And your, your friends give you these nasty nicknames that you can't-.

Anya:
Yes.

Charlie:
Even after 20 years of a reunion, they still call you sheep shagger.

Anya:
Yeah, absolutely. Absolutely. We have this extensions to our names and yeah. So there are so many versions but not of all names, I believe.

Charlie:
Ok, yeah, but Polina, that could be what would- what extensions could we have?

Anya:
We- We call her uh, Polushka, Polinushka, Polinka.

Charlie:
Ok, so it sounds like just uh, a Russian suffix just thrown on the end of the word?

Anya:
Right. Yes, absolutely. Absolutely.

Charlie:
So what could mine be, Charlie-ishka?

Anya:
Yeah, well done! Yeah.

Charlie:
Or Charlie-cko? Would that work?

Anya:
Yeah, I guess. Yeah, Charlinka?

Charlie:
Charlika, Charlika. Okay, okay, yeah, well, when I went to Chile, I immediately got my name changed to Carlito. And I learnt -ito was like small or something, little. And I was offended. I was like, no, I'm a strong individual. You know. They were like no you're Carlito, Carlito. I was like, Carlos? Like, no, no, no! Carlito! Si, Carlito! Muy bien!

Anya:
So, yeah. So I believe a British version of Polina could be Polly.

Charlie:
Polly, Yeah. Yeah.

Anya:
Is it British name, right? Polly?

Charlie:
I've got a friend called Polly. Yeah, Polina is quite a Russian name though isn't it. Like I've met quite a few Polina- Polinas in Russia.

Anya:
Yes. I guess. I don't know. Like, we have, you know, traditional Russian names like Ivan, Kolya, Nikolai. I believe that my name is a traditional Russian name, Polina. Maybe it's, ah-.

Charlie:
Yours being Anya or Anna. Sorry

Anya:
I like Anya.

Charlie:
You like Anya?

Anya:
You call me Anya. Yeah. Yeah I know. Yeah.

Charlie:
I've met a lot of Ilyas and Sergeis. I think that's the most common two names I hear of Russian people.

Anya:
Yeah, yeah.

Charlie:
Yeah. But anyway, so we're here to better understand, um, British ism's, British culture, British language through the eyes of yourself. Um, so you have had experience going to England but also- I mean, your English is amazing and you've been practising English for, I assume the majority of your life and you're an English teacher. Do you focus more on British English or, um, American English?

Charlie:
I just wanted to interrupt this episode to let you know about something rather exciting that I am running over on www.thebritishenglishpodcast.com, I have created a seven-day challenge full of fun and unique activities that will get your blood pumping. If you really enjoy getting actively involved in learning English and to really incentivise you, I'm going to be turning this challenge into a competition amongst you all. So the people that put the most effort into this one week of activities every day will be getting some prises.

I'm not going to say any more right now, but if you are interested, then head over to www.thebritishenglishpodcast.com, find the courses tab in the menu bar and you'll see the seven-day challenge. Or find the link in the show notes of this episode. There are some terms and conditions that I explain in full on the webpage for this course, but the main thing to remember is it's going to be a live course, meaning it starts for everyone at a certain date. So head over there now to sign up and get ready for it to begin before you miss your chance to get really active with some fun and engaging ways to learn English for a whole week and then be in the chance of winning some fun, bloody-tastic prises!

Charlie:
Do you focus more on British English or American English? I just got a glimpse of your family. How lovely!

Anya:
Sorry. Yeah, I'm an English teacher and I'm a fan of British English, but I haven't realised it until recently. Because I just wasn't focussing on it. So I just didn't see the difference. I guess I just didn't think about it. I've started learning English when I was at school. And I was like, uh, maybe 16 or 15, I mean, I had a private tutor, so since then, but I have a long break from English before I became a teacher. So I went to England to brush up on my English. And I know that you're familiar with the- I went there in 2014.

Charlie:
Ok.

Anya:
Yeah. So it was a long time ago. Seems like a different life. Another life now. Yeah. And I went there with, uh, English First. I know you that know this organisation because I listened to you and Martin on his podcast recently. Yes. So I went to Bristol. And as I had friends there, I have friends there. So I decided to spend a little bit more time there in England and to travel through England. So first I went to London, spent a couple of days there, then I went to Bristol for two weeks and then I went to, um. What is- to Wales.

Charlie:
Wales, yeah.

Anya:
Wales. Yes, I-.

Charlie:
Cardiff?

Anya:
What is- Cardiff! Yes. I went to Cardiff to visit my friend and then I went to Millom which is in the southeast of Cumbria.

Charlie:
Can you say it again?

Anya:
Millom.

Charlie:
Millom?

Anya:
M-I- Yes, yes, it's a small town, about 8000 people live there.

Charlie:
Oh, wow. Okay.

Anya:
Yeah, yeah. I have family living there. They are- we- we talk- we've known each other for I don't know how many years, maybe ten or even more. When I first visited Spain, it was my first time abroad. I met a lovely family there. And since then we just started to communicate through email first, then Facebook, then WhatsApp, and then finally I visited them. So it was, you know, a long journey like through England. And the interesting- the interesting thing is that I started with London like the biggest city. Then I moved to Bristol, Cardiff, and then almost a village. But it's not a village, Millom. It's- it's a town. I Googled.

Charlie:
How do you spell it? M I l

Anya:
M I Double L O M

Charlie:
O M. Oh yeah here we go a town in England. Yes, so a town. I can't say that I've, I've certainly not been to Millom, so it's opposite the Isle of Man. Oh okay. So it's quite far north.

Anya:
I saw Manchester from the train.

Charlie:
You went through Manchester yeah?

Charlie:
I would imagine you would go through there and you'd see the Lake District as well because it's just south of the Lake District. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, right. Did you manage to see the Lake District? Like, walk through some of the national park, area?

Anya:
Yeah, we walked- we walked through, these uh, through many- we visited many lakes and we saw the sea. I'm not very good at geography, but I remember that we walked along the sea or maybe. No, it was not the sea. I see, lake.

Charlie:
Well there's lots of lakes in Lake District.

Anya:
Yes.

Charlie:
But, um, yeah. So you could be looking out to the Irish Sea, but that would be more-.

Anya:
Maybe. No.

Charlie:
Right on the edge. I would I would say that you were enjoying the lakes.

Anya:
Yeah. Yeah. And I saw many. Vans, what do you call them, people who live inside of them?

Charlie:
Oh, yeah, yeah,

Anya:
It's the thing-

Charlie:
Yeah, yeah, a van. Yeah.

Anya:
I remember that. I was really surprised because it's not so common in Russia. Like people sometimes travel in vans to save some money, I mean, through Russia. But they don't usually live in them. And I remember my friend telling me that it's quite expensive to buy a van.

Charlie:
Yeah, it depends because we're not talking about caravans, for the listeners. It's it's it's like a van that is used typically in commercial industries, like in building and stuff and or like tracking parcels and taking them everywhere. But yeah. So they convert them into, basically, like a travel home in just a van which, yeah, can be quite expensive. I've seen lots of YouTube videos on how to do it and it certainly looks like an almighty task to do it. Um, but quite popular, especially in Canada and in the north of America. Um, loads of people do it. And yeah, as you said, you saw it in the Lake District.

Anya:
Yeah, yeah. Yeah. So one thing that amazed me is that- it was- I remember it was 2014 and I remember that one day I woke up and I saw a car outside that was collecting rubbish-.

Charlie:
Ok?

Anya:
From the street and you have bins for every particular like you do recycle. You do recycle- you recycle.

Charlie:
Yes, we recycle. Yes. Does Russian not recycle?

No, it's not, no. Like, some people, for example, my family, I mean, my husband and I, not all my family, we do that. But it's really difficult, especially if you don't live in Moscow or maybe in some other big cities like St. Petersburg, because we don't have conditions for that. Like people don't care about the environment, in general. So, for example, at the moment we gather, like, all this paper and plastic in different bags. And then we choose- we pick a day and my husband goes and looks for this big rubbish bins in town.

Charlie:
Oh, my gosh. This is so much effort!

Anya:
Yeah. It's not in every yard and it's not. Like, it's not. People don't actually know about this option, that it is possible to do in our town, but people don't know about it. And I believe that basically people throw in this rubbish bins, everything. Right? I'm sure.

Charlie:
Wow.

Anya:
Yeah. So it was. It was amazing when I saw that, for me. And I thought, well, I am in a small town with 8000 people in it. And in Russia we have big- I live in a bigger town and we don't have this option because it is just not possible. People just don't know about it. People just don't talk about it. And our government doesn't care. So in Moscow, yes, I know-.

Charlie:
It's the governments thing, it's-

Anya:
Yeah-

Charlie:
It's to do with the government to sort it all out.

Anya:
Yeah, yeah, absolutely.

Charlie:
I don't think it's fair to expect everyone to pick a random day and go around looking for these big bins, but yeah, yeah, it's quite normal to-

Anya:
So now-.

Charlie:
have these's recycling bins in- most parts of the UK or most properties. Yeah.

Anya:
So now my husband is thinking of buying this recycling bins and they are quite expensive. I mean, buying just for us, because they are bigger of course, and it's more convenient to throw rubbish there than in our normal bins. And they are quite expensive. So we are trying to find something cheaper, but cheaper usually means not so good quality. So yeah, it's difficult. It's difficult. And you know that with- Not every person would think about it. Not every family, of course, because they have-

Charlie:
Other things to worry about? Yeah, so ok, so if you move to the UK, you can look forward to the government providing you with premium policy recycling bins with no extra cost.

Anya:
Yeah, I would do. I would love to. By the way. I would love to live in the UK for some time.

Charlie:
Yeah. The recycling utopia. No, I don't think it is, actually. I've lived in Germany and America and now Australia and I would say that Germany was hot on their recycling, they're- they're probably best known for it. America, not so much. Australia, a little bit, but apparently they're not great. But, um, yeah, I'd say Germany are the best where they're recycling matters. They take it quite seriously. When we moved that we had this like expats, um, host or person that showed us what to do. And I would say 30 percent of the induction was about recycling. She was like, you put this thing in this recycling bag. This thing- like, went on for quite a while, but yeah. So not the best of the best in the UK, but probably, um, you know, maybe better than Russia at the moment.

Anya:
Yeah. Yeah. So this was the first thing that amazed me.

Charlie:
So, you were like-.

Anya:
Yeah, no, I'm lying-

Charlie:
Your cousins or your your family members and you're like, I'm so impressed with your recycling.

Anya:
Yes, yes. Yes. But the first thing that amazed me was the number of times that I heard the word "sorry" starting from the airport.

Charlie:
Yeah.

Anya:
It's like, again, it's so unusual for me. As for a Russian girl, I don't mean to say that Russians are rude people, but I know that some people in the world think about it because we don't smile a lot. Yeah. And sometimes people- I know that we discussed that people around the world may think that we are rude and not friendly. I don't think it's true. I think it doesn't depend on the country, just depends on the person. And in every country, there are people for, I don't know, have bad mood or, I don't know, just angry or.

Charlie:
Yeah, I would- I would say it's more to do with, like the level of expressiveness that's normal. And just because you're not smiling doesn't mean that you're the same level of happy as somebody who was brought up to be quite expressive. So yeah, I would assume it's like that. Um, but you noticed "sorry" was a lot more frequent and then does that mean that, uh, so apologising is not part of Russian culture, too much? Does it show a sign of weakness instead of politeness?

Anya:
Yeah, I think so. But I believe that this is the thing where we could, um, grow a little bit, I mean, saying "sorry" to each other, for example, if you just walk right along the street and somebody touches you accidentally, not on purpose, just accidentally. And he- he or she not always would say "sorry", just. Yeah, just like nothing happens, and for me, this is a sign of- being not only rude, but also unintelligent.

Charlie:
Ah, ok.

Anya:
Yeah, because I don't know-

Charlie:
Would you also argue that it's unintelligent to say "sorry" to a lamppost when a British person walks in to-

Anya:
I remember that story of Harry. Yeah, but, you know, I mean, when you are in a supermarket or in a- in a crowded place and you always touch someone. Yeah. And I think it's OK. Well, I mean, again, if it's a really crowded place and if you just, not just touch but, you kind of push, you know. No, like with a shoulder to shoulder, you kind of push or, you know, in the underground, for example.

Charlie:
The word is budge. Good word, budge. Budge your way in.

Anya:
Budge.

Charlie:
Yeah.

Anya:
Budge. Yes, thank you-.

Charlie:
Your shoulders.

Anya:
Yes. Yes, yes. Absolutely. And you don't do that on purpose. But for example, in the rush hour, in the underground, you know, it's nice to say sorry. You just. Well "sorry". And you do that.

Charlie:
Yeah. Yeah. I think people are a little bit more grumpy on the commute and people what- wait, no. We would say sorry if we touched each other. Oh, sorry. Sorry. Sorry about that. Yeah. Yeah we would say that.

Anya:
Yeah. We don't always say that.

Charlie:
Ok, but sometimes.

Anya:
Sometimes, yes, but-

Charlie:
But you want it more. There we go, we can put it out there. Anya wants a bit more of apologising in Russia. If you guys ever see Anya, say sorry if you touch her face.

Anya:
Yeah, please. And don't touch my face.

Charlie:
Anything else that you noticed when you went to-.

Anya:
Yes.

Charlie:
Millom.

Anya:
Yes. Um, I was very angry basically with British Government Award because I was missing some food that they couldn't find in the supermarket.

Charlie:
What were you missing?

Anya:
And it was like a disaster for me because I love food. So I couldn't find- I especially Googled this word because I didn't know this word- buck. Buckwheat.

Charlie:
Buckwheat. Yeah. Yeah. Rare to find that. It's rare to find that especially around 2014, I would guess.

Anya:
Yeah but now, we found it in the Polish supermarket.

Charlie:
Ok, there we go. So a good tip. If you're looking for your buckwheat in England, head to a Polish supermarket or small food store. Yeah, or grocery shop.

Anya:
Yes. And I also couldn't find bread like- oh, you have bread-. I mean, in Russia we have a brown bread and a white bread.

Charlie:
Yeah

Anya:
Is it the same-?

Charlie:
I have to ask, Anya. Were you in a supermarket or were you just in like a clothes store.

Anya:
I was in different supermarkets-.

Charlie:
You were in Primark asking for a loaf of bread.

Anya:
I was in many supermarkets and they couldn't find this brown bread like you have-

Charlie:
We have brown bread, we have white bread and we have-.

Anya:
Everywhere?!

Charlie:
We do. We do, I promise you. But obviously not the day that you went to that supermarket.

Anya:
Maybe, maybe but it just- like, I remember that it was a bit of a problem.

Charlie:
So maybe that means that we do like white bread more. I like brown bread, but I know a lot of my friends who don't know too much about nutrition, I will say. They like their white bread.

Anya:
Yeah, yeah.

Charlie:
So is it not common to have white bread in Russia?

Anya:
It is common. It is.

Charlie:
Ok, but you've got the option.

Anya:
Yeah, it just. I know I just love bread.

Charlie:
Bread and buckwheat. Yeah.

Anya:
Yes, yeah. Another thing, when I was in Bristol at school learning English and I was. I was taken aback by some teachers and the way they behave- behaved, in a good way, I mean. So we had this classes where we kind of had some free time so we could do our homework and ask questions if we didn't understand something and so on. And during those sessions, teachers, they would come up to you and they would sit on the desk, not on the chair, or they wouldn't stand. They, they could kind of behave themselves, behave themselves in a more relaxed way.

Charlie:
Right.

Anya:
Like they are normal people.

Charlie:
OK. Well, so they- when you say 'sit on the desk', are you meaning like they lean against it or they actually get cross legged in front of you on the desk?

Anya:
Yeah.

Charlie:
No way! No wai-

Anya:
Yeah. I mean, I mean, no-.

Charlie:
In the front table. In the front table. At the front.

Anya:
Not in the front table. No, no, no. Not in the front of the classroom. Like where you see they could come up to you and they could sit. I don't know how to say it basically even in Russian like just a little bit. Like maybe lean. When you say lean what you mean? With your arms or with your legs as well?

Charlie:
With your legs as well. Yeah. Yeah. You kind of put your weight against it.

Anya:
Yes. Like this.

Charlie:
Kind of half sitting

Anya:
And also. Yeah. Half sitting and also with their legs on the desk. The criss-crossed legs sometimes.

Charlie:
Yeah. Cross-leg- cross-legged, we say. Cross legged. That's-

Anya:
Cross-legged. Yeah. Yeah.

Charlie:
That seems peculiar. I feel like they should lose their job especially if they're are women in there wearing a skirt. That would get teenagers excited-

Anya:
No, not, no, no. It was a young man but it was not considered something rude or he didn't behave rude, he was just so friendly. So he just wanted to be on one level with you and to explain you something. But the thing is that I really like the way they feel relaxed. Like normal people, because in most traditional Russian schools, teachers, they should either stand or say it. And all children and teenagers, they also should say it and they can't stand without asking. And it- it's so, it's all so strict. I don't like this because it's difficult for people, maybe not for all people, but for myself, for example. It's different to focus on something when you are not relaxed, when you feel like like a strange, you know. I just can't think because I'm thinking about a teacher who is looking at me. Ok, is she moving? Why is she moving? Anya, stop moving, something like that?

Charlie:
Yeah, yeah, I see your point. Yeah, even though I haven't experienced the cross legged thing much, I think I remember sometimes they would get on the desk at the front and kind of be like trying to make it more of a communal kind of sharing experience. But I definitely understand what you mean. Of course, making it more like, "Yeah. Relax. Enjoyable atmosphere." And make it less about them being above you and more about trying to brainstorm some ideas or create a learning experience that allows creativity to flow. Yeah. So you feel like in Russia it's still to this day quite strict?

Anya:
Not in every school. It depends, again, in most schools, but we do have this new generation of schools, which are private schools mostly, and they, I believe, are quite expensive for the majority of which in the rest of our- Not generation, for the majority of people and the atmosphere there is more enjoyable and it's more about pupils. As people, as human beings, than about them, as just learners, you know, so they can feel that they have their point of view and they can freely say it out loud.

Charlie:
Yeah.

Anya:
And express teachers, yes, express themselves. Yeah, and I'm happy that more and more schools like that-.

Charlie:
Pretty good. And yes, I would guess that the 50s, the UK was probably quite strict. I remember I've seen videos of, like, during Second World War in the 30s and 40s. So they would have very, very strict situations where they're learning their times tables and it would be, you know, put the gas masks on and do your times tables in the bunker. I'm imagining that right now. But yeah, things have progressed. And I'm sure in Russia it's progressed since you were in school as well.

Anya:
Um, hopefully, hopefully. I'm not saying that teachers should behave as children and like so that- children wouldn't respect them. No, I'm not saying that. I just think that learning should be an enjoyable process where children don't think about being- about, about the way- about the position, you know. Where they focus on the process, on the task and on their learning.

Charlie:
Yeah, yeah. Hey, yeah, I agree as well. And that's what you've dedicated a lot of your career to, isn't it? To try and create a space for young learners to feel comfortable, to express themselves and, you know, enjoy learning.

Anya:
Yeah, yeah. And I talk about it to different experts and specialists and moms and teachers and educators on my podcast and psychologists as well. That yeah, we should, uh, we- we should look at children from a different perspective, that they are also human beings, not just children that should, you know, listen only to adults and obey you, but they are also human beings with their likes and dislikes, with their opinion and and so on.

Charlie:
Yeah, yeah. Well, it sounds like you, uh, or your daughter is very lucky. She's going to have a lovely mom to bring her up. But it would be interesting to see, you know, like when she hits the terrible twos, uh, two and three years old, I wonder if you'll still be giving this message out to the world always saying like "oh those stupid little kids! They should be told what to do!"

Anya:
I ask the same question to my husband because I didn't know. Motherhood is interesting.

Charlie:
Yeah, but yeah. So we're going to go on to Part Two and Three, so yeah, we'll see you guys in Part Two and Three if you join us there. But if not, thank you so much for listening and thank you very much, Anya.

Anya:
Thank you. I hope that something was useful.

Charlie:
Most definitely. Lots of language there for everyone. Yeah. And some insight from a Russian's perspective of the U.K., so, yeah. I'll see you guys in Part Two with Anya.

Charlie:
Don't forget that this podcast is available as a Premium podcast, giving you manually edited transcripts, extended glossaries and flashcards. Also, if you wanted to dig even deeper, we have The Academy, which has exclusive videos going over the language used in the season-based episodes, analysing, giving examples, giving you the confidence to feel ready to go out and use that language yourself.

Charlie:
And of course, we've also got the weekly Speaking Classes so you can practise it in a safe space, meet some like-minded people and really build on the community in The British English podcast. For all of that, go over to the website, www.thebritishenglishpodcast.com I also highly recommend that you get on my email newsletter because I keep you up to date with what's going on in my life, giving you a new email lesson every week. If that's not for you. Make sure you grab the free worksheet for this episode and I will see you next time here on The British English podcast. My name is Charlie. See you next time. Bye for now.