Postby Chmury » Sat Dec 29, 2018 12:02 am
Well firstly, you already actually speak Russian with your family members which is awesome and they respond to you in Russian also, so you should have absolutely no problem in getting up to C2 level, since the language is already in your DNA so to speak.
I grew up in a household where everyone spoke a dialect of Dutch (Twents) and occasionally Polish to each other, with the exception of myself, whom they spoke English to. So I got a lot of exposure to Dutch/Twents, but they never once encouraged me (but speaking Dutch/Twents to me) to speak the language. So in my mid twenties, I decided to improve my Dutch so that I could speak it with my family and so connect more with that cultural side of me and in a way become closer to my family. Despite at least two years of effort on my part, in which my Dutch improved considerably, my family still refused, albeit unconsciously, to speak Dutch/Twents with me, as they were so used to speaking English, and it either felt weird for them to now start speaking the home language with me, or they simply didn't want to make the effort. This is why I think your in a great situation as your family already speak to you in Russian, and even if they're not aware of what that action means, supporting your future improvement in the language.
What would I recommend you do in order to get better? What every other language learner does. Find materials that suit your level and go for it! If you've already got a lot of the basic grammar intuitively down, find those grammatical points which you're unsure about and drill them until they are second nature. It might be worth simply going over intermediate and advanced grammar books a few times and becoming familiar with how certain structures are formed, if those grammatical structures aren't already instinctive to you. And by the sound of things you're already capable of understanding native materials, so read and listen a hell of a lot, and when you come across something you don't understand, write it down, figure out what it means, continue, and repeat. I find the only difference between heritage language learners who have some previous exposure to their language is that their starting line is a bit ahead of everyone else (or quite ahead, depending), having already learnt some of the language growing up and so already being somewhat attuned to it. And of course their motivation for learning the language is usually much more intrinsic.
You're in a really great position and I envy you, having people who have always spoken Russian with you. So it's just a matter of time and effort really, and I'm sure you'll have no problem reaching C2 very quickly if people already don't know after speaking with you that you aren't fluent in the language.
Oh and another thing, tell everyone in your family who you like speaking to that you're trying to improve your Russian and simply talk with them as much as you can!! They might get really involved in your project and you might get calls daily where you'll be able to try out new words and structures you've learnt, and even pick up new ones. Also write letters and postcards to family members if you get the chance. Writing is another excellent way of giving yourself the opportunity to try out new vocab and structures you've learnt, and also to refine what you already know.
All the best!
5 x
Hindernisse und Schwierigkeiten sind Stufen, auf denen wir in die Höhe steigen
