There are special letters in Russian for some English digraphs (sounds recorded by means of two letters): CH – Ч, К or Ш ( champion – чемпион, chord – а ккорд, charade – шарада) SH – Ш ( shock – шок, shorts – шорты). What happens, when the same sound exists in two languages with different writing systems (alphabets)? In this instance, two different symbols can be used for the same sound, making it confusing for non- native language speakers, for whom the work of decoding symbols can seem too difficult.įor example, the English, N, L, P, S, F, Z and the Russian H, Л, П, С, Ф, З symbolises, respectively, exactly the same sounds. Once a letter becomes associated with a sound it replaces the sound in the speaker’s mind, a difference that many do not consider in everyday life.
A symbol, on the other hand, is a very powerful signifier. It is a symbol that is identified with a particular sound only in the minds of those who know the language being spoken. Sounds are spontaneous and variable, while a letter is simply a way of recording a sound. Sounds existed long before the idea of writing furthermore, not all sounds on Earth have been written down.
It can be produced by people, animals and even by inanimate objects. In order to overcome this confusion, one has to consider the difference between the natures of a sound and a letter. It often becomes confusing and prevents the learners’ realisation of the similarity between English and Russian. The Russian alphabet is usually the first stumbling block for Westerners, who learn the language.