What languages did alexei speak?

[Finelly]

I live in the United States, where hardly anyone learns two languages fluently.  It is only recently in US history that two years of a foreign language is a requirement to get into some colleges!  In Sweden, where I spent much of my growing up years, English was taught starting in the second or third grade, and we had to take at LEAST one other language after that.

Why am I writing this?  Because although it may be true that none of the Romanov children could speak any language completely fluently or write absolutely correctly, the fact is that the girls  could read novels in French and understand them, they could communicate in at least 4 languages on a social level, and that is more than I can say about most of my students and my children.........

[Georgiy]

Also, no matter how awful the Empress's spoken Russian may or may not have been, she was obviously able to read it no problem,a s in her letters to the Tsar she comments sometimes about what is in the papers, and also Alexei wrote to her in Russian. Her aural ability must have been OK too, as the Tsar read to her in Russian, and Orthodox religious books she read would have naturally been in Russian.

I think it has been mentioned before, that people have varying degrees of ability in language (i.e you can speak perfectly fine English, but your written English leaves a lot to be desired, or that you can understand spoken Russian, but your own ability to speak Russian is not so good as your aural comprehension.) I think this may well be the case witht he Romanovs. Presumeably they used English quite a lot as a means of communication - one would hope/expect their spoken and aural capabilities far exceeded (in the case of the children) their written ability.

[Eternal_Princess]

This is not correct - I have a page of his German exercisebook in front of me, published in a book by Elisabeth Heresch "Alexej, der Sohn des letzten Zaren" (Alexej, the last Tsar's son).
It even seems that he had pretty many lessons. But I have not found out who his teacher was...

Sydney Gibbes (aka Father Nickoli) was his English teacher and pretty much acompanied Alexei everywhere during the war, he adored the children and Alexei in particular.

He went to Moglievi with Alexei and by the time he was thirteen Alexei was pretty profficent in English and read a number of English novels, which he was fond of.

His first language was always Russian, but he could speak very good English and French as well.  

[skitzo12]

i am just wondering anyone know what languages the tsaravich Alexi would have spoken???
I know he would have spoken Russian and my guess is he would have spoken german and english as well seeing as he has direct relations with those countries.
Are there any known records of the languages he spoke?
thank you
Alex

[Aliss_Kande]

I believe all the children also spoke French.

[Sarushka]

Aleksei primarily spoke Russian, even with his mother. (His first English letter to Alix wasn't written until 1915, I believe.) He also spoke English. I've seen letters Aleksei wrote in French, as well. I know the girls studied German, though they were far from fluent. I don't recall if Aleksei knew German.

[Ortino]

Alexei's primary languages were French and Russian. Yes, his first English letter was around 1915. I'm rather surprised given Alix's shaky Russian that she didn't speak primarily in English to him and also that he learned English so late in life--he was around 11 years old when he wrote his first English letter, and if the language wasn't important for conversing with family, then it would be crucial for dealing with diplomatic issues when he was older.

[skitzo12]

thanks

thought he would know german english but suprised that he would have (partly) known French
oh well suprises happen eh

any way thanks

alex

[Natasya]

I'm not quite clear which language he was more fluent in, French or English . Could someone clear it up for me?

[Ortino]

Clearly French---he didn't write his first English letter until 1915!

[Jarian]

all the children spoke english, russian, german, and french, in a book i read it said that the childrens russian was spoken childish.

[skitzo12]

What do you mean it was spoken childish?
the Tsaravich of Russia spoke poor russian?


cya

alex

[Sarushka]

What do you mean it was spoken childish?
the Tsaravich of Russia spoke poor russian?

These threads will answer your question:
First Language of OTMAA?
Talking like children?
Isolation of the children

[Ortino]

all the children spoke english, russian, german, and french, in a book i read it said that the childrens russian was spoken childish.

I don't recall ever hearing of Alexei learning German, only the girls.

[RissiaSunbeam1918]

Am and 99% sure that Alexei didn't speak German. He proibably picked up phrases or words from being around his relatives, but only OTMA studyied it.