Alexandra, a 32-year-old Russian immigrant who has lived in the United States for 8 years, commented on the necessity for learning English:

Absolutely, especially for people who are planning to live here.  I understand when people sometimes come here for few years, like for different reasons and go back, then it’s probably not necessary…  Depends on what you want to do here, but if you are planning to live in America, absolutely.  It is gonna become your country, you have to speak the language.  There is no other way not to.”

Alexandra, a 32-year-old Russian immigrant who has been in the United States for eight years, reflected on how learning English changed her life:

Well it [learning English] affected my life in a lot of different ways, because as soon as I was more or less comfortable with English I could get a better job […] at an American corporate company where I didn’t have to rely on people who speaks Russian, because I need someone to translate for me and help to understand.”

Alexandra, a 32-year-old Russian immigrant who has lived in the United States for eight years, shared her feelings about living in the United States without knowing English:

It’s a very hard feeling when you don’t understand people.  […]  It has an impact on your self esteem, because you want to speak, you want to express yourself, you want people to know who you are.  And when you just silent because you don’t want to say anything and you don’t understand anything… it’s not a good feeling.”