Kapustin breaks cultural, linguistic barriers

The rapid explosion of Russian and the quick enunciation of Portuguese may sound like gibberish to many. However, to Junior Andrey Kapustin, the languages are welcome and familiar.

“I like speaking other languages because I can communicate with so many different people,” Kapustin said. “When I travel to other countries, being able to understand some of the people is pretty cool because a lot of them speak Portuguese or Russian.”

Kapustin learned Portuguese and Russian from his Brazilian and Russian parents at the age of two and went on to learn English in Altadena before moving to TCUSD four years ago.

With the prior help of Russian school to supplement his knowledge of Russian culture and grammar, Kapustin can read and write in both languages. He maintains his fluency by speaking them both at home.

“Because he speaks multiple languages, he is more culturally aware than the other students,” Spanish teacher Ms. Colleen Pieri said. “He has a broad base of knowledge because of his cultural experience.”

The contrast between Brazilian and Russian culture has a strong influence on Kapustin’s outlook on life. The sleek eloquence of Portuguese captures the vibrant lifestyle of Brazilian culture, while the harsh execution of Russian corresponds with the more formal and reserved
approach of Russian culture.

Despite this cultural contrast, Kapustin embraces his experience and knowledge of both cultures and languages. He tries to balance out potential culture clashes from these differences with a sense of humor and focuses on the benefits of speaking three languages and being part of two unique cultures.

“One time I got into an argument with someone at a store, and they insulted me in Portuguese to their friend,” Kapustin said. “Afterwards, I told them I understood what they were saying about me. I’m glad I know Portuguese, because it was worth seeing the shock on their faces.”

Kapustin is currently taking Spanish 3 as his foreign language elective. The similarities between Portuguese and other romantic languages helped him quickly master the basics of Spanish. However, Kapustin will not be taking Spanish 4 next year and is not interested in learning other languages at the moment because it consumes time that can be used for his other hobbies,
such as filming videos.

“Although learning a new language is easier when you’re young, you can still become fluent,” Kapustin said. “Instead of studying a lot and taking long breaks, speaking the language you are learning is more effective for practice. I also recommend watching movies or TV shows in that language to incorporate more fun into learning it.”

In the future, Kapustin plans to enrich his resume with his ability to communicate with people of various cultures and languages in order to gain more opportunities for a career relating to video making.