[w] for [v] in the speech of Russians speaking English

[Jules Levin]

There are Russian speakers and Russian speakers.
A clearly articulated labio-dental [v] like in English is a NGR, CGR, 
and normative pronunciation (although as I recall--and I am doing all 
this from memory), with less lip-spreading than in English.  As you move 
to the South, it weakens.  Cf. Ukr., BR, SGR.  Gorbachev retained SGR 
features--is he on UTube?--so I am sure there are many other SGR 
speakers of standard who are a little weak with the labio-dentals.  
Demographically the majority of Russian speakers are SGR speakers for 
whom Standard Russian, like Standard English for many of us, is a mix of 
native and what we learned in school.
Jules Levin

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