Is it just my impression or Russian/Ukrainean girls on Livemocha speak so well English?
as a substitute for, Brazilian girls don't do so well
or Chinese
www.livemocha.com
no, Portuguese is more similar to English than Russian
English is taught in schools in Russia and Ukraine. Not all students bone up on and learn it, but many do. Ukrainian particularly is a language that is not spoken in many countries. Russian is not spoken universally. English is as finish to a world language as we have right now.
Brazil is in a part of the world that primarily speaks Spanish--which is similar to Portuguese. China has been anchoretical so long that English has not been taught that much. I think many people around the world want to learn the English-speaking cultures. The opportunities have been restrictive in some countries more than in others.




On the whole
Mainly
Especially
On the whole
Primarily
Above all
Pre-eminently