(near-) native speakers in classes

[Keith Goeringer]

This has been an issue in our Slavic department for a while.  A partial
(though still not completely satisfactory) solution was the establishment
of a self-paced class for native speakers, in which they work at their own
pace under the direction of a native- (or near-native-) speaker faculty
member.

I am teaching the non-native-speaker self-paced course this year, and, as
invariably happens, at least one native speaker tried to sneak in.  He was
exiled to the other class with dispatch, since he chose to ignore my
request that native speakers identify themselves as such.

Regarding the problems one can encounter with native or heritage speakers
in the class, I remember one student who started turning in homework
written in two distinct handwritings.  When I questioned him about it, he
sheepishly told me that his father had insisted on finishing his homework,
so he (the son) could concentrate on his chemistry--which was, after all,
his major!  So the fault does not always lie with the student...

Keith

Keith Goeringer
UC Berkeley
Slavic Languages & Literatures
keg at violet.berkeley.edu