Slavic Field

[mary mclendon]

In message Fri, 15 Mar 1996 22:58:48 -0800,
  Genevra Gerhart <ggerhart at wolfenet.com>  writes:

> place, etc. etc. What do we do? Well, for one thing, we won't rescue
> ourselves by hunkering down and writing even more about even less,
> grasping at our literary or linguistic straws as we go,
This is an excellent point, but...
> and leaving the
> first year or so to the tender mercies of graduate students.
How about just _not_ leaving the first year to poor or non-enthusiatic
teachers?  I have had and have known graduate students who are very good,
motivating teachers.  In some cases, since they are not so far removed
from the initial learning of the language, problems and questions make
more sense, and they can relate to the students better.

I agree that things need to be done to help raise and maintain enrollments
and I also agree that it needs to be more than "you can use this for
business".  We need to target potential students at a younger age than
when they arrive at college -- in junior high if there is a high school
program in the area, and in high school if there is not.  Specifics would
depend on the situation.  I know that people are doing these things already
some places and having success.
Lisa McLendon
(yes, I am a graduate student)
Univ. of Texas