Verbs in Russian Stage One and Two

[Katya Hirvasaho]

Re: Russian conjugations:

While I would be the first to say that language is a far more powerful
weapon than most of us are aware of, yet, does it really make a difference
to the students whether the verbs are called "first," "second," or "-ish"
and "-esh" conjugations?  Do "first" and "second" necessarily imply a
vertical hierarchy?  These are the terms by which I learned the
conjugations (and refer to them), yet, in my mind the "first" translates
rather as "encountered first" than "first in importance."  Will students
learn them easier if we start calling them "-esh" and "-ish" verbs?  I
often do, but I doubt that it makes any difference.

Katya

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Katya Hirvasaho * Rice University * Houston, Texas