Level of Difficulty of Russian

[Alina Israeli]

>An interesting fact about Russian progress rates that is not reflected in
>the FSI chart:

Group I (French, Spanish)             Aptitude for language learning
                                Minimum         Average         Superior
8 weeks (240 h)                 1               1/1+            1+
16 weeks (480 h)                1+              2               2+
24 weeks (720)                  2               2+              3

Group II (Bulgarian, Farsi, German)

16 weeks (480 h)                1               1/1+            1+/2
24 weeks (720)                  1+              2               2+/3
44 weeks (1320)                 2/2+            2+/3            3/3+

Group III (Czech, Hebrew, Russian)

16 weeks (480 h)                0+              1               1/1+
24 weeks (720)                  1+              2               2/2+
44 weeks (1320)                 2               2+              3

Group IV (Arabic, Chinese, Japanese)

16 weeks (480 h)                0+              1               1
24 weeks (720)                  1               1+              1+
44 weeks (1320)                 1+              2               2+


>However, what was very interesting was that this rate difference between
>Russian and the most difficult languages all but disappeared when it came to
>the highest levels of facility -- that is to say that the time it takes for
>a learner to reach level 5 in Russian is THE SAME as the time commitment it
>takes for a student of Arabic to reach level 5. I remember that Russian was
>unique in that the progress rates dips precipitously at the highest levels
>of proficiency.

Russian is singled out? Where?

AI

*************************************************************
Alina Israeli
LFS, American University                phone:  (202) 885-2387
4400 Mass. Ave., NW                     fax:    (202) 885-1076
Washington DC 20016-8045                e-mail: aisrael at american.edu

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