Bulgarian and Russian

[Judith Wermuth-Atkinson]

Dear Emily,
I have been teaching Bulgarian and Russian for more than 17 years. I have
taught students who had different native languages, including Bulgarian and
Russian. Your student is absolutely right. Usually the big problem for
Bulgarian students is that they think Russian is very close and thus, easier
for them than for other students. It is a common knowledge in Bulgaria that
Bulgarians understand very well Russian, but never learn to speak well,
unless they specialize in Russian. Often there is an enormous gap between the
impression  Bulgarian students make and the real knowledge they have. This is
mostly  because of the good pronunciation and a very high degree of
understanding. To my opinion your student must be very, very serious about
his Russian, since he is not trying to skip a class and do less work. I would
give him the chance to do what he thinks he needs to do. You can also offer
to him a test period. This way you both will be able to see how it goes. I
also believe that you can use a student who is a little better than his class
mates in a very productive way in your work in class. If you have more
particular questions, I will be happy to talk to you again.
Judith Wermuth
Columbia University

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Use your web browser to search the archives, control your subscription
  options, and more.  Visit and bookmark the SEELANGS Web Interface at:
                  http://home.attbi.com/~lists/seelangs/
-------------------------------------------------------------------------