Why students do not study Russian anymore

[Kat Tancock]

Hello,

My opinion on why students no longer study Russian is simple - Russian is a
difficult language, and unattractive to students. In the past, people were
probably more likely to study Russian because there was a perceived need for
speakers of Russian - a Cold War era thing. But now, there is almost nothing
drawing people to Russian. Students will take Spanish, French or German
first, or Japanese or Chinese if they're interested in business. And even if
students take beginning Russian, they tend not to go on, probably because
there are easier options out there. In my experience, the people who stay in
Russian these days are the people who develop a passion for the language and
can't let it go. Casual students of Russian don't seem to exist beyond the
first or second year.

I don't know what can be done to remedy the problem. Eliminate cases? :)

Kat
--
Kat Tancock
UVic Language Centre
http://web.uvic.ca/langcen
tancockk at uvic.ca

> From: Elena Kobzeva <elenakh at RCCD.CC.CA.US>
> Reply-To: Slavic & East European Languages and Literature list
> <SEELANGS at LISTSERV.CUNY.EDU>
> Date: Mon, 5 Jun 2000 13:22:26 -0700
> To: SEELANGS at LISTSERV.CUNY.EDU
> Subject: Why students do not study Russian anymore
>
> Dear Collegues,
>
> Righ now am doing a Program Review for Russian.
> There was and there is a decine in interest to learn Russian.
> In our college we try to do our best to keep the Russian progam alive. Is
> spite of all the efforts we make, we were only able to open Russian 1 last
> semester(fall 1999) and we could not get enough people for Russian 2.  It's
> very sed. Isn't it?  I would like to find out how other colleges and
> universties deal with the same problem.  In your opinion, why students do not
> study Russian anymore? Any comments, suggestions are welcome.
> A few years ago there was an articule  in N.Y. Times(may be I am not
> wrong)about this issue. May be somebody still have it. Please can you fax it
> to me.
> Please email me off the list.
> Elena Kobzeva-Herzog
> tel:(909) 222-8287
> fax:(909)2228149
> email:elenakh at rccd.cc.ca.us
>
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