Why students do not study Russian anymore

[Lance Taylor]

On Tue, 6 Jun 2000, VShell wrote:

> I am a bit embarassed to admit that although there was a fair amount of
> grammar taught at my junior and senior high schools (very good public
> schools, BTW), little of it "stuck".  It was not until I studied Russian,
> that I finally understood English Grammar.  I have found this knowledge
> invaluable in picking up subsequent languages.

Part of the problem I've encountered with explaining Russian grammar to
native English speakers is that the parts of speech English speakers are
taught aren't the parts of speech someone who speaks an inflected
language are taught.

While an English speaker can identify the verb, noun, adjective,
interjection, etc. (thanks to Schoolhouse Rock, I'm sure), we are almost
never taught according to the so-called "standard" pattern of
"nominative-genitive-dative-accusative"; we learn "direct object" and
"indirect object," but even those don't prepare a student for
instrumental - heck, in English, "with" is a preposition.

--
"Sometimes I feel like I'm seeing it all at once ... it's too much; my
heart fills up like a balloon that's about to burst.  And then I
remember to relax and stop trying to hold onto it.  And then it flows
through me like rain and I can't feel anything but gratitude for every
single moment of my stupid little life."
                                -- Lester Burnham, "American Beauty"

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