Why students do not study Russian anymore

[B. A. Lugo De Fabritz]

On Mon, 5 Jun 2000, E. Boyle wrote:

>
> I do not think we need to alter the grammar.  We need to change the way we
> present the language though.  No one will become enthralled with anything
> that's presented as merely so many grammatical structures.

I agree. After years of teaching Russian, I am now a teaching assistant in
the Spanish department at my university. The difference in presentation is
night and day. Program wise, the department makes no excuses about trying
to make the Spanish language and culture relevant to their lives. The
cultural component of the teaching program is amazingly robust. The idea
is: get them interested in their interests, and the grammar will come in
under the radar screen, like a stealth fighter. And, you know, mostly it
works.

Granted Russian grammar is a lot more complicated than Spanish -- however,
I think the fact is that if programs took the time to update their
cultural content, and tried to make significant integration of everyday
life into the class, it would go a LONG way to keeping them there.

Amarilis Lugo de Fabritz
Graduate student
University of Washington

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