Why students do not study Russian anymore

[Pavel Samsonov]

Alexander Boguslawski:


> I am following the discussion with great interest.  However, I am
surprised
> that nobody yet pointed out that the lack of interest in Russian, as well
as
> in everything else requiring effort, is a part of the overall dismal state
> of our educational system.  Students are not prepared -- universities have
> become more of remedial institutions than institutions of higher learning.
> Try to assign your students a short poem to memorize -- let's say, Ya vas
> lyubil -- and you'll see that a tiny fraction will be able to do it.  Are
> they less intelligent than our parents or us?  No.  They were simply never
> taught how to study hard.  Improve overall preparation of our students,
and
> the enrollments will rise.  Thanks for reading,

Yes, learning by heart is not something US students would like. At school
teachers spare the poor kids from too much pressure of learning. Besides,
learning by heart is considered pedagogically inacceptable, almost like
child abuse.

There is yet another issue:
US students don't read any more. They just don't. According to CNN, an
average 16-year-old in the late 90's has a vocabulary of 10,000 words
whereas an average 16-year-old in the early fifties had a vocabulary of
25,000 words.
Television and computers have taken their toll.
Several years ago I was looking for the museum of O'Henry (William Porter)
in Austin , Texas. Though the museum is located in the center of the city,
next to the popular 6th street, no one of the people I asked could recall
anything about the museum. In fact, very few people had ever heard the name
of O'Henry.
When I finally located the museum and entered it, the first guestion the
guide asked was: "Are you from Russia?"

Names like Truman Capote or even Kurt Vonnegut embarrassed most students I
spoke with.
No, we have not heard or read.
Would you expect a massive interest to the Russian classics? What can be
more boring.

It ain't rap, movies or basketball.

With compliments,

Pavel (Paul) Samsonov
EDAD, College of Education,
Texas A&M University
tel. (409) 862-7771 (lab)
      (409) 862-9152 (home)
fax (409) 862-4347
e-mail p0s5658 at acs.tamu.edu

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