Why students do not study Russian anymore

Wed Jun 7 16:32:04 UTC 2000

On Wed, 7 Jun 2000, Pavel Samsonov wrote:

> 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.

Yes, but I think that if someone memorizes something at a very young age,
the chances of retaining it later in life are very likely.  Case in point,
my 6th grade French teacher made us memorize the U.S. Pledge of Allegiance
in French.  I still remember it 20 years later.

I strongly believe that the Russian phrase "povternei - mat' izuchenie" is
quite accurate.

--Cheri

Cheri C. Wilson
Ph.D. candidate, Russian history
Teaching Fellow
Loyola College in Maryland
Department of History
4501 N. Charles Street
Baltimore, MD 21210-2699
Office telephone: (410) 617-2017
Fax: (410) 617-2832
E-mail: CWilson3 at loyola.edu
http://www.evergreen.loyola.edu/~CWilson3/

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