query: reviving language in native speaker who has forgotten it

[Rebecca Pyatkevich]

Dear colleagues,

This is indeed a fascinating discussion.  Is there any evidence that  
there might be some sort of psychological block that occurs in at  
least some of these cases?  My experience coincides with Judith's --  
with the several students that I've had that fit this profile, there  
seem to be some remnants, somehow, but also immense difficulty when  
learning Russian.  In one case, the student had picture-perfect  
handwriting, and would occasionally unearth a word or two, but  
everything -- and I mean everything! -- else, from vocabulary to  
syntax to grammar, was a constant struggle and largely resembled, for  
both the student and me, hitting one's head against a brick wall.  I  
would love some insight.

All best,

Rebecca

--
Rebecca Pyatkevich, PhD
Mellon Postdoctoral Fellow in Russian
Department of Foreign Languages
0615 SW Palatine Hill Road, MSC 30
Lewis and Clark College
Portland OR 97219



On Apr 27, 2012, at 9:58 AM, Lila W. Zaharkov wrote:

> I had a similar experience with a student.  It’s just now like an  
> American taking Russian for the first time.  It’s GONE!!!  Lila  
> Zaharkov  Wittenberg University
>
> From: SEELANGS: Slavic & East European Languages and Literatures  
> list [mailto:SEELANGS at bama.ua.edu] On Behalf Of KALB, JUDITH
> Sent: Friday, April 27, 2012 12:40 PM
> To: SEELANGS at bama.ua.edu
> Subject: [SEELANGS] query: reviving language in native speaker who  
> has forgotten it
>
> Dear colleagues,
> I wonder if any of you can help me with a student who was born in  
> Russia, adopted at age 8 after a very difficult stint in an  
> orphanage, grew up in NY, and is now enrolled in first-year Russian  
> language.  He does not remember his Russian but is interested in  
> reviving it.  He has had a lot of trouble with grammar, reading,  
> etc., but when I have him listen to conversations, etc., he can  
> repeat them beautifully—so the language is still somewhere in there,  
> apparently.  He’s interested in working over the summer to try to  
> get further with it.  Do you have suggestions on methods, programs,  
> etc. that might be helpful?
> Many thanks!
> Judith
>
> Dr. Judith E. Kalb
> Associate Professor of Russian and Comparative Literature
> Department of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures
> University of South Carolina
> Columbia, SC 29208
> jkalb at sc.edu
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Use 
>  your web browser to search the archives, control your subscription  
> options, and more. Visit and bookmark the SEELANGS Web Interface at: http://seelangs.home.comcast.net/ 
>   
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Use 
>  your web browser to search the archives, control your subscription  
> options, and more. Visit and bookmark the SEELANGS Web Interface at: http://seelangs.home.comcast.net/ 
>   
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------


-------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Use your web browser to search the archives, control your subscription
  options, and more.  Visit and bookmark the SEELANGS Web Interface at:
                    http://seelangs.home.comcast.net/
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://listserv.linguistlist.org/pipermail/seelang/attachments/20120427/3ab711d1/attachment.html>