The learning process

Since I became a student again, I've been noticing some things about the learning process. I decided they were worth writing not only for you to read but for me to return to just in case I find myself in Chinese or Arabic language school in a few years. (Please, God - no.)



When I began classes in January the learning came relatively quickly and easily. I think this is partly because I had a little headstart (I already knew the alphabet, basic pronunciation and a few words.) I also believe that the newness of it all helped; it was exciting. It didn't hurt that our vocabulary lists were apx. 75 words per week whereas today we are looking at 120 or so plus many, many phrases. After a while (an hour?, I don't know.) it got more difficult. Words started to resemble each other - not just in their strangeness but in similarities and they were difficult to keep straight in my mind. They still are. Now I'm learning more about prefixes and suffixes and can pull the words apart to know them better.



It's just another rollercoaster I guess. It's easy. It's difficult. It's easy. It's difficult.

The support we receive from the staff at the institute is inspirational. When you have something to learn it often feels like you are alone in your mind trying to get information to become clear and permanent. Every teacher and staff member in the Russian department cares about each and every student to the point that they will stop me in the hall on occasion and ask me what I'm working on and offer help. They do this randomly and on the spur of the moment. This is a strong reminder that I am not in this alone. They each love to teach and they love their native Russian language and this is apparent in their spirit. There is a lab where we do listening and computer exercises. Nikolai is in charge of the lab so he interacts with and is responsible for dozens of students, not just four or so like the teachers. Nikolai likes me and I like Nikolai. When I first asked him for help he asked me why I was so shy. He listened to me read my narrative, took it from me and made corrections, explained it then recorded it for me to listen to. This took about a half hour. Now, every time I'm in the lab he comes up to me to see how I'm doing. He knows I'm a singer and storyteller so he's on the hunt for songs and stories for me. The teachers offer "walkie-talkies" during their "break" time. Apparently no one in this institute has a proper concdept of what a break is. The students sign up for a 50 minute chat with a native speaker (not your teacher). This gets you out of the classroom and is open to any topic, any level. I overheard one and signed up for one this Friday. The student stumbled through sentences and the teacher gently corrected.



I still believe that the load they present for us to learn is humanly impossible. Our new teacher (#3) said that this morning. It was strangely comforting. Instead of sitting back and thinking "Yeah, this is impossible" and worrying. I realized where her expectations lie and I am set to work as hard as I can to get everything even though I know I won't. I also remember the words of our first teacher who told us that we will always move ahead and we will always review. I also act like a teacher with myself. If I remember a word or figure one out I praise myself. When I find myself looking up a word for the 19th time this week (which happened this morning), I have a small day of reckoning. Either I give up on the word (brown, for instance - I will never know the Russian word for brown) or I say it and spell it ad nauseum the rest of the day.

Sometimes I just feel like I can't study any more. At least when I was in school we changed subjects every hour or so. I keep in mind the variety of study there is within the Russian language. Exercise time in the morning is devoted to vocabulary and short phrases. The bus ride to the institute is spent reviewing endings from flashcards. Both of these are easy to do amongst distraction. Hall time in the morning before class is spent either reading our current text or reciting my own narrative for the day. "Break" time is spent on assignments, lab and lunch. Right when I get home I dive into one of the big assignments - workbook pages, writing my own text, reading and translating new text etc. When Doug and I watch a television show, I keep my computer on with vocabulary drills and I run to it during commercials to work. When I know I need to work but just can't make myself I either take time off or look at the variety pool I have before me and pick one. There is usually something I can 'force' myself to do. Usually (thank you, God) after I start I really get into it and I make progress which feeds my energy to work. It's funny that way: the less I work and progress the less appealing the work is. Hmm . . . I think I'm on to something here.