Russian: Not My Forte
Maybe it's just Russian, but I'm feeling particularly awful about my language learning capabilities this week. The FSI course I've been doing is basically a computer course with a once-a-week phone call with a tutor. When it's just me and the computer, I feel okay. I had my fifth phone call last week, however, and it was abysmal.
See, the computer course requires you to a) read Cyrillic (check! Although still rather slowly) and b) learn basic phrases (Got most of those down). There is really very little in the way of grammar, and even though they recommend studying for eight hours a week (where the hell does one find an extra eight hours a week, I'd love to know), it only takes about an hour to go through each lesson. Well, I'd been going over each lesson three or four times, until I basically had the whole thing memorized. But there is no other homework, no lesson book, nothing.
And it turns out this whole phone tutoring thing is NOT for me. My tutor is very nice, but she is not exactly patient with me. When I get flustered, I literally forget the most basic things (like my phone number). Speaking with my tutor on the phone reduces me to my ninth-grade self, the one who freaks out during pop quizzes, even though I did just fine on the homework. Not to mention my tutor has a strong accent and even with a good signal the clarity over the phone is seriously lacking. When I'm asked to deviate at all from the given script, I get so nervous I can hardly think. Then my tutor starts speaking over me, and I basically shut down all together.
I am not a quitter. Honestly. I've been working at this whole author thing for years despite the rejection and disappointment. But I feel like, considering we're moving to Russia in ten weeks, this might be extra stress I just don't need in my life. I DO want to learn Russian. I know it's going to be important in a place where hardly anyone will speak English. But between watching a child full-time, trying to get a literary agent, and preparing for the move, is this how I really want to be spending whatever spare time I have? I'm not sure yet. I'll keep you posted.
On the bright side, I got my very first award for this blog courtesy of Towels Packed, Will Travel. It's called the Reader Appreciation Award, and here's what they had to say about my blog.
Most Eligible Family – A writer and mom of a toddler headed to their first post in Yekaterinburg (Russia). Like S, she’s taking an FSI online Russian course. Not having spent much time thinking about our first posting, since there was no time to think, it’s interesting to read about Mara’s pre-departure musings.
Pre-departure musings indeed. I'm amazed anyone's reading! Thanks for the shout-out guys. I really appreciate it!
See, the computer course requires you to a) read Cyrillic (check! Although still rather slowly) and b) learn basic phrases (Got most of those down). There is really very little in the way of grammar, and even though they recommend studying for eight hours a week (where the hell does one find an extra eight hours a week, I'd love to know), it only takes about an hour to go through each lesson. Well, I'd been going over each lesson three or four times, until I basically had the whole thing memorized. But there is no other homework, no lesson book, nothing.
And it turns out this whole phone tutoring thing is NOT for me. My tutor is very nice, but she is not exactly patient with me. When I get flustered, I literally forget the most basic things (like my phone number). Speaking with my tutor on the phone reduces me to my ninth-grade self, the one who freaks out during pop quizzes, even though I did just fine on the homework. Not to mention my tutor has a strong accent and even with a good signal the clarity over the phone is seriously lacking. When I'm asked to deviate at all from the given script, I get so nervous I can hardly think. Then my tutor starts speaking over me, and I basically shut down all together.
I am not a quitter. Honestly. I've been working at this whole author thing for years despite the rejection and disappointment. But I feel like, considering we're moving to Russia in ten weeks, this might be extra stress I just don't need in my life. I DO want to learn Russian. I know it's going to be important in a place where hardly anyone will speak English. But between watching a child full-time, trying to get a literary agent, and preparing for the move, is this how I really want to be spending whatever spare time I have? I'm not sure yet. I'll keep you posted.
On the bright side, I got my very first award for this blog courtesy of Towels Packed, Will Travel. It's called the Reader Appreciation Award, and here's what they had to say about my blog.
Most Eligible Family – A writer and mom of a toddler headed to their first post in Yekaterinburg (Russia). Like S, she’s taking an FSI online Russian course. Not having spent much time thinking about our first posting, since there was no time to think, it’s interesting to read about Mara’s pre-departure musings.
Pre-departure musings indeed. I'm amazed anyone's reading! Thanks for the shout-out guys. I really appreciate it!
Good luck with your language learning! I know it can be tough sometimes--and with a language like Russian in which you have to learn a whole new alphabet, especially tough--but it will be worth it in the end. Also, you'll probably learn a ton and very quickly once you're over there interacting in Russian all the time. Just keep trying. You'll gain a whole new cultural experience and a whole new group of people to meet and know.
ReplyDeleteThanks Connie! I know having the Russian will be a huge advantage in the end. :)
DeleteCongrats on the award! and don't despair about learning the language. I think you just have to find the learning style that's right for you. I would HATE doing something by phone. I absolutely needed a classroom, textbook and homework when I was learning French. I also agree that being in the country will be a huge help. So I say drop the phone lessons for now, you have enough on your plate.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the support! I think I'd do way better in a classroom setting too! The question is - do they have Russian classes in Yekat? I have to find that out. Otherwise I may get a private tutor when I'm there. Preferably someone young and not intimidating :P
DeleteMara, I'm in St Pete and have been learning Russian at an EFM pace (i.e., I sometimes make it to both 1h sessions in a week, no homework) for 3 years and I get excited when I can make a restaurant reservation without slipping into English. It's a HARD language. Just keep plugging away ...
ReplyDeleteAnd congrats on the award!
HI Lynne! Thanks for stopping by. Love the name of your blog! It IS a hard language, isn't it? Before my husband started language training he had taken two years of Russian in college, and he kept saying it was an "easy language." His tune has changed since then ;)
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DeleteRussian is definitely not a language you "just pick up" although in Ekat you'll have more opportunity and motivation. In Piter we have language classes through the Consulate, everyone is allowed 2h/week but Ekat is smaller, I'm not sure what your PLP (Post Language Program) will look like. btw - I'd love to hear more about your husband's impressions of Tver, I'm going in October (I think/hope).
DeleteMy husband would be happy to talk to you about Tver! He had a really great experience (loved his host family) and learned a ton. If you want to email me at mara_rae (@) yahoo.com, I'll pass it on to him :)
DeleteFrom my experience learning Spanish, and even French, I felt like I had a decent grasp of language acquisition and really enjoyed my studies. But with Russian, I feel like a complete language failure. It's so hard to motivate and really focus when I study, which is certainly not the suggested 8 hrs/week (I agree, who has an extra 8hrs in the week?). I know I should be thankful that there is free language coursework and Rosetta Stone available, but I've never been fond of online courses (I need a textbook and classroom like Eliz). Despite my mixed feelings about the course (http://towelspacked.wordpress.com/2012/02/10/glimpse-into-the-future/), I convinced myself to sign up for Express Part II.
ReplyDeleteDo you feel like you put the vocabulary to memory? That's what frustrates me the most. I can read but if I actually had to generate a question/statement or respond I'd be lost. Do you make flashcards or keep a notebook? Do you write in cursive? I just switched over to writing in cursive but find it really difficult to read, particularly since the cursive "T" looks like an "m" and the i/i kratka looks like a "u" which happens to look similar to several others letters.
Just read your post about the program. I am SO happy to find someone else who knows what I'm going through! I agree - very hard to keep motivated, especially without any real assignments. Just going through the lesson five times isn't that helpful. I memorize it, and then my instructor asks me questions and I have no idea what she's talking about. Then she yells at me and I cry. :P I do keep a notebook, but when I try to take notes during my phone calls she yells at me that I don't need to write it down. I'm a visual learner so I really need to see the word spelled out (plus I can't understand her that well on the phone). I do want to make flash cards and I need to start learning cursive, but I haven't gotten around to it yet. By the way, our friends from A-100 are going to Chisinau in September so we should put you in touch with them. That was my first choice post actually! Well, behind Prague :)
DeleteIt's so nice that you can study with (or at least next to) your husband - I used to like that about attending grad school at the same time as my husband. Sadly, having a native Russian speaker for a husband has not helped. For the first time, my husband listened in on my phone class. Afterwards, he commented that the teacher explains things clearly, but I repeat back something completely different (non-words even?). Sigh. I'm also a visual learner so I have to see things written out to digest and understand the information. Maybe I need to go back to Rosetta Stone and see if that works better.
DeleteI try to remind myself that Chisinau is probably a lovely, albeit small, family-friendly post and that I may not have liked Kazakhstan or wherever else (despite the jobs in my field and beautiful hiking in the 'stans). Though, I'm a little worried that I'm going to get mixed up since people speak Moldovan (essentially Romanian) and that I won't get to hear much Russian (only ~20% of the pop. is Russian). That's the thing about Eastern Europe... so many languages.
Yes, please put me in touch with your friends who are moving there in September. I'd love to chat with them.
I let my friends know about you, so hopefully they'll be in touch! He's the FSO, but they're both in full-time Romanian training (they won't have any Russian). Her blog is birdieball.blogspot.com. You know, I suspect if my husband listened in on my phone calls, it would be the same. They already know what words they're listening for/hearing, so they understand the teacher despite the phone. But I know for me, I'm repeating things back completely incorrectly and then she just says, "Yes, good." Or "maladets," as the case may be :P
DeleteIsn't it funny how we all have different ideas of where we want to go? I thought the 'stans sounded pretty bad (I was worried more about Internet than anything), but Moldova is in such a great location for getting to the rest of Europe (and I heard the housing is good). And I'm sure I'm totally wrong about what all of these places are like, including Russia! I did go to Kenya when I was 15 (and my sister just went for work) and it was somewhere I would have put high if it had been on our list (and the job was in my husband's cone). I bet Kenya to Moldova is going to be a pretty interesting change!
Thank you! I'm glad you find it useful. PLEASE keep it up!
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