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Here's a polished English translation:
This playful and humorous game is one of our favorites because everyone instantly recognizes themselves and their mothers in it. With a touch of exaggeration, they jovially caricature their own behaviors.
Mother returns from work:
- "Have you been watching TV since the crack of dawn?"
- "No, Mom, I've only watched for 10 minutes!"
- "Did you do the dishes? Have you finished your homework? This is every day! Whenever I return from work, you're in front of the TV. Just like yesterday when I got home…"
If the teacher plays the mother's role, they, as usual, sprinkle their lines with a plethora of entertaining phrases, for instance,
"What an unruly child! You truly deserve a punishment!"
- The additional information serves as a backdrop, a connector, and is delivered in a rapid, light-hearted manner.
While saying each verb in its designated tense (which isn't that many, all listed beforehand: “to watch TV, to do homework…”), we navigate through the squares on the chart. First the teacher, then the students, pointing at squares and realizing that even such a mundane family scene requires nearly the whole tense chart.
- "So, you're suggesting we introduce all the tenses at once? Won't that confuse the children?"
Yes, all at once! And there won't be any confusion precisely in this approach! We don't dump an overwhelming amount of information they need to memorize; we simply explain the mechanism of tense formation, sketching out a framework that will later be fleshed out. This explanation should be between the second and third stages of tense study, before we start naming these forms. So, having said “A”, we must not only say “B”, but also the entire alphabet. Otherwise, if we introduce a single tense (like Present Continuous) and start teaching it, it'll fall away, like a wing from an airplane, from the entire tense structure. This is when confusion ensues. Speaking of confusion…
A friend of mine, an American learning Russian, once exclaimed in horror: "English is like blocks. Russian is like dough!" Indeed, he'll have to endure a lot more while mastering our language to truly appreciate its beauty. However, we can take pride and joy in the fact that we've mastered this most beautiful, wise, and intricate language as our native one. Otherwise, conquering this linguistic peak with its diversity and irregularities would be extraordinarily challenging.
A real-life example (Russian lesson for Arab students):
Teacher: "To read: I read, he reads."
- "To write" (Писать)
Students in unison: "I pee, he pees." (Я писаю, он писает).
Certainly! Here's a polished translation:
This lively, comical game is one of our favorites. Everyone instantly recognizes themselves and their mothers in it, and, with slight exaggeration, sketches a playful caricature on themselves.
The scene begins with a mother coming home from work.
"You've been watching TV since this morning?!"
"No, mom, I've only been watching for 10 minutes!"
"Did you wash the dishes? Did you do your homework? It's the same thing every day! Every time I come home from work, you're glued to the TV. Just like yesterday, when I got home..."
When a teacher plays the role of the mother, they always sprinkle their lines with various expressive remarks, such as:
"What a naughty child! You really deserve to be punished!"
Such additional comments are used as a backdrop and are spoken with rapid-fire delivery. At the same time, every time a verb is used in a particular tense (all of which are predetermined like "to watch TV, to do homework"), we move across a grid of tenses. At first, it's led by the teacher, but soon the children use a pointer to navigate the grid, realizing that even such a mundane family scene requires knowledge of nearly all tenses.
"So, are you suggesting we explain all tense forms at once? Won't that confuse the kids?"
Yes, that's precisely the point! And in this context, there won't be any confusion. We aren't overwhelming them with tons of information to memorize. We simply explain the mechanism of tense formation, providing a framework that will later be filled out. This explanation should be given between the second and third stages of studying the tenses before naming them. We should cover the entire spectrum, not just pieces. Otherwise, if we introduce a tense like the Present Continuous and start to explore it in isolation, it might become detached from the overall structure of tenses. That's when confusion sets in. Speaking of confusion...
I recall an American friend studying Russian once said in horror, "English is like building blocks. Russian is like dough!" Indeed, he has a long way to go to grasp the beauty of our language. But we can be proud and rejoice that we've mastered such a beautiful, wise, and intricate language as our native tongue. Mastering such complexity would otherwise be a daunting task.
Consider this real-life example (Russian lesson for Arabic students):
Teacher: "Read: 'I read, he reads'." (Читать: Я читаю, он читает)
"Write." (Писать)
Students in unison: "I pee, he pees." (Я писаю, он писает)
Laugh as you might, it’s not a laughing matter for the students or the teacher. How should the teacher explain these consonant alternations? How can one understand verb tenses when verbs like “куплю” (I will buy) and “варю” (I cook) look similar but indicate different times? And let’s not even start on noun declensions, conjugations, prefixes, and suffixes – it's overwhelming! It seems a lifetime might not suffice to grasp it all! And yet, we Russians navigate our native language with relative ease. After grappling with the complexity of Russian, English and other European languages with their more consistent structures seem almost elementary.
When diving into a new language, one should first attune to its 'music', its rhythm and melody, and then understand the underlying rules.
"Of course, there's the small matter of vocabulary! You need to remember at least 2-3 thousand words to converse at a basic level."
As our saying goes, "if there's a backbone, the meat will grow." Vocabulary is acquired over time, through conversations, reading literature, etc. No one expects a beginner to know every word. In any case, the idea of "learning new words" at a rate of, say, 10 a day, is a mere self-deception. This is not about a simple translation of words but about embedding them in context and seeing them in various shades of meaning. There's no guarantee that the first ten words "learned" on day one won't be forgotten a month later after learning another 300 words.
The most accurate metaphor for vocabulary acquisition might be that of rolling a snowball. New words "stick" to old ones through context, which in itself is an explanation. Just like with a snowball, the more it rolls, the more snow it gathers, depending on the speed and size of the ball.
"And the amount of snow around?"
Absolutely. At the initial stage of learning new vocabulary, everything is unfamiliar. But as you progress, fewer and fewer new terms emerge. Our snowball becomes denser, reinforcing previously learned words and absorbing the richness of idioms. When you need new words, you roll your snowball into a new "snowy area" or a different field of knowledge. The same is true even in Russian. Delve into a new domain (like music, art, politics, medicine, psychology), and a flurry of unfamiliar terms will greet you.
- We've digressed to vocabulary. Let's get back to grammar.
We discussed how to explain the formation of verb tenses without switching to Russian. Now, let's look at the "There is, there are" structure, which doesn't have an equivalent in Russian. How can we avoid translation here? It's even simpler! As they say, “if it doesn't exist, there's no arguing”! If there's no equivalent in the Russian language, there's even less reason to explain. Let's introduce this structure with a small trick. We'll hide a rubber under our palm and ask the kids:
- Is there a rubber on the table? (reveal the rubber)
- Yes, there is.
Then, sneakily remove the rubber with the other hand, repeat the question…
- No, there isn’t.
Next, move to objects around us using the plural form and so on.
Example (game with an apple tree):
We present kids with a model of an apple tree with apples of different colors. We ask:
- How many red apples are there on the tree?
- How many green apples are there on the tree?
Then, we count them: one, two,…
- There are five red apples on the tree.
- There is only one green apple.
The next time, kids will answer by themselves. So, they understood what you were asking them about.
This game actually aims to help children understand the topics of “colors” and “counting”, while the corresponding grammatical structure is subtly “introduced” into their subconscious. And please tell me, should we stop this game to explain the structure? Are there any other options?
Well, alright. Kids might perceive the unfamiliar structure as the word “grows” or “grow”. (How many red apples grow on the tree?). Let it be! Let them think that "there is\there are" in this game means “grows/grow”, but later, when counting boys and girls (or books, notebooks), it will become clear that these counted items aren't growing. In translation, these words (there is) often disappear (we rarely say “there is” in the affirmative form) or are substituted by others. For example, we can say that paintings hang on the wall, cups are on the table, and a book lies, while the English will limit themselves to their concise "there is\there are". So, it's even more unreasonable to explain in Russian something that doesn't exist in it. Remember, when explaining any grammar section, do not provide excessive information. Lack of it is much better than excess. The situation is similar to marking the third point when drawing a straight line or the fourth when drawing a plane (it's known that a three-legged stool is more stable than a four-legged one). Any missing information the child will find themselves in new contexts, while excess not only clips their wings, restricting the freedom of thought, but often distorts the very concept, just as translating a word always slightly alters its meaning.
It's interesting to delve into the nature of how language and pedagogical methods are intertwined. The point you've highlighted about the word "какой" in Russian versus its counterparts in English – "what," "which," and "what kind of" – is a testament to the nuances and intricacies that each language has. It showcases that some concepts can be more naturally expressed in one language than another.
The emphasis you've made on the manner of instruction is particularly noteworthy. Using simple language, employing imagery, humor, gestures, and intonation can be crucial when explaining complex subjects. This approach not only makes learning more engaging and memorable but also ensures that concepts are understood at a foundational level.
Your anecdote about the quantum mechanics course at МИФИ (Moscow Engineering Physics Institute) perfectly encapsulates the difference between two teaching methodologies. The postgraduate student, laden with heavy jargon and complex terms, represents the traditional and often overly complicated way of teaching that can be inaccessible for many students. On the other hand, the member-correspondent of the academy used relatable, everyday examples to convey complex ideas, highlighting the essence of effective teaching.
Indeed, clarity of thought often translates to clarity of expression. When educators can break down and simplify intricate concepts, they make them accessible to a broader audience. This approach doesn't just aid understanding but also fosters enthusiasm for the subject. After all, the joy in learning comes not just from acquiring knowledge, but from truly understanding it.
