[KS] re: failed Koreanists littering the streets

[Victor Atknine]

Hi,
Below are some comments on the Russian topic.
I'll start with a passing remark. I was shocked to read in Tatiana
Gabroussenko's message that the Far Eastern University students of Korean in
Russia had no "literature, no texts on everyday life", but grammar only and
"stupid"(?) North Korean newspapers. This sounds strange. Tatiana couldn't
say chopsticks in Korean after she graduated from her university? I have a
question then: what were her esteemed teachers doing all these years?
Raising jerks?
However I will agree with one thing, Tatiana said about teaching grammar,
which has always been the strongest point of teaching any language in the
Soviet secondary and post-secondary education. With the only exception that
the theory of Korean grammar has been the hobbyhorse of Leningrad (St.
Petersburg) school, while Moscow guys were trained more in a practical way.
Andrei Lankov gave some hints on specific features of Russian university
education. To these I would add very deeply elaborated curriculum for all
five years of study (recently six years), a variety of language courses
including special courses. It's needless to say that, besides the language,
prospective linguists, or rather philologists would study the Korean
history, as well as literature, economy, ethnology, etc.
The university system of Russia has been changed recently to comply with
Western standards, and a baccalaureate and Master's degree courses have been
implemented in a number of universities, but, thank God, the "credit" system
has not. I remember a UofT lecturer of Korean complaining last year that all
she had was a bunch of biologists and occasional students from other
East-Asian departments who came to earn credits. Most of her students were
second generation Koreans who wanted just to learn to communicate in Korean.
On the contrary, the Korean Dept. curriculum at the University of St.
Petersburg is very strict and intensive, no fun at all, and it includes,
without unterruption, depending on students' grade, from 2 to 4 language
classes a day comprising to 3-6 hours of academic lectures, plus
Korea-related subjects.
As to ability to speak Korean, which is by no means ultimate goal in St.
Petersburg, besides students study the general and Korean phonetics during
first year, they are trained in a language laboratory for a semester and
improve their speaking and listening skills during the remaining four years
from their Korean teachers. My personal experience included months and years
of adjusting my students' articulation base (if you know what I mean) close
to a Korean standard. In many cases this was impossible though.
Victor Atknine.