Small Talk
The first two weeks have been quite busy. Jet lag is a convenient scapegoat, but even without it, adapting to a new environment can be exhausting. My host family is wonderful. The day I arrived, we had a huge meal and a few neighbors even showed up. I really don't know any Russian but I do understand what "kooshetz!!" means (thank you babushka). This term is usually addressed as a command, often accompanied by emphatic gesturing with a wooden spoon, and means "EAT! Eat, now, and keep eating..." It's said that an empty plate is viewed as a challenge to a Russian hostess and I think this may be true.
The cat meows loudly at me all the time. Supposedly this is a normal part of her adjustment process with new Americans. (my host family has some experience in this matter)
I never realized what an emotional process learning a new language can be. During the first week, we had survival Russian classes. It seems almost everyone else was a Russian major in school so I spent a few days moping around and being exasperated that I couldn't gain fluency in 7 days. (James Bond does NOT make it look this hard) Sitting in the classroom for my one-on-one lessons, I suddenly understood the thought process our students will have when they walk through the door. Hopefully this will help me be a better teacher.
About 2 days into the trip, I decided enough was enough and it was time to start talking. I brought my pocket dictionary to breakfast determined to make conversation. The food is delicious and I flipped through the dictionary, strung some words together in my head and proudly told my host mother "You are a good oven". She burst out laughing; I learned that dictionaries aren't all they're cracked up to be, and that the words for oven and cook are remarkably similar. But hey, I'm trying, right? And the joke kept us going for the rest of the week.
The cat meows loudly at me all the time. Supposedly this is a normal part of her adjustment process with new Americans. (my host family has some experience in this matter)
I never realized what an emotional process learning a new language can be. During the first week, we had survival Russian classes. It seems almost everyone else was a Russian major in school so I spent a few days moping around and being exasperated that I couldn't gain fluency in 7 days. (James Bond does NOT make it look this hard) Sitting in the classroom for my one-on-one lessons, I suddenly understood the thought process our students will have when they walk through the door. Hopefully this will help me be a better teacher.
About 2 days into the trip, I decided enough was enough and it was time to start talking. I brought my pocket dictionary to breakfast determined to make conversation. The food is delicious and I flipped through the dictionary, strung some words together in my head and proudly told my host mother "You are a good oven". She burst out laughing; I learned that dictionaries aren't all they're cracked up to be, and that the words for oven and cook are remarkably similar. But hey, I'm trying, right? And the joke kept us going for the rest of the week.
posted by russiangirl at 8:14 AM
1 Comments:
Oh man. I know exactly how you feel. But I can promise you that it gets better. Very, very slowly, but it does. In six months you'll be astonished at all the words you take for granted.
~Brooke
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