Foreign languages

<p>We just got our 6 weeks progress reports & I just found I had a low B in Russian I. I don't know what more I could do in this class. I know for a fact that I'm dropping Russian, despite how it might look on my transcript, at the quarter because it's just too much to handle. Anyone have any tips on memorizing a language they don't understand just for test taking purposes?</p>

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Anyone have any tips on memorizing a language they don't understand just for test taking purposes?

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What are you having trouble with, mostly? Grammar, vocabulary, speaking, writing, or..?</p>

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at the quarter because it's just too much to handle. Anyone have any tips on memorizing a language they don't understand just for test taking purposes?

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</p>

<p>Have an honest conversation with your teacher. Only s/he can gauge your abilities right now and provide you with enough help and guidance.</p>

<p>If your not interested in Russian as a language, and think that there might be other languages that might interest you more, then drop it. Luckily its only Russian I so your not wasting so much progress. Now if you are really interested in Russian, then explore different ways to learn the subject. Talk with your teacher, maybe she/he might have supplementary sources or a supplementary book/textbook she can refer to you, she will like the effort. </p>

<p>Memorizing I dont think is a Language type of thing. I am sure you can pull it off for subjects like Math and Science, but not Language.</p>

<p>Just sit down, put together a series of cards for the vocabulary and do as many grammar drills as possible until you have memorized all that you need and are flawless with the grammar. That will get you past about any first-year language class.
Memorizing is good for any language, but it is particularly suited for ones like Chinese or Japanese where large numbers of pictorial compounds need to be memorized in order to understand word combinations.</p>

<p>My teacher pulled me, along with several other students, out of class to talk with us about our grades. He told me I had the ability, that my grade was good (our ideas on good are quite different), and that I was only there because I didn't too well on a test we just took. </p>

<p>We have a CD that follows along with some of the exercises in the book. </p>

<p>I have a lot of trouble with dialog tests, though. Hopefully that section of my grade will change because he gave us a packet that goes into the gradebook as a dialog grade (we have daily work/quizzes, tests, and dialog). I'm very happy about that one. I also have a lot of trouble with grammar but, we've been reviewing for the last 4 days on grammar so it should improve too. I'm definantly going to just try to buckle down more. </p>

<p>I do have a little bit of language experience. I'm in Spanish 4 as a sophomore. Infact, it's a pre-req that you have to have atleast 2 years of another language to get into Russian. I feel kind of bad about dropping the class, even though it's driving me crazy.</p>

<p>It's fine if you drop it. It's not the end of the world. There will be sections on your college applications where you can explain circumstance. However, between now and then, try finding ways to compensating for such a decision. Good luck.</p>

<p>I think you'd have no problem dropping Russian if you are already in Spanish 4. That's really impressive for a sophomore! If you do AP Spanish next year, I think your application would look fine. Good luck.</p>

<p>I'd just finish it. A low B can easily be brought up. Last year I brought my grade up from an 82 to a 93 in Spanish in one quarter. It was a really hard teacher, but just keep with it. I wish my school had Russian. If it's necessary, drop it, but I think you'll do fine if you stay in 'er.</p>