THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, May 19, 1996 TAG: 9605170216
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 20 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY HOLLY WESTER, CORRESPONDENT
LENGTH: Medium: 88 lines
Duhhhhh.
Yeah.
Yo.
These words are more than slang phrases for fourth-graders in Betty Tecson's class at Princess Anne Elementary School.
They are three sounds in the Russian alphabet - one of many tidbits learned Wednesday when the students got a lesson in foreign language.
Taught by Kellam High School senior Crystal Calovich, the two-part activity is being offered to all five fourth-grade classes at Princess Anne, courtesy of the PTA.
``We're trying to generate interest in the Russian language,'' said PTA member Patty Fanzo.
Fanzo chaired the PTA's after-school enrichment program earlier in the year, and watched as sign-up sheets for Spanish, French and Latin filled up. A Russian class was initially part of the line up, but was canceled due to lack of student interest.
This apathy is reflective of the high school attitude. ``The enrollments are very low,'' said Freda Pohrivchak, Russian teacher at both Kellam and Princess Anne high schools, where she has 10 pupils at each school. ``It's a wonderful language, but it's a very difficult language.
``They have a new alphabet to learn,'' Pohrivchak added. ``It doesn't compare to the English language. It's totally phonetic, where English is not.''
So, when the fourth-grade teachers at Princess Anne said their classes would benefit from the exposure, and the PTA got it worked into the school day, Pohrivchak was ecstatic. She passed the word to Calovich, one of her two third-year Russian students, and the 17-year-old started writing lesson plans.
Calovich starts by showing the 36-letter alphabet, sounding each letter out and asking the students to repeat.
``They're really excited,'' said Calovich, who has been surprised by the children's enthusiasm so far. ``I was afraid they wouldn't be very active. They really get into it. I like that.''
Once they cover the basics, Calovich then teaches them how to spell their names.
``Don't think about the letters in your name,'' she told Tecson's group of 21. ``Think about the sounds in your name.''
Moans came from the crowd when Calovich explained that there is no ``w'' or ``th'' sounds in Russian.
``This is confusing,'' said Angela Dorsogna, 10, ``but it's cool.''
``It's hard,'' said Zach Zebrowski, also 10.
``It's fun,'' added Hedy Chambers, 9, comparing it to ``pig'' Latin. ``It's like a secret language.''
They chatted about different Russian names, such as Svetlana, Natasha and Olga, and Calovich shared a little culture with the students by pulling out a Matryoshka doll. This hand-painted nesting doll, which symbolizes fertility, is like the gag gift boxes that go from big to small to smallest.
As Calovich opened each one, the children ``oohed'' and ``ahhed'' - amazed that the 1-foot-high doll held 13 smaller versions.
Numbers and more ``cultural things,'' such as fairy tales and history, are planned for Tuesday, the next time Calovich visits Tecson's class.
She may talk about Catherine the Great or the Red Revolution or even Ivan the Terrible. Legend has it that Ivan, the first czar of Russia, ordered the building of St. Basil's Cathedral and then had the architect's eyes poked out.
``They love that - anything gross,'' Pohrivchak said.
Whatever it takes, Calovich and Pohrivchak hope to get the students hooked on foreign language now, before it's too late.
``In high school, all you hear people say is, `Why do we have to learn this?' or `I'm never going to use this,' '' Calovich said, citing the complaints she hears about language. ``Even if you aren't going to Europe, I think it's necessary in today's world. And you need to start at an early age.'' ILLUSTRATION: Staff photos by CHARLIE MEADS
ABOVE: Kellam High senior Crystal Calovich writes the Russian
alphabet and its corresponding English equivalent on the blackboard
during Betty Tecson's fourth-grade class at Princess Anne
Elementary.
RIGHT: Among those taking in the PTA-sponsored language program were
Nick Pietrzak and Brittany Robinson.
by CNB