PRIVATE SLAVIC COURSE

To the Editors of the CRIMSON:

An article on my private Slavic course that appeared in the CRIMSON of March 11 has resulted in considerable embarrassment to me. I was promised that any story dealing with my course would not in any way make reference to the Harvard Slavic course or be used as an "expose" of Harvard's course. Your reporter promised that I could read his story and concel it if it misrepresented my course or mentioned the Harvard course. I read the story, said that it was unacceptable, and was told that it would be cancelled. Two days later the story appeared in print.

I think that Slavic A will probably survive the effects of the story. It is rather my own course that is likely to suffer. What was said about my course in the article was trivial and misleading. The reporter confined his analysis of my methods and materials to the remark that I employ "such devices as insulting or ridiculing...students to provoke them into responding in Russian," and that we sing Russian songs at the end of class. I think that there are more interesting things to be said about my course, and I regret that you did not consider such material to be news-worthy. Who would seriously consider taking a course whose curriculum consists of conversation-provoking ridicule and song fests, and whose instructor naively believes that in a few lessons, without the benefit of rules of grammar, he can promote one to a state in which "it's almost like learning the grammar of your own language." I make no such pretentious claim for my course. You have taken halves of two sentences to construct a statement which does not represent my views. The effect has been rather to make me look like a proponent of Russian-in-5-easy-lessons. Learning Russian well is difficult and time-consuming whether done in Slavic A, in my course, or anywhere else.

I disclaim any responsibility for the intent and content of the CRIMSON of March 11.

I express my regrets to the Harvard Slavic Department for any embarrassment this article has caused it.

I feel chagrin at the way in which my course has been misused. And finally, of course, I am annoyed that my course has been so clumsily described. Alexander L. Lipson

(The March 11 story quoted the head of Slavic A as saying that the enrollment of the course had decreased and implied that the decrease was connected with the private Russian course. An additional statement was omitted explaining that enrollment in Slavic B has increased and that more freshman now enter with enough background to start in with Slavic B.--Ed. Note.)