Choroshaya Ideya

In response to appeals from non-concentrators, the Slavic Department plans to offer a one year introductory course in Russian, covering the same material as Slavic Aab, but meeting only four hours a week. Such a course, added to the present intensive courses, would give far broader access to this ever more important language. Its consideration is an encouraging sign of departmental sensitivity to student needs and desires.

Heretofore, studying Russian at Harvard has been the privilege of a diligent few. The notorious difficulty of Aab and Bab, full courses compressed into a single term each, has discouraged many people who would prefer Russian to German or the Romance languages. Credit for two courses is small consolation for one who must fulfill the requirements of another field of concentration. The proposed course presents Russian, which is not generally available in secondary schools, as a vital second language.

Science concentrators have long sought a course enabling them to read Soviet publications. With Russia leading the United States and Britain in both publication and translation of scientific articles, Russian is fast displacing English as the language of science and technology. If security regulations muffle our own voice, we should learn to listen to another's.

The Slavic Department should plan to offer the new introductory course in 1958-59, and should look to the day when "Govoritye po-russky?" is heard as often as "Parlez-vous francais?"