You must follow the model EXACTLY, Tomas.

Class was a bit on the frustrating side today. A daily feature of our classes with Ludmila Nikolaevna (who seems to have eaten Elena, or hid her in a closet, or something) is "Diktant," or dictation. In its most elemental form, LN will recite five sentences, and provide an outline of their structure on the whiteboard; we are responsible for writing down what we hear. This was almost the first thing I did when I changed groups, and it's one of the things I appreciate most about this group. It gives me the listening practice I so urgently need. LN has several variations of the basic format, any one of which might be the exercise for the day.

Today, she went with "Samodiktant," which would sort of translate to "Self-dictation." In this particular form, she provided what turned out to be an extremely specific outline of four very simple sentences; we were to construct sentences that conformed to the model. I immediately set to work. Reality often being my best inspiration, I wrote, "Вчера вечером, мы с подругой поехали на концерт." ("Yesterday evening, my (female) friend and I went to a concert.") When LN saw this, she quickly took issue. We've not had the preposition that I used in class yet, nor the case that it governs, and she told me that I needed to follow the model exactly--that the other stuff comes later.

What I couldn't say, though I wanted to, was that while the class might not know the instrumental case, I do. (Not particularly well, but I know it.) If I don't use it, I tend to forget it, and what other chance do I have to use it, but when an opportunity presents itself in class? This is the second time I've run up against this instance on slavishly following the model, and it reinforces the importance of getting out-of-class experience with this language. If I only follow the models in class, I might be able to construct painfully simple sentences in any of a limited number of rigidly defined forms; I won't be able to speak the language (unless I'm lucky enough to need to say one of those limited things). I know I'll make mistakes if I'm running out ahead of the class--I make them even with the stuff we're currently working on, now and then. But I want to make them, and I need to make them if I'm going to learn.

It also makes me think that it may be time to hop up a level again. The only thing that really holds me back right now is my vocabulary and my weak listening comprehension; I'm nearly certain that I already know all of the grammar in at least the first of our textbooks. Maybe in another month I'll feel like I've got the vocab to skip ahead again. Or, if I can find a conversation partner, maybe I can just treat class as an extremely simple review and move ahead on my own…