Some thoughts

I think the technique they are using to teach us French is similar to the technique currently being used to teach kids math in the public schools in the US. That is, they give the student just what he or she needs to know in order to achieve the current objective. When all the objectives have been achieved, even though they might not seem at all connected, they allow the learner to perform whatever task is necessary. If, down the road, they come across a task they can not achieve with their collection of lessons, it is relatively simple to memorize another equation or another conjugation.

I detested that method of learning Math.

I wanted to know WHY things worked the way they did. I wanted to understand math rather than just knowing formulas, so that if I forgot a formula I knew enough to make it myself. Fortunately, I had teachers who also believed in the importance of mastery rather than just fluency. And really, in order to do Calculus, we needed to know math. Precalculus is all about teaching a student how to move past the usage of everyday formulas and into the realm of manipulating everything you know. Why? Because the real world is complex, and if you want to use math to describe it you need to know every possible nook and cranny of math, how it relates to everything other mathematical principle, and how it does or does not relate to the situation.

So now they are making me memorize things rather than studying concepts. And I know full well that they are teaching me the basics, only to tell me in a month or two that there are a ton of complications that they skipped the first time. And I think I am okay with this. Why? A couple of reasons.

1. I have to honestly look at why I am learning French and ask, "Do I need to be a master of this language?" The answer is no; I only need to be able to talk to people. I'm not going to be a French professor and I am not going to be doing any linguistics work related to French. There is no point in me knowing more about French than the average French person does- in some ways I already do.
2. The less complex method is presumably faster. At this point, speed is the priority.
3. When I have to learn local languages in Africa, the fragmented learning style is the ONLY language learning style. No one has written books that could tell me the intricacies of the language. So learning French this way is good preparation.
4. Learning the rules of the language gives a person command of it on paper. That doesn't necessarily make them good at either speaking or hearing the spoken language. I don't plan on writing dissertations in French, but I do plan on talking to a lot of people in French, including people with wildly different accents. I have to prioritize my time accordingly.

However... I am cheating a little. I found a website by the University of Texas that tells me wonderful things about French (in English) that I probably never would have figured out otherwise. For example, this weekend I studied the passé composé form. I forgot some of what I read, and I am a long way from being able to speak it fluently, but I gained enough that when the teacher finally taught it to us today I just smiled and nodded rather than pulling my hair out like my classmates.

But I had better get back to the grind. We have a conjugation test tomorrow, so I have to go do some memorizing and review of the rules they HAVE given us. Praise God for rules, even ones that have exceptions. I LOVE RULES!