Helping out...

[alexpgp]

Galina and I rose early and arrived at Furr High School in good time to see the organizer of today's "Olympiada of Spoken Russian" (and an acquaintance of ours) juggle some incredible number of issues to get the event under way. Once everyone had received their assignment (Galina was one of the judges for Level 2 Conversation, while I was tagged for Level 2 Civilization), we joined the assembled competitors and their teachers in the school's auditorium.

The part about my being asked to say a few words was no joke. I was preceded at the microphone by the Consul General of the Russian Federation in Houston, Alexander Konstantinovich Zakharov, who (among other remarks) thanked the participants for coming and for studying Russian. The organizer then called upon me to do my part at the microphone, holding me up as the model of a successful translator and interpreter who was born and raised in the United States.

Let me stop for a second and say that I had spent some time yesterday putting together some remarks, taking account of some wise words from halfshellvenus. I thought I had done a pretty good job of it until this morning, when I ran them past my fiercest critic (whose name begins with "Gal" and ends with "ina"), who convinced me to cut out about 50% of my words. In the car on our way to the site, however, I realized that I had actually cut out too much, and mentally reviewed what needed to be put back.

I had intended to deliver my remarks in a seemingly off-the-cuff manner, without referring to any aids outside my memory, but there, sitting in the car, I wondered if I would have the presence of mind to keep everything straight without making a fool of myself. As we parked the car in the school lot, I mentally said Shepard's Prayer and then put the issue out of my mind.

I don't quire remember what exactly I said once I took the microphone, but Galina said afterward she was proud of me, and that I had really done a fine job.

The judging went well. My bailiwick—civilization (in the sense it is used in French class to denote facts related to geography and culture)—required students to speak on one of several topics. The teacher at one school decided her team would—to the last boy and girl—choose the same topic, and the coaching they received was reflected in their high scores.

Generally, pretty much everyone did well, and as concerns the few who came and subjected themselves to a very stressful few minutes to demonstrate an abysmal knowledge of the subject, I must admit I have a certain amount of respect for them, too, because while it's great to put in a great showing, it's also important to simply show up.

Cheers...

Comments

[kehlen-crow.livejournal.com]

Interesting. When we were at school, we bad Olympiadas in a lot of subjects. Was this competition called thus way because it's in Russian? And what do you usually call them I other subjects? :-)

[alexpgp.livejournal.com]

I was a little surprised, at first, to learn that the actual name of the event was "Olympiada" (doubtless a transliteration from Russian), but since the event—formally, the "Olympiada of Spoken Russian"—is something that has been put on by the American Council of Teachers of Russian since the 1960s, it sort of makes sense.

As far as other subjects are concerned, most of the ones I'm familiar with would simply go by the name of "competition." I seem to recall reading about an "academic decathlon" of some kind, too.

A spelling competition is called a "bee," and competitors ultimately aim for the national event, where they take turns spelling words that pretty much nobody has ever heard of.

Science competitions at the grade school level often take the form of "fairs" that also work up to the level of a national science fair.

Short answer. :)

[halfshellvenus.livejournal.com]

I'm glad this went well!

it's also important to simply show up.
Extemporaneous speaking in a foreign language, even if you DO know and understand the topic, is daunting.

My daughter's Mock Trial team, which is highly experienced and has multi-year veterans on it, was matched in the first round with a team new to the program. As badly as those other kids were creamed, they stuck with it, they kept trying through to the end, and the first time is as brutal as it will ever get. It really took guts, on their part.

[alexpgp.livejournal.com]

Well, as it turns out, my remarks were delivered in English (the audience being largely comprised of high-school students with only a couple of years of language study under their belts). What bugged me, though, was the rather vague topic description (i.e., not much guidance past "say a few words").

That said, your reference to getting "creamed" reminded me of the times I'd be assigned to interpret at events where the topic was either overly broad (i.e., interpreting for a "medical" conference call) or clearly outside my bailiwick (i.e., interpreting what is said about exhibits by a museum guide). In such cases, I am reminded of a phrase I learned in boot camp:

What can they do if I screw up? Cut off my hair and recycle me?

(The last is a reference to the practice of sending recruits "back" to repeat a phase of boot camp—a fate most of us would have sold our mothers into slavery to avoid.)

That, combined with a line I picked up from Natan Sharansky, who was talking about the KGB—"Nothing they can do can humiliate me. I alone can humiliate myself"—generally helps me get through the experience.

Cheers...