34. Scudit's Entrance Test

All entering students have to take a test on their knowledge of Italian grammar. The test I took covered tropics found in a “standard” Italian language course. There was no testing on comprehension or conversation. Given the “method” of the school, the test serves as a template with which to place the students.

My knowledge of grammar was rusty because for the past year I had avoided studying grammar. Rather, I had focused on comprehension by watching movies, reading, and conversing – at least as much as I could get. I’m sure I made a mess of the test, although a night’s review of my notes soon brought back the grammar. On the other hand, I am certain that a week, a month, a year later, I still would not remember the rules because learning to speak Italian is a hobby and not a university or job requirement. I expect to continue to make errors when I speak and to be corrected until I assimilate the rules.

Although the simple grammar test might serve its administrative purpose for placing students according to their ready knowledge of grammatical topics, it also had its drawback. As happened at the University of Perugia, a class would have a mixture of those adept at speaking the language but weak in grammar and those who were weak in conversational Italian. When it came to conversing, those students who could speak tended to dominate. There is also a natural predilection for the instructor to turn more to the students who can speak rather than listen to the halting attempts of the weaker students.

I presume it was because of my test result that I was placed in a class which I found too easy, and, in my opinion, wasted my first week. In fairness to the school, when I complained to the Director, he was sufficiently flexible that he placed me in a different class. If the other three weeks could have been as my second I would have been very, very happy.