Past: How Sailors Learned English

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Cadets of the navigation department often face the need to master English, which is reflected in their training pilots. After discussing this issue at a general meeting, they decided to send a delegation to the course commissioner with a request to hire a qualified English teacher and organize regular lessons. Their wish was granted. A young specialist from Manchester was found who happily agreed to teach 40 Russian sailors the basics of English for 1,500 rubles a month and 45 pounds of bread for the same period.

The students, for the most part, began learning English with great enthusiasm. However, they soon realized that the learning process was much more difficult than they had expected. Fatigue from the monotony of the classes led to a decline in interest. A lack of concentration was observed in the classroom: many were distracted, yawning, reading irrelevant materials, and even smoking. Thus, the initial excitement gave way to boredom and disinterest, which negatively impacted the effectiveness of the training.

The teacher diligently carried out his duties, demonstrating a high level of professionalism. His practical approach to language teaching, aimed at people with limited proficiency in their native language, proved more effective than the methods previously used in the Naval Corps. He quickly learned to ignore students who were bored and distracted by smoking cigarettes, and focused on those who showed genuine interest and a desire to learn. However, despite his efforts, the Englishman's results remained unsatisfactory.

I remember how, over the course of eight lessons, we studied the phrase: "Walk Katya home." Then we moved on to the construction: "I walked Katya home," and later we analyzed the question: "Did you walk Katya home?" This process helped us gain a deeper understanding of sentence structure and its use in different contexts.

The sailors laughed and joked about "Katya," exchanging pleasantries and comments that the Englishman didn't understand. However, trying to be gallant, he smiled and tried to repeat their words, which caused even greater delight among the students. Soon, English lessons became known as "seeing Katya home and back," which added an element of play and fun to the learning process.

Are we seeing Katya off today? I forgot about that.

The number of people accompanying the students dwindled over time. Eventually, the classes were limited to those who truly wanted to participate. A month later, the poor Briton was left without a livelihood.

What did the cadets achieve after two months of studying English? The results were modest. They mastered a few phrases, such as "My great friend Peter fell from the mast," and that, unfortunately, was all. However, their teacher, who continued to maintain contact with the classes, regularly organized Saturday dances and performed "Dixie" brilliantly. He also significantly expanded his knowledge of Russian. Unfortunately, this knowledge proved of little use in society, as it consisted mainly of complex and colorful curses, known to be used by masters of the Russian language, including revolutionary and pre-revolutionary sailors. Nevertheless, the Englishman didn't seem to fully understand what he had been taught, but he was very pleased. The teachers, in turn, were delighted with his success and shared many joyful moments with him. They could often be seen with bread in hand after dances, symbolizing their friendly bond and the positive emotions associated with the learning process.

In his work "The Cradle of the Red Fleet: At the Soviet Naval Command Courses," Vadim Belov illuminates important aspects of the formation and development of the Soviet naval command from 1917 to 1921. The eyewitness accounts collected in the book provide a better understanding of the historical and social conditions in which the Red Fleet was created. Edited by M. A. Erokhova, the publication offers a valuable analysis of the events of that time and their impact on the future of the Soviet fleet. This study not only documents key moments but also serves as an important source for the study of Russian military history, reflecting the spirit of the times and revolutionary changes in the country.