MOSCOW. Feb 12 (Interfax-AVN) - Every foreign-language lesson at the Military Academy of the Radiation, Chemical and Biological Protection Troops start with cadets singing English, German and French songs using karaoke equipment, Western Military District (WMD) spokesman Col. Oleg Kochetkov told Interfax-AVN on Wednesday.
"A variety of songs, from classics such as the Beatles' Yesterday and Status Quo's You're In The Army Now to the latest and most popular songs, are being used in teaching the cadets. The repertoire is changing constantly, and the choice of a new song reflects the cadets' tastes and requests. Over the full course of foreign-language classes the cadets manage to learn over 20 songs," he said.
Performing foreign-language songs is part of the communication-oriented teaching method, with songs used as an example of foreign-language speech and a source of cultural information, Kochetkov said.
"The use of songs at lessons helps them learn the foreign pronunciation skills better and faster, creates a favorable psychological climate within a group and increases their motivation to learn foreign languages," the defense official said.