I am learning Chinese.

Some time ago I had to change teachers and I stumbled upon a strange thing that I only understood today.

My first teacher didn't ask me any questions; she just started teaching me.

All subsequent ones built lessons around interrogation.

Without considering who I am, what I am, or which textbook I studied from: "What is this character? What does it mean? Write pinyin. Pronounce it. What tone? Clearer tone! Make three sentences with this word."

And so on in a loop for the whole lesson.

I felt like I was being interrogated or facing a firing squad. Not a lesson, but an endless stressful exam. My attempts to explain that I studied from a different textbook and learned characters in a different order had no effect whatsoever.

I even specifically found a school where you need to pass a test for admission, and I passed it. Guess how my first lesson started?

Right, with another test.

And only today, after months of searching, my new teacher, who also started quizzing me even though I asked her to just start from the beginning with me, explained that this is a common teaching method and I just need a different one.

Phew. I don't know who this works for, but this method makes me want to jump out the window. I'm used to coming, listening, learning, memorizing, studying at home on my own, and only then answering questions.

Does endless stress and memorization through constant questions from the teacher really work?

A mystery.