Homework!

Oh dear - what a day! My 13 year old Tom and his Spanish homework don't mix very well! I think the world is becoming a very strange place - I'm sure we didn't do this 'in my day. He has had to write an essay about his family and life... then he has to learn it off by heart and regurgitate it in an exam on Thursday! It doesn't seem to matter if he doesn't remember the meaning as long as he remembers the words - It seems like a very strange way to learn a language to me! Or am I just old?!