Arts and Humanities Commons^™

Reducing Food Scarcity: The Benefits Of Urban Farming, S.A. Claudell, Emilio Mejia

Journal of Nonprofit Innovation

Urban farming can enhance the lives of communities and help reduce food scarcity. This paper presents a conceptual prototype of an efficient urban farming community that can be scaled for a single apartment building or an entire community across all global geoeconomics regions, including densely populated cities and rural, developing towns and communities. When deployed in coordination with smart crop choices, local farm support, and efficient transportation then the result isn’t just sustainability, but also increasing fresh produce accessibility, optimizing nutritional value, eliminating the use of ‘forever chemicals’, reducing transportation costs, and fostering global environmental benefits.

Imagine Doris, who is …

Building Social Media Literacy In The Russian Language Classroom, Kelly Knickmeier Cummings

Russian Language Journal

This article presents ways to teach media literacy (ML) skills in Russian language classrooms with particular focus on developing proficiencies to navigate social media (SM) where information disorder is a critical concern. Because of its numerous configurations and applications, SM is understood broadly as “the creation and exchange of user-generated content.” After outlining critical concerns surrounding SM use, the discussion focuses on three conditions that affect the development of ML skills when trying to engage meaningfully online: cognitive vulnerabilities, unreliable narrators, and populist rhetoric. Developing an awareness of how these three conditions on SM impact decision-making and behavior online equips …

Students As Co-Creators Of A Russian Media Literacy Course, Katya Jordan, Jennifer Bown

Russian Language Journal

This paper reports on a 4th-year Russian course designed around information, media and technology literacy and focused on developing Advanced-level proficiency. The goals of this course include development of 21st century skills, with an emphasis on information and media literacy. This inquiry-based course follows the core principles of Open Architecture Curricular Design (Leaver & Campbell, 2015), including the use of a theme-based syllabus designed around authentic texts and learner involvement in the selection and delivery of content. The course focuses on current events and uses current authentic materials available through Russian-language news outlets. Students act as co-creators as they select …

Tracking Current Events In The Russian-Language Classroom, Cori Anderson, Daniel Brooks

Russian Language Journal

Given weaponized disinformation about recent US elections and the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine, media literacy has become an essential part of a 21st-century liberal arts education, in line with the AAC&U’s Essential Learning Outcomes. By including news media in the language classroom, instructors can introduce students to the products and practices of the target culture and enhance their comprehension of Russian-language texts. We describe a current events blog project, appropriate at any level of instruction, with specific examples from second- and sixth-semester university-level Russian-language courses. Students follow current events in the Russian-speaking world on a topic of their choosing, …

Book Review: Authenticity Across Languages And Cultures: Themes Of Identity In Foreign Language Teaching And Learning, Aselle Almuratova

Russian Language Journal

The word “authenticity” and its derivatives have become almost a catch-all in language pedagogy. While language teachers strive to use authentic materials in their teaching and attempt to prepare students for authentic communicative situations, few teachers of Russian are aware of the connection between personal and cultural authenticity, as the term itself is not clearly defined in the field of Russian as a Foreign Language (RFL) and is often seen as self-explanatory. The authors of the current volume explore the conceptualization of the word “authenticity” in Second Language Acquisition (SLA) more broadly, bringing together authors from different languages; however, this …

Book Review: Любимые Советские Фильмы На Уроке Рки, Ekaterina Talalakina

Russian Language Journal

Любимые советские фильмы на уроке РКИ is the perfect example of the material for the linguo-cultural approach to language learning. The book is designed for Russian as foreign language students at the Advanced Low level of language proficiency and above. The book is built around the exploration of ten popular Soviet movies in the entertainment genre. Each movie is covered in a separate chapter, including the necessary language and culture-related details to promote language acquisition and facilitate comprehension of the cultural references.

Book Review: Teaching Languages With Screen Media: Pedagogical Reflections, Michael Lavery

Russian Language Journal

Herrero and Suarez’s edited volume Teaching Languages with Screen Media explores a range of innovative approaches to incorporating screen media in foreign language instruction. Although none of the authors’ contributions discuss teaching Russian as a foreign language, the book offers a broad theoretical overview of screen studies as well as case studies drawing from diverse contexts (teaching Spanish, French, and English in secondary and university-level education) that can inform the teaching of any modern foreign language.

Book Review: Task-Based Instruction For Teaching Russian As A Foreign Language, Izolda Savenkova

Russian Language Journal

Svetlana V. Nuss' and Wendy Whitehead Martelle's (editors) Task-Based Instruction for Teaching Russian as a Foreign Language stands as an invaluable resource, offering task-based practices beneficial for both novice and experienced instructors of Russian as a second and foreign language. The contributing authors provide excellent examples of classroom activities supplemented with suggestions on how to design task-based syllabi. It is noteworthy that the team of authors is extraordinarily diverse, encompassing educators from various kinds of educational institutions and engaged in different language teaching formats. This work is of great interest not only to practical teachers, but also to researchers in …

Book Review: Colloquial Russian: The Complete Course For Beginners, Liz Ewaskio

Russian Language Journal

Colloquial Russian: The Complete Course for Beginners, now in its fifth edition, has been updated to reflect the diversity of the Russophone world, including modernized language, as well as new characters (whose storylines run through the textbook) “to highlight the diversity of speakers of Russian, both within Russia and beyond” (p. xi). Part of Routledge’s Colloquial Series, this traditional textbook is intended for adult learners and students working on their own or with an instructor. Colloquial Russian is designed to bring students up to the GCSE level (the British equivalent of the American GED) and includes advanced-level grammar, such …

Teaching Media Literacy Through Task-Based Instruction, Snezhana Zheltoukhova

Russian Language Journal

This article explores ways to apply the TBLT approach to teaching media literacy as part of an L2 Russian bridge course module. The primary goal of a bridge course is to equip students with the learning skills and tools needed to navigate various online resources, facilitating the transition from language-based instruction to content-based upper-level courses. The TBLT method aligns well with the dual objectives of teaching media literacy while simultaneously improving target language proficiency. In this article, I discuss a set of tasks designed to help students navigate Russian-language media and recognize various propaganda techniques. Additionally, I address some pedagogical …

An Integrated Model For Teaching Information, Media, And Language Literacy, Maria Shardakova

Russian Language Journal

This paper explores the connection between the rise of critical approaches to teaching media in Russian language classrooms and the political events of the last decade, during which Russia has increasingly positioned itself as an adversary to the Western world. The Russian state’s systematic weaponization of its media, severe restrictions on freedom of speech, and suppression of independent voices have created an environment where propaganda permeates all forms of social and public expression. This saturation has led information consumers to dismiss media content as manipulation, sometimes overlooking voices of resistance. As a result, it is crucial to equip students with …

Teaching Media Literacy Through Narrative In An Advanced Russian Listening Course, Karen Evans-Romaine

Russian Language Journal

Teaching information and media literacy has become more important than ever before. This article will describe how students of Russian at the Intermediate High through Advanced levels acquire information and media literacy through narratives in a course focused on development of listening and speaking skills through the Advanced proficiency spectrum. The course, designed for undergraduate students from a variety of majors in a Russian Flagship program and for graduate students from various disciplines, enables students to develop listening comprehension and speaking skills at the Advanced level through narratives. In addition, the course teaches students how to analyze and formulate arguments, …

Critical Language Pedagogy In The Classroom: The Tv Talk Show '60 Minutes' As A 'Lesson' On Russian Propaganda, Eva Binder, Magdalena Kaltseis

Russian Language Journal

This article examines the TV talk show 60 Minutes—one of the main pillars of Russian television propaganda. Since its launch in 2016 on Russia-1, the show has placed the defamation of Ukraine and the promotion of anti-Western, conservative values as Russia’s proclaimed national and international mission at the top of its agenda. Consequently, this talk show is of particular interest for studying and analyzing political propaganda in contemporary Russian mass media. In this article, we focus on a short segment from a 2020 broadcast of 60 Minutes titled “The Limits of Tolerance” and propose ways to integrate it into …

Constructing A Course On Russian Media Analysis For Learners At Ilr 3+/4 Proficiency, Olga Mukhortova

Russian Language Journal

The proficiency movement of the 1980s and ‘90s in foreign language teaching and learning demonstrated that U. S. students can attain Intermediate-level proficiency by the end of a four-year post-secondary course of study. Language programs can now pay more attention to enabling students to reach the Advanced1 and Superior levels (ACTFL, 2012; Interagency Language Roundtable (ILR); Martin, 2020, p. 43). One can observe the particular demand for ILR 3/4 speakers from the U. S. government in the diversity of state-sponsored initiatives in foreign languages aiming for Superior-level (ILR 3/3+) and higher proficiency. Understandably, the need for speakers of Russian at …

Teaching Critical Media Literacy In An Advanced-Level Classroom Through The Eyes Of Journalism As A Profession, Alexandra Shapiro

Russian Language Journal

This paper presents an approach to promoting social media literacy in a Russian language class. The instruction was conducted within a university setting for Flagship students in their third year of Russian studies. The course focused on teaching professional Russian to students at the Intermediate Mid to Advanced levels. It is modular and covers several topics, including journalism, law, and human rights, among others. The overall aim of the course was to help students develop critical thinking skills, expose them to Russian language and culture, and enable them to stay informed about current events while discussing a wide range of …

Minority Language Education In Russia: An Example Of Social And Cultural Reproduction And Correspondence Theories, Nadezhda Braun

Russian Language Journal

Russia is an incredibly diverse country, both linguistically and ethnically. However, Russia is often presented, and presents itself, as a monolith. Russia’s approach to minority language teaching further perpetuates this monolithic view by creating a hierarchical language structure with Russian at the top. This hierarchy is created through societal pressure, language requirements in the Russian education system, and the minimization of minority language instruction, in direct contrast to best practices for language instruction. Chuvash in Chuvashia and Nenets, Khanty, and Selkup in the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug serve as examples of this linguistic hierarchy. This paper uses social and cultural reproduction …

Journal Of Response To Writing 9(1) Spring 2023

Journal of Response to Writing

No abstract provided.

Stylizing Peer Feedback Through Playful Shells, Wei-Hao Huang

Journal of Response to Writing

In this teaching tip, I introduce a hermit crab review activity. In the hermit crab review, students take an unusual form to contain their peer feedback, a form that frames and curates their peer response. This playful form of peer feedback makes peer review more accessible to students who are not proficient in providing feedback.

Teaching Students How To Give And Receive Peer Review Feedback, Megan Heise

Journal of Response to Writing

This teaching tip build on scholarship around the disconnect between teacher expectations and student experiences of peer review (Ahmed, 2021). In particular, it frames writers' feedback preferences through Elbow and Belanoff's (2000) "kinds of responses," and encourages reviewers to hit the "sweet spot" of constructive and supportive feedback after reading DePeter (2020). This framing helps scaffold the "asks" of peer review for students in a situation that is often fraught, challenging, and/or confusing, providing teachers with an opportunity to effectively teach an important and relevant transferable skill.

Resisting The Deficit Model: Embedding Writing Center Tutors During Peer Review In Writing-Intensive Courses, Stephanie B. Conner, Jennifer P. Gray

Journal of Response to Writing

For many students, peer review can be muddled or frustrating. They can feel uncomfortable with the process if they do not feel confident with their own writing, and many believe poor past performances disqualify them from offering constructive feedback. Because writing center tutors are trained in sharing feedback in a kind and helpful manner, they are positioned to be excellent models for students inexperienced with or damaged by feedback. Learning how to participate in effective peer review can remove the emotional baggage attached to writing and create a respectful community of writers in the classroom. In this teaching tip, we …

Teaching Students To Close Read Feedback, Kristen Starkowski

Journal of Response to Writing

This article describes an exercise that can be implemented in a range of writing classrooms in order to help students unpack and craft a revision plan based on instructor or peer feedback that they received on their writing.

Written Corrective Feedback And Learner Engagement: A Case Study Of A French As A Second Language Program, Maria-Lourdes Lira-Gonzales, Antonella Valeo

Journal of Response to Writing

Within the context of second language (L2) writing, learner engagement with feedback has elicited significant theoretical and empirical interest (e.g., Zhang & Hyland, 2018; Zheng & Yu, 2018). Research has highlighted the dynamic nature of learner engagement with corrective feedback (WCF), but the ways in which learner and contextual factors impact such engagement with WCF in authentic classrooms are still underexplored (Han, 2019). Furthermore, little is known about how L2 learners engage with WCF from an ecological perspective, which considers the relationships between learners and their surrounding environments (Bronfenbrenner,1993; van Lier, 2000).

Situated in an adult French as a second …

Spring 2023 Editorial Introduction, Betsy Gilliland, Kat O'Meara

Journal of Response to Writing

No abstract provided.

A Guide To Secondary Scholarship For Pure Land Buddhism Using Japanese Periodicals, Rebecca A. Stover

Journal of East Asian Libraries

This paper presents the process of locating Japanese language periodicals relating to Pure Land Buddhism and compiles a bibliography of open-access Japanese language sources for students in the process of Japanese Language acquisition. The paper attempts to scaffold the research process for students in the process of language acquisition and function as a guide to finding information.

Responding To High Stakes Writing: When Six Colleagues Read One Cover Letter, Sarah Snyder, Mark Blaauw-Hara, Cristyn Elder, Joseph Janangelo, Michael Pemberton, Staci Perryman-Clark, Irwin Weiser

Journal of Response to Writing

As preparation for the rhetoric and composition job market becomes more readily available through multiple sources, some cover letter writers may find themselves confused by the well-meaning, but perhaps conflicting, responses to writing given by mentors from differing backgrounds, statuses, and epistemes. This article seeks to illuminate the rhetorical situation behind the cover letter with simulated writing responses to a genuine cover letter by five reader archetypes: a supportive reader, a critical reader, an outside reader, a teaching-centric reader, and a research-centric reader. Through this exercise, cover letter writers are shown how to weigh writing advice through the juxtaposition of …

Moving From Zero Draft To Essay Writing: A Scaffolded Exercise, Lindsay Knisely

Journal of Response to Writing

This exercise guides students in first- and second-year college writing classes through the process of developing their Zero Draft into a completed essay by asking them to respond to five reflective questions. This is a metacognitive project that asks students to expand the ideas in their zero draft to transition from their brainstorm to a finished essay. It is a scaffolded writing assignment that supports students to develop a robust portable writing process that they can transfer to future writing projects.

Student Self-Diagnostics: Engaging Students As Co-Respondents To Their Own Writing, Robert M. Rowan

Journal of Response to Writing

Student self-analysis and reflective work can be useful components of the writing classroom. This article examines a student self-diagnostic tool, developed by the author, which can elicit closer attention paid to the student’s own writing, analysis, and research processes and to other desirable outcomes the teacher’s learning plan may be pursuing. This tool, the Genre Understanding Sheet or GUS, has been successfully deployed in a variety of writing courses such as introductory composition, business and professional writing, and technical communication. The article examines the GUS and its development and rationale, reviews the underlying science and theory-work which inform its design, …

Supporting Audience Awareness In Multimodal Text Creation, Anthony Degenaro

Journal of Response to Writing

No abstract provided.

Journal Of Response To Writing 9(2)

Journal of Response to Writing

No abstract provided.

Learner Engagement With Written Corrective Feedback: The Case Of Automated Writing Evaluation, Hooman Saeli, Payam Rahmati, Svetlana Koltovskaia

Journal of Response to Writing

The study explored six ESL university students’ behavioral, cognitive, and affective engagement with e-rater feedback on local issues and examined any changes in students’ engagement over two weeks. We explored behavioral engagement through the analysis of screencasts of students’ e-rater usage and writing assignments. We measured cognitive and affective engagement by analyzing students’ comments during the think-aloud protocol and reflection surveys. The findings indicated that the students had varying levels of engagement with the feedback. Behaviorally, all students used a range of revision operations to address errors based on the provided feedback. Cognitively, some students were more engaged than others. …