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Arts and Humanities Commons

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Journal

Slavic Languages and Societies

Russian language teaching

Publication Year

Articles 1 - 20 of 20

Full-Text Articles in Arts and Humanities

Visualizing Russian: Illuminating Corpora, Conjugations, And Classrooms, Steven J. Clancy, Paige Lee Jan 2022

Visualizing Russian: Illuminating Corpora, Conjugations, And Classrooms, Steven J. Clancy, Paige Lee

Russian Language Journal

The Visualizing Russian (Clancy, 2014–2022) project offers a suite of tools benefiting language learners, teachers, and linguists and enabling each of these user groups to access the complex system of the Russian language through visualization methods in order to leverage the powers of compression and expansion of a massive data set. Users can analyze texts for relative difficulty with regard to vocabulary content with Visible Vocabulary, create frequency lists and identify the most commonly used word forms for each lemma in a text or compare sets of target vocabulary to covered forms in a particular text with the Mini-Story …


Empirically Determined Strategic Input And Gamification In Mastering Russian Word Forms, Laura A. Janda, Jan Ove Nikolai Almendingen, Linn Thea Kaldager Josefsen Jan 2022

Empirically Determined Strategic Input And Gamification In Mastering Russian Word Forms, Laura A. Janda, Jan Ove Nikolai Almendingen, Linn Thea Kaldager Josefsen

Russian Language Journal

We propose two designs to gamify second language (L2) learning of Russian inflectional morphology: Treasure Hunt and Story Time. The goal of these designs is to focus learning on high-frequency word forms that are most strategic and effective for L2 acquisition in a way that stimulates engagement and builds lifelong learning skills.


The Participatory Approach And Student Active Learning In Language Teaching: Language Students As Journalists And Filmmakers, Svetlana Sokolova, Andrei Rogatchevski, Kristian Bjørklund, David Henrik Lavén, Håkon Sverdrupsen Jan 2022

The Participatory Approach And Student Active Learning In Language Teaching: Language Students As Journalists And Filmmakers, Svetlana Sokolova, Andrei Rogatchevski, Kristian Bjørklund, David Henrik Lavén, Håkon Sverdrupsen

Russian Language Journal

This article contributes to two recent discussions in pedagogy and education, namely, the impact of the participatory approach (Jenkins et al., 2009; Yowell & Rhoten, 2009) on learning and the benefits of student active learning (Sokolova et al., in press; Spasova & Welsh, 2020). The participatory approach incorporates texts and tasks on the topics of interest that are relevant to students’ daily lives and potential workplaces. Student active learning builds upon the idea that “L2 learners must engage in classroom activities that allow them to be active learners rather than passive listeners” (see Nesset et al., this volume). This idea …


Outside The Earth: Translating And Exploring With Tsiolkovsky, Michael Pilipchuk, Olga Lyanda-Geller Jan 2022

Outside The Earth: Translating And Exploring With Tsiolkovsky, Michael Pilipchuk, Olga Lyanda-Geller

Russian Language Journal

This article describes a study that grew out of research and translation work completed within the framework of a series of innovative interdisciplinary courses called “Russian for Rockets.” While there are currently no language study requirements in most science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines, there is a high demand among STEM majors in U.S. universities for language courses with a strong technical component. In particular, a poll at the Purdue School of Aeronautics and Astronautics conducted in 2018 showed that over 90% of respondents were interested in taking a course in technical Russian.1 This finding resulted in the development …


Psychological Safety In The Russian Language Classroom, Kelly Knickmeier Cummings, B. Amarilis Lugo De Fabritz, Tia-Andrea Scott, Nsikakabasi Ekong, Isabella Mason Jan 2022

Psychological Safety In The Russian Language Classroom, Kelly Knickmeier Cummings, B. Amarilis Lugo De Fabritz, Tia-Andrea Scott, Nsikakabasi Ekong, Isabella Mason

Russian Language Journal

This article seeks to join the ongoing, vibrant discussion about how to foster inclusivity in our classrooms and build a pipeline of Russian language students that is more reflective of the demographic fabric of the United States. Three BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and people of color) third-year Russian language students and their instructors at Howard University collaborated as coauthors. We drew from the field of organizational behavior to consider the relevance the concept psychological safety may have for second language acquisition (SLA), and we begin to assess its utility in the Russian language classroom.


Construxercise! Implementation Of A Construction-Based Approach To Language Pedagogy, Anna Endresen, Valentina Zhukova, Elena Bjørgve, Daria Demidova, Natalia Kalanova, Zoia Butenko, George Lonshakov, David Henrik Lavén Jan 2022

Construxercise! Implementation Of A Construction-Based Approach To Language Pedagogy, Anna Endresen, Valentina Zhukova, Elena Bjørgve, Daria Demidova, Natalia Kalanova, Zoia Butenko, George Lonshakov, David Henrik Lavén

Russian Language Journal

Language is a tool for communication. The ability to speak, to engage in a meaningful conversation, and to comprehend the speech produced by native speakers is the main purpose of second language (L2) learning, and Russian is no exception. A recent survey of the current students and alumni of the Russian program at UiT The Arctic University of Norway (UiT) administered in December 2021 revealed that our students would like more training in practical speaking and writing skills as well as more focus on conversational Russian.


Teaching Discourse Markers To Students With Students: The Case Of Italian Learners Of L2 Russian, Beatrice Bernasconi, Marina Giampietro Jan 2022

Teaching Discourse Markers To Students With Students: The Case Of Italian Learners Of L2 Russian, Beatrice Bernasconi, Marina Giampietro

Russian Language Journal

The present study explores the development of a teaching treatment on discourse markers (DMs) for Italian learners of Russian as a Second Language (L2) using students in the research process. We believe that learners’ insights are a valuable resource in the design of teaching treatments tailored to learners’ needs. Both researchers and students can benefit from such cooperation when dealing with slippery aspects of spoken language, such as DMs.


Flipping The Classroom? From Text To Video In Teaching Russian Grammar, Tore Nesset, Kristian Bjørklund, Petter Hov Jacobsen Jan 2022

Flipping The Classroom? From Text To Video In Teaching Russian Grammar, Tore Nesset, Kristian Bjørklund, Petter Hov Jacobsen

Russian Language Journal

The notion of a “flipped classroom” has received considerable attention in recent years. This article reports on a project in which an instructor and two students co-created teaching materials to facilitate flipping the classroom. The purpose of the article is twofold. First, we explore some aspects of flipped classrooms in Russian language courses. Second, we reflect on the opportunities and limitations of student involvement in pedagogical development.


Book Review: Modern Russian Grammar In Use: A Systematic Reference And Practice Book, Evgeny Dengub Jan 2022

Book Review: Modern Russian Grammar In Use: A Systematic Reference And Practice Book, Evgeny Dengub

Russian Language Journal

Elena Minakova-Boblest’s Modern Russian Grammar in Use is a much-needed comprehensive reference grammar and workbook for students of Russian, which can be used in the classroom and by students who study the language on their own (the answer key is a welcome addition for the latter). The book is a good supplement to virtually any contemporary textbook and can also serve as a standalone reference and exercise book for beginning- or intermediate-level language students.


Book Review: Russian: From Novice High To Intermediate, Iryna Kaplun Jan 2022

Book Review: Russian: From Novice High To Intermediate, Iryna Kaplun

Russian Language Journal

Russian: From Novice High to Intermediate is a remarkable textbook for second- and third-year Russian language courses. It is primarily designed for learners who are already familiar with basic Russian morphology and phonetics and have a beginner’s-level vocabulary; it will help learners achieve intermediate proficiency in reading, writing, listening, and speaking. One notable feature of the book is the companion website, accessible without registration, which can be imported into your university’s Canvas system.


Diversity, Equity, Access, And Inclusion: Lessons For The Russian Language Classroom, Colleen Lucey Jan 2021

Diversity, Equity, Access, And Inclusion: Lessons For The Russian Language Classroom, Colleen Lucey

Russian Language Journal

The current special issue tackles some of the most difficult pedagogical questions facing Russian language instructors today. As the articles illustrate, there is a growing awareness of the possibilities of critical pedagogy to dismantle existing hierarchies and to create inclusive spaces for learners. The authors included in this special issue provide us with what the field has long needed yet direly lacked: scholarship that offers both theoretical and practical guidance to integrate diversity, equity, access, and inclusion (DEAI) in curricula and study abroad programming. A number of the authors turn, rightfully so, to existing research by foreign-language specialists who have …


Here, There, And Elsewhere: Reimagining Russian Language And Culture Course Syllabi For Social Justice, Thomas Jesús Garza Jan 2021

Here, There, And Elsewhere: Reimagining Russian Language And Culture Course Syllabi For Social Justice, Thomas Jesús Garza

Russian Language Journal

The past two decades have witnessed enrollments in American colleges and universities for U.S. residents aged 18 to 24 increase from 35 percent in 2000 to 41 percent in 2018. Within this demographic, those identifying in census data as Hispanic/Latinx increased during the same period from 22 to 36 percent, as Black 31 to 37 percent, as Asian 56 to 59 percent, as Indigenous/Native American 16 to 24 percent, and as bi-or multiracial 38 to 44 percent (Hussar et al. 2020, 125). As the student population of higher education in the United States begins to reflect the national demographic portrait …


Review: The Art Of Teaching Russian, Olga Mukhortova Jan 2021

Review: The Art Of Teaching Russian, Olga Mukhortova

Russian Language Journal

The Art of Teaching Russian, a recent volume on Russian language research, teaching practices, and first-hand experiences in constructing a Russian college course, could become the tabletop book for every Russian scholar teaching in North America. University professors, high school teachers, Russian department chairs, deans, and, especially, graduate students will find it not only professionally engaging but also beneficial in several other ways since the book provides brilliant observations on the last two decades of the Russian field.


Review: Llc (Language, Literature, Culture) Commons: Open Resources For Online Teaching Slavic, Jennifer Bown Jan 2021

Review: Llc (Language, Literature, Culture) Commons: Open Resources For Online Teaching Slavic, Jennifer Bown

Russian Language Journal

The web resource LLC (Language, Literature, Culture) Commons: Open Resources for Online Teaching Slavic, created by Shannon Donnally Spasova and Liudmila Klimanova, allows instructors to share quality online materials that can endure over time. LLC Commons organizes a set of online Russian language modules developed primarily by the authors. All of the materials on the website are licensed under a Creative Commons license, allowing instructors to revise, reuse, and redistribute the lessons as long as the authors of the lesson are given credit.


Introduction, Thomas Jesús Garza, Robert Reynolds Jan 2021

Introduction, Thomas Jesús Garza, Robert Reynolds

Russian Language Journal

On behalf of the editorial team of Russian Language Journal (RLJ), we are pleased to present this volume of RLJ dedicated to “Digital Humanities and Russian Language Teaching.” As digital humanities (DH) programs and materials enter their third decade in the academy, it is fitting to present here a snapshot of the many and varied applications of digital technologies in the teaching and research of Russian language and culture. The articles in this volume represent the breadth of DH endeavors in our field and serve as exemplars of the aspirations and potential that the future of digital technologies in …


Russian’S Most Frequent Words And Implications For Vocabulary Instruction, William J. Comer Jan 2021

Russian’S Most Frequent Words And Implications For Vocabulary Instruction, William J. Comer

Russian Language Journal

In the field of teaching English as a second language (ESL), vocabulary studies have grown in prominence since the development of the General Service List (West 1953). This list sought to define the most common and useful words in English to provide a focus for teachers in instruction and for learners in developing their language proficiency. Since then, the development of electronic language corpora and concordance software has greatly expanded the ESL field’s capacity for studying vocabulary frequency and usage (Dang 2020). For example, researchers have tried to determine vocabulary size (i.e., how many of the most frequent words) a …


Towards Intelligent Correction Of Collocational Errors In Russian L2 Academic Texts In The Cat&Kittens Writing Support Platform, Aleksandr Klimov, Olesya Kisselev, Mikhail Kopotev Jan 2021

Towards Intelligent Correction Of Collocational Errors In Russian L2 Academic Texts In The Cat&Kittens Writing Support Platform, Aleksandr Klimov, Olesya Kisselev, Mikhail Kopotev

Russian Language Journal

The study of academic language is driven to a large extent by the need to teach second language (L2) writers about established practices and patterns found across different genres and registers common in academic written discourse. Over the span of the past few decades, the area of academic language research has been hugely influenced by two interconnected digital approaches: computer-assisted language learning (CALL) and computational linguistics, including corpus linguistics approaches and tools.


Digital Humanities, Access, And The Teaching Of Russian Language And Culture, Irene Krasner, Thomas Jesús Garza Jan 2021

Digital Humanities, Access, And The Teaching Of Russian Language And Culture, Irene Krasner, Thomas Jesús Garza

Russian Language Journal

In their introduction to the January 2020 issue of the PMLA dedicated to varieties of Digital Humanities (DH), Booth and Posner (2020) describe the “interdisciplinary collaboration,” “technical experimentation,” and the promotion of “public engagement and humanistic knowledge and understanding” that DH offers scholars and practitioners (10). They go on to reflect on the past two decades of research and practice in the expansion of DH through information studies, libraries, and departments of English. In a related manner, it is our intention to provide both an overview of the history of DH in academia generally, and also its applications to the …


To Opi Or Not To Opi: Proficiency-Oriented Instruction And Assessment In U.S. University-Level Russian Programs, Oleksandra Wallo, Molly Godwin-Jones Jan 2021

To Opi Or Not To Opi: Proficiency-Oriented Instruction And Assessment In U.S. University-Level Russian Programs, Oleksandra Wallo, Molly Godwin-Jones

Russian Language Journal

Back in 1991, Thompson claimed that the impact of the proficiency movement on how Russian was taught in the United States had resulted in something more akin to Soviet glasnost rather than perestroika. She meant that while the introduction of ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines and an emphasis on functional ability in a foreign language spurred much discussion in the Russian teaching profession in the 1980s, these developments did not lead to “the actual restructuring of curricula and assessment along functional lines” (375). Thompson mentioned several obstacles to the adoption of the proficiency-based approach for Russian teaching at that time, including …


Translation In The Russian Language Classroom: Coming In From The Cold, Brian James Baer, Tatyana Bystrova-Mcintyre Jan 2021

Translation In The Russian Language Classroom: Coming In From The Cold, Brian James Baer, Tatyana Bystrova-Mcintyre

Russian Language Journal

For the past several decades, translation and interpreting have been largely excluded from the communicative language classroom—and not without reason. In traditional foreign language classrooms, “literal” or close translation was often used as a comprehension check or as part of a vocabulary or grammar drill, divorced from real-world context. This in turn encouraged students (and, on some rare occasions, foreign language teachers) to view language proficiency—and, by extension, translation competence—as a kind of linguistic matching game.