Arts and Humanities Commons^™

Book Review: Water, Whiskey, And Vodka: A Story Of Slavic Languages., Ronald I. Kim

Russian Language Journal

There are more speakers of Slavic languages in Europe today than of the continent’s two other major Indo-European branches, Romance and Germanic. Yet over a generation after the end of the Cold War, despite economic growth, tourism, and steadily increasing cultural exchange, ignorance among North Americans and Western Europeans about the basic facts of the Slavic languages remains sadly widespread. Even from speakers of Slavic languages themselves one continues to hear all sorts of linguistic myths, such as that all Slavic languages sound essentially identical to Russian or, at the other extreme, nationalistic claims that Polish and Ukrainian are nothing …

Applying A Neo-Bakhtinesque Concept Of Dialogue In The Elementary Russian Classroom, James M. Curtis

Russian Language Journal

This forum piece invites readers to consider how Bakhtin’s concept of dialogue can reshape the teaching of elementary Russian. Instead of treating beginners as passive recipients of rules and forms, a neo-Bakhtinian, constructivist approach views them as active co-creators of meaning whose prior experiences, beliefs, and anxieties matter for learning. The author argues that engaging students in genuine dialogue—about their assumptions, about English–Russian contrasts, and about how grammar is named and presented—can reduce intimidation, increase confidence, and make Russian feel more accessible. In this way, Bakhtin’s ideas move beyond literary theory into the practical realities of the introductory language classroom.

The Role Of Working Memory In The Acquisition Of L2 Russian Case, Natalia V. Parker

Russian Language Journal

With the development of cognitive psychology and psycholinguistics, the view of individual differences has been evolving and now includes concepts such as cognitive processing and Working Memory (WM) (e.g., Doughty, 2019; Jackson, 2020; McConnell, 2023; Wen & Teng, 2023). The present study contributes to this line of research by investigating the relationship between WM capacity and the accuracy of L2 Russian case inflection production by complete beginners in instructional settings, which is an under-researched area. The data are part of a larger study, which involved a 20-week teaching intervention with English-speaking volunteers (n=27), who were taught two Russian cases (Prepositional …

Teaching Russian Verbs Of Motion Through Russian-Language Cinema: A Cognitive Perspective, Sergei Motov

Russian Language Journal

The practice of foreign language teaching is paradoxical in nature. On the one hand, such teaching is communicative; on the other hand, it often continues to rely on structuralist linguistic theory, which contradicts its communicative nature. In the case of teaching Russian verbs of motion to second-language learners, the dynamic nature of these verbs is often considered not dynamically, but statically—in the form of abstract textual examples or static images—which is also paradoxical. Such an abstract treatment of verbs of motion contradicts a number of postulates of modern cognitive science and certain areas of cognitive linguistics. From the perspective of …

Perspectives Of Russian Language Educators On Meeting The Needs Of Heritage And L2 Learners In Mixed Classes, Maria Goebert

Russian Language Journal

In less commonly taught languages, such as Russian, heritage and non-heritage learners often share the same classes. Teachers in these settings must differentiate instruction to meet the diverse needs of their students. Online teaching adds an additional layer of complexity that instructors must address in their course design. This qualitative study explores the perspectives of 12 Russian language educators, working across various educational settings, on the language learning needs of heritage and non-heritage learners in mixed classes. It examines how these teachers adapt their instruction to support their students and meet the demands of different teaching modalities. The study also …

Dynamic And Stable Motivation Patterns In Intensive Second Language Learning: Insights From A Russian Summer Immersion Program, Dmitrii Pastushenkov

Russian Language Journal

Understanding what shapes student motivation is essential to improving second language (L2) programs. While motivation is among the widely studied individual differences (IDs) in second language acquisition (SLA), research has largely focused on commonly taught languages, limiting broader applicability. This mixed-methods study, grounded in Dynamic Systems Theory (DST), explores the motivational development of learners studying a less commonly taught language (LCTL), Russian, during an eight-week summer immersion program. Data were collected from 52 students across four instructional levels. Motivation was assessed through two brief online surveys, developed based on research by Gardner, Dörnyei, Lanvers, Thompson, and others, and administered during …

Why Russian? Language Choice And Enrollment In U.S. Universities, Emma Calderwood, Teresa R. Bell, Jennifer Bown, Grant H. Lundberg

Russian Language Journal

Russian language enrollments at U.S. universities have declined steadily since 2009 (MLA, 2023), yet little research has examined current student motivations for studying Russian, particularly after the 2022 escalation of the Russo–Ukrainian War. This study surveyed two groups: (a) students enrolled in any 101-level language course at University X and (b) students in Russian courses at six U.S. universities. Results show that motivations for studying Russian are primarily integrative—general interest in the language, desire to converse with Russian speakers, aspirations to travel to Russian-speaking countries, and previous Russian knowledge—rather than instrumental. Students who considered but did not choose Russian most …

Variability Of Individual Learner Trajectories In A Transformative Language Program, Victoria Hasko, Anastasiya Smith

Russian Language Journal

This qualitative multiple case study investigates how individual learner differences manifest and evolve within a transformative, proficiency-oriented undergraduate Russian language program. Drawing on complexity theory and transformative approaches to language education, the study explores how learners’ motivations, identities, and professional aspirations develop in a curriculum that integrates advanced language learning with long-term career planning. Three focal participants were followed longitudinally across their undergraduate trajectories, using a combination of standardized proficiency assessments and in-depth reflective interviews. Thematic analysis revealed four key themes shaping learner development: evolving orientations toward language learning, the curriculum as a transformative scaffold, emerging professional identities, and growing …

The Mediating Role Of Positive Psychology: Mindfulness And Learner Beliefs In The Russian Language Classroom, Kelly Knickmeier Cummings

Russian Language Journal

Language learning is an inherently emotional process, shaped by both positive and negative experiences that influence the individual difference of learner beliefs. This article explores the mediating role of positive psychology (PP) in second language acquisition (SLA), with a particular focus on mindfulness and its potential to reshape learner beliefs in the Russian language classroom. Drawing on theories such as Seligman’s PERMA model and Fredrickson’s broaden-and-build theory, as well as evidence-based interventions, the article argues that mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) provide practical tools for cultivating positive learner beliefs and inclusive, growth-oriented classroom environments. Examples of MBIs—including practices of noticing, savoring, exploring …

The Nonlinguistic Factors That Predict Spanish Oral Proficiency, Merrie Kay Ames

Theses and Dissertations

This study investigates the predictive power of self-assessment and nonlinguistic factors in determining Spanish oral proficiency among university learners. Drawing on data from 2,475 undergraduate students enrolled in a third-year Spanish course at Brigham Young University, the research examines how self-assessed speaking ability and experiential background variables--including age of acquisition, mission service, dual immersion, and study abroad--influence Oral Proficiency Interview - Computer (OPIc) scores. A one-way ANOVA revealed a statistically significant but modest relationship between students' calibration (self-assessment minus actual ability) and their OPIc ratings, suggesting that learners can generally approximate their speaking proficiency within two sublevels. A multiple regression …

Full Issue

Studia Antiqua

No abstract provided.

Book Review: Ancient Egyptian Clothing: Studies In Late Period Private Representations, Jonathan Vassar

Studia Antiqua

In this book, Aleksandra Hallmann focuses on Late Egyptian clothing during the Late Period as represented in depictions of persons without royal iconography. This first volume contains descriptions of the clothing along with her analyses and conclusions. The second volume contains images of objects and drawings to clarify and provide reference for the clothing discussed in the first volume. The book is divided into five main chapters with a sixth consisting of tables giving the different objects analyzed in her study. In this study, Hallmann focuses on revealing the various ways Egyptian clothing appeared during the Late Period, creating a …

Book Review: Urbanism In The Iron Age Levant And Beyond, Emily Jewkes

Studia Antiqua

Urbanism in the Iron Age Levant and Beyond, edited by Aren Maeir, Shira Albaz, and Angelika Berlejung, contributes to the study of the history and creation of settlements in the Levant and other locations, such as Europe and Mesopotamia, during the Iron Age. The chapters in this book are a collection of presentations given at a 2022 conference at Bar-Ilan University on urbanism during the Iron Age that employed archaeological and textual methods to analyze urbanism through a variety of theoretical lenses. The book is divided into three parts that address the topic of Iron Age urbanism in the …

Book Review: Ancient Synagogues In Palestine: A Re-Evaluation Nearly A Century After Sukenik’S Schweich Lectures, Andrew Holdaway

Studia Antiqua

Synagogue studies in the holy land have been ongoing for a little over a century, beginning with early 20th-century surveys by German scholars Heinrich Kohl and Carl Watzinger. During that time, theories about their dating and chronology of construction have become cemented in scholarly discourse, shaping how archaeologists and historians interpret Jewish life in antiquity. Jodi Magness’s Ancient Synagogues in Palestine challenges the traditional chronology of the construction of synagogues in Palestine. Beginning with Eleazer Sukenik—a pioneering Israeli archeologist operating in the early twentieth century—archaeologists chronologically dated synagogues in Palestine based on architectural types.

Confidence In The Pompeian Fullo, Tori Nielsen

Studia Antiqua

Many scholars have discussed a curious graffito parodying the Aeneid found outside of a Pompeian fullonica, but few have taken into account its visual and written context. I synthesize previous scholarship and consider additional neighboring graffiti and visual elements in order to more thoroughly reconstruct the ideas conveyed about fullers in this space. The outer wall celebrates fullers in cultural, social, and fulling matters, thus bolstering their community’s confidence in them.

Pheonix Imagery In Early Christian Art, Annie Spach

Studia Antiqua

In Early Christianity, often Christians used popular symbols that would point back to greater truths taught in their new faith. This paper discusses how early Christians followed his council through the use of the imperial representation of the phoenix rather than the common representation, highlighting their belief in resurrection, the majesty of Christ and their hope for eternal life given to all believers, while also speaking to a greater tradition outside of Christianity. The continued use of the phoenix as a symbol of resurrection, renewal, immortality and eternal life in the paradise of God is discussed, as well as the …

Perspectives On Cognitive Psychology In Ktu 1.40: Moral Implications And Prescribed Emotional Responses To Foster Unity, Richard Jarvis Iii

Studia Antiqua

This paper examines the Ugaritic ritual text KTU 1.40 through the framework of cognitive psychology to explore its moral implications and prescribed emotional responses. While earlier scholarship has debated whether this ritual carried moral weight, my analysis demonstrates that it prescribes the removal or amelioration of five moral emotions—disgust, fear, anger, empathy, and a sense of justice—to promote unity within the community of Ugarit. Building on Thomas Kazen’s approach and Gregorio del Olmo Lete’s translation, this study argues that the repeated structure and inclusive nature of KTU 1.40 reflect an intentional effort to bridge emotional divides among the many groups …

Gardens Of Rebirth: Fertility And The Afterlife In The Garden Painting From The Tomb Of Nebamun, Aleeta Day

Studia Antiqua

One of the most important aspects of Egyptian art is the emphasis on the eternal and the afterlife. Aspects of real gardens in ancient Egypt as well as artistic depictions of them reflect these values through the cosmological symbolism of life-giving water and plants frequently cultivated in these gardens. These garden depictions were seen as a way to carry their current lifestyle into the afterlife with them. This paper will discuss the garden painting from the 18th Dynasty tomb of Nebamun located in the Theban necropolis. It will briefly discuss methods of Egyptian painting and the medium by which the …

Egypt, Israel, And The Levant: The Merneptah Stele's Role In Shaping Historical Narratives, Quincy Adams

Studia Antiqua

This paper investigates the Merneptah Stele, an exceptional artifact from the reign of Pharaoh Merneptah during Egypt’s New Kingdom, to reassess the stele’s role in understanding early Israelite identity. The Merneptah Stele is among the earliest known references to “Israel,” and consequently has sparked discussion among scholars regarding this early group’s socio-political and cultural status during the late Bronze Age. By examining the stele in conjunction with the inscriptions of the Cour de la Cachette in the Great Hypostyle Hall at Karnak, this study situates the Merneptah Stele within the broader historical and cultural framework of the New Kingdom to …

Front Matter

Studia Antiqua

No abstract provided.

Language Attitudes And Maintenance Within Latino Families In Utah County, Megan Elise Magleby Townsend

Theses and Dissertations

While there has been research done on Latino individuals' and parents' language attitudes and maintenance practices, there is little known about children's language attitudes and their perceptions of their parents' views towards both Spanish and English. This thesis looks at what the current picture is in terms of Spanish maintenance in Utah County's immigrant families as well as those factors that affect the parents' language attitudes and maintenance efforts. This study also seeks to fill the gap in the literature concerning what children (ages 8-13) think of English, Spanish, their respective cultures, as well as their possible plans to pass …

An Analysis Of Ukrainians' Language Attitudes And Ideology: A Conflict-Catalyzed Language And Identity Shift, Kateryna Kravchenko

Theses and Dissertations

On February 24, 2022, the Russian Federation invaded Ukraine. According to Vladimir Putin's speech, the main goal of the war was to protect the Russian-speaking population of the Donbas region in eastern Ukraine. Many Ukrainians indeed speak Russian on a daily basis, largely due to the long and complicated history between the two countries. Recently, there has been an increase in pro-Ukrainian ideologies (Kulyk 2016); however, as the full-scale invasion began, people started advocating for Ukrainian usage in all public domains, and many even vowed to never speak Russian again. Since then, there has been a profound change in language …

Enfrentando El Patriarcado: La Voz, El Espacio Femenino Y Lo Sobrenatural En Mexican Gothic De Silvia Moreno-Garcia, Raquel Macias Del Valle

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores the crossroads of gender, space, and the supernatural in Mexican Gothic (2020) by Silvia Moreno–Garcia, examining how the novel challenges patriarchal structures through its protagonist, Noemí Taboada. Utilizing feminist theory, spatial analysis, and studies on the supernatural, this research demonstrates how Moreno–Garcia constructs a narrative in which female expression and connection are central to reinstating the feminine self as a subject. The novel presents High Place, the ancestral mansion of the Doyle family, as a space that embodies patriarchal control. Drawing on Gastón Bachelard’s The Poetics of Space and Marc Olivier’s Household Horror, this study examines how …

Enabling Constraints In Artmaking: Developing Creative Confidence Through Discarded Materials, Lydia Romney Stewart

Theses and Dissertations

This design-based research thesis explores the possibility of fostering creative confidence in students and examines how a project-based curriculum can help them rediscover their artistic abilities. It investigates two guiding questions: How does working with repurposed materials shape students' artmaking, creative confidence and sense of ownership in their artwork? And, in what ways do enabling constraints serve as a catalyst for student engagement? As a teacher-researcher, I designed and implemented a quarter-long curriculum in which 21 junior high students were challenged to create a collaborative public art installation using only discarded materials. The methodology blended qualitative and quantitative data, including …

Curious Contradictions: A Critical Edition Of 'The Great War In England In 1897,' By William Le Queux, Jacob D. Liljenquist

Student Works

Written by William Le Queux in 1894, The Great War in England in 1897 is a work of invasion literature, and a book full of curious contradictions. Once popular and now forgotten, its material construction belies its status as sensational literature. This critical edition of the 4th edition copy of the novel housed in the L. Tom Perry Special Collections evaluates the book's conception, creation, and reception, and provides a material bibliography of the HBLL's unique copy, all with the aim to reveal and explain the contradictions in the book as a product of imperial culture.

Travels In West Africa: A Critical Edition, Erere Iwhi

Student Works

First published in 1897, Mary Henrietta Kingsley’s Travels in West Africa became one of the most influential travel narratives of the Victorian era, changing the way British audiences encountered accounts of West Africa and its peoples. This critical edition examines the book not only as a travel narrative but also as a material artifact shaped by the historical, publishing, and cultural networks that guided its production, circulation, and reception. Extending its analysis beyond Kingsley's experiences of exploration, this edition investigates the forces behind the book’s creation, including Kingsley’s intellectual development, her identity as an independent female traveler and writer, and …

Our Teens Are Not Okay, But They Can Be: An Application Of The Family Firo Method To Improve Parent-Adolescent Communication About Suicide, Janene Pack Lpc, Cmhc, Peder Schillemat

Issues in Religion and Psychotherapy

This article explores the critical role of parent-teen communication in the mental well-being of teenagers, with a particular focus on its connection to suicide risk. A particular focus is on teens who live in Utah as the suicide rate for Utah teens and young adults is almost twice the national average. Despite the focus on families and religion in Utah, a significant number of teens continue to struggle with loneliness, hopelessness, and even thoughts of suicide. One key contributing factor to this struggle is the lack of open, supportive communication between Utah teens and their parents. The absence of effective …

Parental Grief And Loss After Gender Transition: Navigating Ambiguous And Disenfranchised Loss In Latter-Day Saint Families, David Haralson, Chelsea Johnson, Jeff Bennion, Orion Maxfield

Issues in Religion and Psychotherapy

Parents of transgender or gender nonconforming children sometimes experience profound grief and loss, particularly within religious communities that hold specific doctrines regarding gender. This article examines the unique challenges faced by parents in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) when a child undergoes gender transition. By exploring the concepts of ambiguous loss and disenfranchised grief, we aim to provide a framework for understanding these parents' emotional experiences. The intersection of LDS doctrines and policies on gender with contemporary gender theories creates complex emotional environments for families to navigate. We present the Integrity and Investment Model as …

Helping Clients Grieve The Loss Of Their "Happily Ever After", Karen J. Gilmore, Joseph Chamberlain

Issues in Religion and Psychotherapy

ABSTRACT

Helping Clients Grieve the Loss of Their “Happily Ever After”

One of the most prominent attacks on marriage comes in the form of pornography and sex addiction. In this article I will explore what pornography and sex addiction is, why it can be highly addictive, how pornography and sex addiction can impact the marriage and lead to betrayal trauma, and how to understand the losses that can come from this type of trauma as well as the ensuing grief which may accompany this process. Additionally, I will identify ways to understand how grief presents in betrayal trauma, how to …

Moiselle Renstrom, Myrna J. Layton

Faculty Publications

Katherine Moiselle Renstrom (June 23, 1889 – September 28, 1956) was a Utah educator, author, lyricist and composer of music for children.