Arts and Humanities Commons^™

Book Review: Pluricentric Languages And Language Education: Pedagogical Implications And Innovative Approaches To Language Teaching, Rachel Stauffer

Russian Language Journal

Pluricentric Languages and Language Education is an edited volume concerning language teaching in “major pluricentric languages that have a colonial and post-colonial history and are taught as second/foreign languages in second and higher education in Europe (and beyond)” (p. 2). The term pluricentric describes a language in variation outside of codified forms determined by a centralized language authority. Pluricentric Languages and Language Education invites Russian instructors to consider if the language in our textbooks and spoken in our classrooms is unflinchingly representative of Contemporary Standard Russian. If the answer is no, which forms of Russian do we teach and in …

Book Review: Golosa: A Basic Course In Russian (6th Ed), Michelle Verbitskaya, Siobhán Seigne

Russian Language Journal

The 6th edition of Golosa: A Basic Course in Russian refreshes and modernizes the classic textbook to better reflect recent technological and societal advances, as well as the diversity of the Russian-speaking world. Golosa: A Basic Course in Russian, Book One aims to bring students to the ACTFL intermediate-low level, equivalent to CEFR A2; Book Two builds directly on Book One, taking students to the intermediate-mid level on the ACTFL scale or CEFR B1. This review highlights the most significant changes between the fifth and sixth editions.

Book Review: From Pushkin To Popular Culture: Essays By Catharine Theimer Nepomnyashchy, Elizaveta Volkovskaia

Russian Language Journal

The collection of Catharine T. Nepomnyashchy’s essays edited by Emily D. Johnson, Irina Reyfman, and Carol R. Ueland represents a fascinating array of her published and unpublished works. As Masha Udensiva- Brenner notes in her academic profile on the scholar, Nepomnyashchy went beyond her research niche and was an incredibly versatile thinker, finding connections between a variety of cultural artifacts. Indeed, Nepomnyashchy always encouraged other academics to explore fields beyond the limits of their areas of focus (Udensiva-Brenner, 24).

Book Review: Russian Through Film: For Intermediate To Advanced Students; Pro-Dvizhenie: Advanced Russian Through Film And Media , Lynne Debenedette

Russian Language Journal

Using films as primary texts in third- and fourth-year Russian language classes (where students are likely to be between ACTFL Intermediate Mid and Advanced Low) presents both advantages and challenges for instructors and students. The two publications reviewed here are therefore welcome resources for instructors who seek to incorporate film into their upper-level language classes.

Foreign And Heritage Language Learners’ Pragmalinguistic Choices In Russian Imperatives, Marina Tsylina, Anna Mikhaylova

Russian Language Journal

This experimental study examines the pragmalinguistic knowledge of both heritage and foreign language learners of Russian. Specifically, it focuses on how learners interpret the appropriateness of aspectual forms of Russian imperatives in given contexts. Due to limited exposure to authentic input, foreign language learners (FLLs) often face challenges in using pragmatically appropriate language. This study demonstrates that although heritage language learners (HLLs) are exposed to the language from birth, their knowledge of Russian imperatives may not fully align with that of monolinguals. The study participants included FLLs (n = 30), HLLs (n = 10), and monolingual speakers of Russian (n …

Mastering Russian Case: Learning Challenges, Current Textbook Approaches, And New Perspectives, Olesya Kisselev, Angelina Rubina

Russian Language Journal

Russian case morphology is recognized as a persistent challenge to second (L2) and heritage language (HL) speakers of Russian by researchers and practitioners alike. However, little classroom-based and pedagogy-oriented literature exists on the matter. In this paper, we address this research gap. First, we present a review of the literature that attempts to explain the challenging nature of mastering Russian grammatical cases from the cognitive linguistic, structural, and psycholinguistic perspectives. We then describe the general approaches to teaching and learning Russian cases found in the most commonly used Russian language textbooks in the United States. Finally, we discuss a pedagogical …

Glitching Mayakovsky: Teaching The Accidental Poetry Of Machine Learning, Carlotta Chenoweth

Russian Language Journal

In this article, I seek to build on recent scholarship investigating the aesthetic status of AI-generated objects and the creative potential of machine learning by asking how AI glitches can be productive, both poetically and pedagogically. The report outlines an activity I designed for an undergraduate Soviet literature survey course. For this activity, I ask students to work in small groups and generate their own pseudo-Mayakovsky poem using ChatGPT. After sharing the poems, we discuss questions including the following: in what way can Mayakovsky be considered the “author” of these poems? Does this constitute a new literary genre or form? …

Fostering Critical Ai Literacy In The Russian Language Classroom, Kit Pribble

Russian Language Journal

This paper argues for the integration of critical AI literacy into the Russian as a Foreign Language (RFL) classroom, drawing on recent conversations within the emerging field of critical AI studies. It presents two intermediate-level activities that incorporate generative AI and include learning outcomes aimed at promoting critical AI literacy. These learning outcomes include can-do statements such as "I can identify and discuss stereotypes present in an AI-generated image of a Soviet communal apartment" and "I can evaluate an AI chatbot's Russian-language output for cultural authenticity following a roleplay dialogue." These outcomes encourage students to critically analyze AI-generated content in …

Multidisciplinary Collaboration For The Integration Of Ai In Slavic Languages And Literatures: The Learning Lab Model, Anna Ivanov

Russian Language Journal

The Learning Lab at Harvard University's Derek Bok Center for Teaching and Learning employs graduate students as Media and Design Fellows (MDFs) to support innovative pedagogy in their departments. Over the last few years and in its Summer of AI, the Learning Lab has explored AI and its applications and implications in education. As such, the Lab, its staff, and its MDFs have developed and run well-structured, intellectually rigorous learning opportunities for many departments. For the Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures, the Learning Lab used AI in language and literature workshops. This paper presents a few case studies of …

"In 50 Words Or Less": Using Ai To Modulate Target Proficiency Levels In The Russian As A Foreign Language Classroom, Alexander M. Groce

Russian Language Journal

This paper proposes to look at methods for integrating artificial intelligence (AI) into the upper-level Russian as a foreign language (RFL) classroom in activities where variable search terms are used to modulate target proficiency levels according to the ACTFL scale. Specifically, this paper relies upon a series of classroom-based activities that employed AI technology to parse the short stories of Anton Chekhov. While employing some simple methods governing AI search terms can help to create a usable database of sample texts at varying proficiency levels, problems of machine language inherent to emerging generative AI still need to be addressed and …

Introduction To The First Thematic Issue: Artificial Intelligence (Ai) & Machine Translation In The Teaching Of Slavic Languages And Literatures, Liudmila Klimanova

Russian Language Journal

This editorial introduction frames Russian Language Journal’s first thematic issue on artificial intelligence (AI) and machine translation in the teaching of Russian and other Slavic languages, literatures, and cultures. It argues that the rapid spread of large language models makes AI impossible to treat as an optional add-on, pushing educators to revisit authorship, genre, literacy, and assessment while avoiding both moral panic and “quick-fix” approaches. The article synthesizes contributions that (1) integrate chatbots into genre-based writing and conversational practice while emphasizing critical AI literacy; (2) design context-aware conversational agents for Russian and Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian, noting pedagogical benefits alongside risks such …

What Is It Like To Be A Diplomat? Reflections On Donald Griffin And Emotion, Oliver H. Turnbull

Animal Sentience

This commentary addresses three aspects of Donald Griffin’s work: (1) his thoughts beyond cognition, on emotion; (2) his views on the earliest origins of mind, including primitive forms of consciousness; and (3) his diplomatic use of memorable phrases to facilitate change.

A Vygotskian Perspective On Multicultural Education: A Social-Based Learning Process In The Minangkabau Community, West Sumatra, Indonesia, Isnarmi Moeis, Junaidi Indrawadi, Zaenuddin Hudi Prasojo, Fatmariza Fatmariza, Rika Febriani

Paradigma: Jurnal Kajian Budaya

Multicultural education and local wisdom function as crucial social assets in promoting unity within diverse societies. Indonesia, a country rich in ethnic diversity, possesses abundant local wisdom, particularly within the Minangkabau community of West Sumatra. This study examines the integration of Minangkabau local wisdom into the core elements of multicultural education, focusing on areas such as cultural awareness, sensitivity, cross-cultural communication, critical thinking, reflection, and cultural competence. Grounded in Vygotsky’s theory of learning as a process of social and cultural adaptation, this research adopts a qualitative methodology, utilizing in-depth interviews and focus group discussions for data collection. The analysis, carried …

How Halal Certification And Islamic Ethics Tackle Greenwashing: New Solutions For A Sustainable Economy, Muhammad Afif Ryan Pratama

Journal of Middle East and Islamic Studies

This research explores the role of halal certification and Islamic ethics in addressing greenwashing within the financial sector. Greenwashing, the practice of exaggerating environmental responsibility, undermines genuine sustainability efforts and trust among consumers and investors. Islamic finance, based on principles of transparency, social justice, and ethical business practices, provides a robust framework to counter such deceptive practices. The study proposes expanding halal certification to incorporate environmental standards, ensuring that companies demonstrate both ethical and sustainable practices. This integrated approach offers a unique solution to combat greenwashing and aligns with broader sustainability goals. By including sustainability in halal certification, the credibility …

Cultural Adaptation And Environmental Challenges: A Case Study Of Nubian Communities In Egypt Through The Lens Of Cultural Ecology Theory, Imam Wicaksono, Sherif Sa’Ad Algayyar, Ahmed Hassan Mohammad Hassan

Journal of Middle East and Islamic Studies

The purpose of this study is to investigate how the ecological changes brought about by the building of the Aswan Dam have affected the Nubian community's social structure, cultural identity, and coping mechanisms. The study emphasizes how important it is to comprehend how people interact with their surroundings considering modernization, which frequently jeopardizes the viability of regional customs. In addition to a literature review approach, a thematic analysis grounded in Julian Steward's cultural ecology theory—which highlights how societies adjust to changes in their physical surroundings—was used. The results show that ecological changes have profoundly impacted the Nubian people's cultural rites, …

The Voice Of The Voiceless: Countering The Festival And Elevating Reyog Obyokan As Cultural Capital, Albert Tallapessy, Ikwan Setiawan

Paradigma: Jurnal Kajian Budaya

This article examines two performance models of Reyog Ponorogo: the festival model and the obyokan model. These two competing models represent differing perspectives on one side, the interests of the artists and the community, and on the other, the interests of the state. By applying cultural studies theories, particularly those of representation and hegemony, this study analyzes data collected through observations of Reyog performances at both festival and obyokan events, as well as interviews with artists and community members. The findings reveal that the obyokan model emphasizes an egalitarian spirit, allowing artists greater aesthetic freedom and providing the community with …

Preface Vol. 14 No. 3 (Desember), Rahayu Surtiati

Paradigma: Jurnal Kajian Budaya

In the December 2024 edition, Paradigma presents ten articles covering four regions: Surakarta, Southeast Sulawesi, Minangkabau, Ponorogo; and also areas: cinema, dance, language, fashion, and education. All research are about cultures in Indonesia and written by Indonesian researchers.

This open journal is read by the international public, so we hope that humanities researchers in various regions of the world will participate with their writing, not only reporting research in Indonesia, but also research in other regions of the world. Paradigma is preparing to become an international journal and in time its triannual publications will be in English so that more …

Pancasila As The Philosophical Foundation Of The Indonesian Curriculum, Nurbaya Pulhehe, Babang Robandi

Paradigma: Jurnal Kajian Budaya

The philosophical foundation of Pancasila, comprised of five principles, plays a significant role in shaping Indonesia's education system. These principles guide curriculum design, implementation, and evaluation, reflecting the nation's educational goals and desired student outcomes. This paper examines the philosophical underpinnings of Pancasila, with a focus on content and graduate competence standards, examining their relationship with educational objectives and their implications for the national curriculum. Utilizing a literature review methodology, the research highlights the critical influence of Pancasila on curriculum development and educational planning in Indonesia. The findings indicate that Pancasila serves as a central philosophical framework guiding Indonesia's national …

Symbolic Cultural Value: Creativity And Counterproductivity In Citayam Fashion Week 2022 In Indonesia, Fuad Noorzeha, Agus Sutono, John Abraham Ziswan Suryosumunar

Paradigma: Jurnal Kajian Budaya

The phenomenon of Citayam Fashion Week has symbolically influenced the way lower-class youth dress in central Jakarta. What was once an urban area in Sudirman has transformed into a fashion arena after videos of young people sporting distinctive clothing styles went viral. More than just a social gathering, this occurrence has attracted significant attention on social media, showcasing unique fashion expressions. However, this spontaneous and instantaneous trend has sparked a wide range of responses, with opinions varying from viewing it as a creative expression to considering it counterproductive. This study employs Jean Baudrillard’s theory as its formal framework in qualitative …

Davai: Designing A Custom Chatgpt Bot For Russian Language Learners, Irina Meier

Russian Language Journal

The article explores the development and application of DavAI, a ChatGPT-based bot designed for beginner and intermediate Russian language learners. It highlights the bot’s capacity to act as a powerful supplementary tool within Russian language education. DavAI features six virtual personalities that represent diverse geographical regions, cultures, dialects, and social backgrounds. The technical customization process of DavAI is detailed, emphasizing content integration and pedagogical strategies that enhance language acquisition. Practical steps for language instructors on developing custom AI chatbots are outlined, including defining the model’s scope and purpose, gathering and segmenting training data, and employing fine-tuning techniques such as Reinforcement …

Developing Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian Conversational Chatbots Using Myai Builder, Danko Šipka

Russian Language Journal

The present paper reports on the development of Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian Novice and Intermediate Chatbots at Arizona State University. The principal AI platform used for this course is MyAI Builder, an open AI development tool. In the initial phase of this project, from the summer of 2000 to the Fall of 2022, materials to be used as the input for the platform were gathered. Various lexical lists and other materials were gathered along with developing an interactive platform. Next, numerous materials were selected by student researchers supported by ASU Melikian Center Research Grants. This is of particular importance given that it is …

Ai-Powered Genre-Based Writing Assignments For Intermediate And Advanced Russian Learners, Natalia Petrova, Iuliia Rychkova

Russian Language Journal

The integration of AI into language education has been a subject of growing interest among researchers and educators, but the adoption of even basic AI tools in the classroom has been slow and cautious (Vogt & Flindt, 2023). Most available research on integrating AI tools to improve L2 writing proficiency focuses on services that provide automated written corrective feedback (e.g., Tran, 2024; Wiboolyasarin et al., 2024). In contrast, this report explores the possible implementation of AI tools as teacher-facing systems (Baker & Smith, 2019), that is, how language instructors can use ChatGPT and Gemini to lower their workload in class …

Ai Chatbot As A Companion In Writing Travel Notes, Maria Sulimova, Daria Dornicheva

Russian Language Journal

This article explores the teaching potential of using generative artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the writing skills of Russian heritage language (HL) speakers and advanced Russian as a foreign language (L2) learners. It is based on a learning scenario that was developed for university Russian classes and implemented in 2024 in an upper-intermediate course with a heterogeneous group (B2-level HL and L2 learners) at a German university. We focused on improving writing competency and fostering awareness in text work using a genre-based approach, working in five steps of a genre cycle in the travel note genre. Students engaged with a …

Charles Wesley Shorter, Sr.

African American Funeral Programs

Charles_-Wesley-_Shorter_Sr.pdf - Funeral program for Charles Wesley Shorter

James Thomas

African American Funeral Programs

James_Thomas.pdf - Death notice and Obituary for James Thomas

Lillie Mae Thomas

African American Funeral Programs

Mrs_Lillie_-Mae-_Thomas.pdf - Death notice for Lillie Mae Thomas

Ruler Thompson

African American Funeral Programs

No abstract provided.

No One Lives In The Future: Family Dynamics And Environmental Discourse, Morgan Vanek

ABO: Interactive Journal for Women in the Arts, 1640–1830

In the context of catastrophic climate change, the optimism that underpins our economic models for calculating the future cost of present risks has become both untenable and dangerous. Nonetheless, even writing urgently concerned with these risks continues to invoke a version of the Child as a figure of futurity that appears to naturalize both this optimism and our present inaction. In this essay, I argue that we might find another path forward by looking back to the eighteenth-century stories that seem to demonstrate a similar preoccupation with children in danger. Taking Hogarth’s A Harlot’s Progress as a representative example, I …

Reading As Lesbian, Reading As Trans* And Thinking Intergenerationally, Katherine Binhammer

ABO: Interactive Journal for Women in the Arts, 1640–1830

Written from the perspective of a critic who came of age in the queer 1990s, this essay considers the generational difference in understandings of Charlotte Charke as a butch lesbian and a transman. It argues that the history of sexuality demands an intergenerational reading practice because our objects are always engaged in a history of the present.

Periodizing The Long Eighteenth Century — Across Generations, Katarina O'Briain

ABO: Interactive Journal for Women in the Arts, 1640–1830

This paper approaches the topic of intergenerational thinking by asking it what it might mean to stretch the conventional periodization of the long eighteenth century across generations. Reading Phillis Wheatley’s heroic couplet poems alongside Earl Wasserman’s mid-twentieth-century work on neoclassical poetics, it explores some of the surprising possibilities unleashed by revisiting the work of earlier critics. This mid-twentieth-century scholarship, the essay suggests, establishes a mode of eighteenth-century poetics that lends itself to more recent understandings of abolition and structural change. Earlier generations of critics trace an eighteenth-century poetic theory that resonates in the present moment; many generations before that, Phillis …