Slavic Languages and Societies Commons^™

Introduction To The Special Issue: Searching For Alternative Approaches To Conceptualizing And Teaching Russian Verbs Of Motion: Bridging Linguistics And Teaching Practice, Maria Bondarenko

Russian Language Journal

This special issue seeks to account for the current status of an emerging trend we have observed in linguistics and L2 instruction over the last two decades: reconceptualizing Russian verbs of motion (VoM). To contextualize the contributions to the issue, in this Introduction, I will give an overview of how this trend has evolved from its inception until the present time, delineating within it two successive stages called the Cognitive Turn and Instructional Turn.

Motion Verbs And Secondary Predications: What Corpus Data Can Tell The Classroom Practitioner, Tore Nesset

Russian Language Journal

The Russian secondary predication construction in (1) and (2) has received considerable attention in theoretical linguistics but has been less prominent in the pedagogical literature on motion verbs. This lack of prominence in the pedagogical literature is regrettable since verbs of motion figure prominently in the construction and since the construction represents an important challenge for second language (L2) learners of Russian:

(1) Ты сюда зачем пьяный пришел? (Андрей Житков. Супермаркет, 2000)

(2) Первым на обсуждение был вынесен проект постановления «О поддержке курса Украины на интеграцию в Европейский союз» авторства Арсения Яценюка. (Ольга Куришко. В большинстве своем // Коммерсант, 14.01.2013) …

Book Review: Interpreting Chekhov’S Prose, Galina Rylkova

Russian Language Journal

Interpreting Chekhov’s Prose consists of an introduction by Donald Rayfield and fifteen chapters that were previously published at different scholarly venues. What unites these chapters is Polakiewicz’s focus on representatives of the medical profession and the various diseases they encountered as depicted in Chekhov’s prose.

A Pedagogical Analysis Of How Unprefixed Verbs Of Motion Are Presented In Instructional Materials For Beginner Russian Language Learners, Elena Petrova, Kris Lewis

Russian Language Journal

It is well-known that verbs of motion (VoM) are quite challenging for Russian language learners. We analyze four VoM-specific pedagogical materials (three textbooks and one mobile application) for their usefulness in supporting second language acquisition and the development of new thinking-for-speaking (TFS) patterns in beginner-level Russian language learners. Focusing on directionality, scaffolding, comprehensible input, the use of visuals, and communicative activities, we highlight how these materials lay a foundation for understanding VoM but are not sufficient for helping learners fully develop new TFS patterns. We pose recommendations for future research, teaching, learning, and materials development in the area of Russian …

Spotlight: Russian Aspect In Conversation And Russian Grammar Youtube Channel, Margaret Godwin-Jones

Russian Language Journal

The Digital Resources Corner (DRC) offers reviews of new digital resources that could be beneficial in the teaching and/or learning of Slavic languages. It is intended for instructors looking for or evaluating different materials to use in the classroom.

О Взаимодействии Грамматики И Словаря На Занятиях По Рки: Глаголы Перемещения И Их Лексикографические Толкования / On The Interaction Of Grammar And Vocabulary In Teaching Russian As A L2 (Rki): Motion Verbs And Their Lexicographic Definitions, Svetlana Krylosova

Russian Language Journal

This article examines how lexicographic definitions can be meaningfully integrated into the teaching of Russian grammar within a university-level Russian-as-a-foreign-language curriculum, focusing on the case of paired motion verbs. Drawing on the theoretical framework of Igor Mel’čuk’s Explanatory Combinatorial Lexicology, the study shows how academic dictionary entries can be transformed into learner-friendly tools tailored to the needs of advanced learners. Through a detailed analysis of pedagogically adapted definitions for the verbs letet’ and letat’, the author outlines a step-by-step classroom approach. Particular attention is paid to how semantic distinctions between the verbs are clarified and how common learner difficulties …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

"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 …

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 …

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 …

Spotlight: Tako Lako, Diverse Russian, & Professional Russian, Margaret Godwin-Jones

Russian Language Journal

The Digital Resources Corner (DRC) offers reviews of new digital resources that could be beneficial in the teaching and/or learning of Slavic languages. It is intended for instructors looking for or evaluating different materials to use in the classroom.

In Theory: Дезинформация, Sidney Eric Dement

Russian Language Journal

This essay explains the debates and theoretical insights of the emerging transdisciplinary field of Disinformation Studies as a potential set of tools for designing and implementing curricula that include new media or other discussions of propaganda and censorship in the Russian language classroom. I argue that the terminology elucidated in Disinformation Studies can provide both an engaging lesson in Russian language as well as a pedagogically strategic focus on concepts that can motivate students to continue the study of Russian language and Russia-related disciplines. Section 2 provides a summary overview of representative works in the field of Disinformation Studies that …

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 …

Russian Authoritarian Discourse Of The 20th And 21st Centuries As A Subject Of Study In The University Classroom, Yulia Denisova

Russian Language Journal

The ability of students to recognize and interpret various forms of propagandist speech within the context of authoritarian discourse is crucial for effective information literacy education. This article emphasizes the need to introduce a specialized section within university courses on Russian cultural history for foreign students learning Russian. We propose naming this section “Russian Authoritarian Discourse: Features of Propaganda Language.” Focusing on the relationship between language and social structures and exploring the typology of linguistic situations shaped by social factors, the proposed section is grounded in a sociolinguistic approach. The article presents practical tools for analyzing real-life and immediately relevant …

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 …

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 …

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, …

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 …

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 …