Language and Literacy Education Commons^™

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 …

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 …

Russian Verbs Of Motion In L2 Acquisition: Testing The Efficacy Of A Usage-Based Approach, Tobias-Alexander Herrmann

Russian Language Journal

Unprefixed Russian motion verbs present unique challenges for second language (L2) learners as they encode distinct types of motion events. Traditional, directionality-based methods of teaching these verbs have faced criticism, prompting the adoption of alternative, cognitively informed approaches. This article builds on usage-based methodologies, such as those proposed by Nesset and Janda (2022), to investigate whether teaching unprefixed verbs of motion (UVoMs) as constructions can enhance L2 instruction. Using the frequent UVoM pair idti and xodit′ , both meaning ‘walk’, as a case study, I pursue two main goals. First, drawing on corpus data, I examine the construction UVoM + …

From Gesture To Coded Knowledge: Rediscovering And Redefining Tpr When Teaching Russian Motion Verbs In An Outdoor Classroom, Elena Susanna Weygandt

Russian Language Journal

The necessity to move my Russian as a second language (L2) classroom in an event tent during the “main” pandemic year encouraged me to create lessons engaging students’ movement and thus rediscover the Total Physical Response (TPR) method. This article presents the case for using TPR-inspired teaching as a mode to be considered in instruction of Russian verbs of motion (VoM). TPR, a teaching method and language acquisition theory suggested by James Asher in the 1960s, has further evolved in TPR role-playing and TPR storytelling and is used in L2 instruction today (e.g., Cook, 2008, p. 132; Davidheiser, 2002; Elliott …

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.

Нестандартные Метафоры Движения В Текстах Казахско-Русских Билингвов / Non-Standard Metaphors Of Motion In Kazakh-Russian Bilinguals, Ekaterina V. Rakhilina, Aimgul Kazkenova

Russian Language Journal

This paper examines a specific case of fictive motion conceptualization—non-standard motion metaphors identified in texts from the Kazakh subcorpus of the Russian Learner Corpus (http://www.web-corpora.net/RLC). The texts were written by students from several universities in Almaty who are native speakers of Kazakh (L1) and second-language speakers of Russian (L2). Our study focuses on three aspects of fictive motion: (1) how the verbs idti and xodit’ are used to conceptualize processes or states in non-standard metaphorical contexts; (2) how trajectors are selected with the verbs prijti and projti; and (3) how motion direction is conceptualized with vxodit’ / …

Book Review: Designing Effective Language Learning Materials For Less Commonly Taught Languages. A Research-Based Guide, Susan Kresin

Russian Language Journal

Especially at a time when many Russian language instructors are actively expanding the scope of their instructional materials, this concise and well-articulated handbook fills an important gap. Focusing on the needs of instructors who teach less commonly taught languages, it offers a clear, step-by-step road map through the process of curricular and textbook design, with minimal theory and a broad framework of teaching methodology. This makes it applicable for a wide variety of practitioners in various circumstances: in pre-college, college and extracurricular settings, serving heritage, non-heritage and mixed groups of students, and at all levels.

Teaching Verbs Of Motion In A Task-Based Russian As A Foreign Language (Rfl) Course, Joan Castellví, Elena Markina

Russian Language Journal

The paper focuses on one of the most complex topics in Russian as a Foreign Language (RFL) instruction: verbs of motion (VoM). We introduce an innovative approach to teaching these verbs, grounded in Task-Based Language Teaching (TBLT), and contrast it with the traditional approach that follows the Presentation-Practice-Production (PPP) framework, which has dominated the field until now. By analyzing a sample of widely used textbooks specializing in VoM, we show that introducing the VoM system—specifically, the sequence in which the verbs are presented—follows the PPP design and is primarily grammar-oriented. This approach is based on the concept of “directionality,” which …

Do Your Abc: Teaching Tense And Aspect With Verbs Of Motion, Irina Six

Russian Language Journal

This paper examines the continued application of a content-based approach initially developed for teaching Russian verbs of motion (VoM) at the novice level (Six). It begins by introducing the ABC principle, a method that presents prefixed and unprefixed VoM together in their most typical contexts, rather than separately. The ABC principle ("A+B+C=D", as in поплыл + плыл + приплыл = плавал) helps visualize a three-leg journey and introduces students to two distinct sets of stems: Directional stems for A, B, and C verbs, and Non-directional stems for D verbs.

The paper then explores extending the ABC principle to intermediate-level …

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) …

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 …

Efl Essay Writing: Grammatical Accuracy And Productivity, Yoshimasa Ogawa

Journal of Response to Writing

This study explored a way to help Japanese university students write longer essays while maintaining grammatical accuracy. Participants were three groups of students enrolled in a one-year EFL course in consecutive academic years (N = 111), and the number of words they wrote in 30 minutes and the number of errors made per 100 words were compared. To improve the participants’ grammatical accuracy, comprehensive coded feedback (e.g., Bonilla, et al., 2018, 2021; Hartshorn, et al., 2010) and selective metalinguistic explanation (e.g., Bitchener & Knoch, 2010; Sheen, 2007) were provided on the 12 paragraphs/essays they submitted. The first, sixth, and …

Two Sides Of The Same Coin: Efl Students’ Emotions Towards Teacher Written Feedback On L2 Writing, Hieu Manh Do, Han Nguyen

Journal of Response to Writing

L2 writing, known as a cognitively demanding process, has also been perceived to encompass emotional aspects for L2 writers, as they tend to exhibit various feelings towards teacher feedback on their writing performance. The current study therefore explored EFL Vietnamese students’ emotions toward teacher-written feedback and how their emotions were perceived to impact their engagement and writing performance during the writing process. Data was obtained through semi-structured interviews with the involvement of college Vietnamese students after their essays and teacher feedback were collected. The results showed variations in students’ emotions were found at different rounds of teacher-written feedback, which were …

Navigating The World Of Online Information: A Braided Approach To Research And Writing In Ela Classrooms, Ana Katz, Brittany Malloy

The Utah English Journal

As ELA teachers, we know that teaching students how to write well goes beyond grammar and thesis statements–it is about empowering students to think critically in a world overflowing with information. Whether it is news headlines, social media posts, or academic articles, our students are constantly navigating a sea of facts, opinions, and misinformation. The challenge? Equipping them with the skills to tell the difference. One approach that positively impacted our classrooms was integrating research and writing into a single process. This “braided” method teaches students how to evaluate sources and build strong arguments while keeping their engagement high and …

The Summer Of Ya Love: Young Adult Romance, Tiktok, And The Classroom, Annika Nielson

The Utah English Journal

Where teenagers are, there romance will be also. As a high school English teacher, I constantly witness the intensity of adolescence as young people start to explore their own identities. It is impossible to separate this time of teenagerdom from romance, since “adolescents are fascinated with developing sexuality and love” (Litton, 1994, p. 28). Even if they are not experiencing it firsthand, teens are hearing about it constantly from their friends, in school hallways, in the movies and tv shows they consume, and especially in the literature they read. Even the core texts in high school echo this desire for …

Book Reviews: From The Editor, Justin Scholes

The Utah English Journal

What a wonderful time to be an English Language Arts teacher! There has never been a time with such a flourishing offering of young adult literature as well as digital and multimodal texts!

Thank You, James, Leah Parks

The Utah English Journal

Brightest, kindest

Wise beyond your years

Knowledge of content and people

Potential

Book Review: Alebrijes, Shauna Christensen

The Utah English Journal

400 years into the post-apocalyptic future, 13 year-old orphan Leandro and his younger sister, Gabi, struggle to survive in a barren San Joaquin Valley. Like the other Spanish-speaking lower class field workers, they are forced to farm vegetables for the elite ruling class, or risk exile or death in the harsh desert, a barren wasteland filled with terrifying man-eating wyrms. Leandro’s plan to escape with Gabi is thrown into disarray when Gabi is caught stealing a single strawberry in the market. Leandro takes the blame and is sentenced to banishment, or he can choose to have his consciousness transferred to …

Book Review: Good Different, Jan Jenson

The Utah English Journal

Good Different is a beautiful and poignant free verse by neurodivergent author, Meg Eden Kuatt, and is beloved by all students, but especially by students with neurodiversity.

A Cohort Of The Willing: How Secondary Schools Might Face The Literacy Crisis, Michelle A. Barney

The Utah English Journal

Experts like Louisa Moats and anyone who has recently completed LETRS (Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling) training, know that 95% of children can be taught to read (Louisa Moats, 2023). As a secondary educator, it’s tempting to see this statistic and ignore it. Surely, this must be someone else’s problem. In fact, if all goes according to plan in the world of elementary education, students become proficient at foundational reading skills before fourth grade, especially if one considers Kilpatrick’s work which establishes this benchmark for the development of advanced phonological awareness skills (Kilpatrick, 2015, p. …

Helping Students Learn What They Already Know: Uncovering The Magic Of Analyzing Author’S Craft, Joseph Wiederhold

The Utah English Journal

In my first-year teaching, I put a sentence on the board from Megan McDonald’s picture book My House Has Stars: “I hear the water lapping the sides of our boat, lapping the sides, lapping the sides” (McDonald, 1996, p. 2). It’s an exciting sentence. I was sure that students would have plenty to say about how it was crafted.

The Silent Stakeholders In Censorship: Insights In Letting Young Adults Join The Censorship Conversation, Mercedes Medel

The Utah English Journal

I grew up enjoying Judy Blume’s books: Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing, Superfudge, Blubber, and many more. There was not much conversation in my community or at home about what books or authors should be read; instead, I was given free range to explore libraries and choose what I was interested in, what I was needing, throughout my adolescence. It wasn’t until I was sitting in Chris Crowe’s Studies in Young Adult Literature class this past spring that I discovered, to my surprise, that Judy Blume was at the center of many controversies throughout her career. …

Getting Teens To Read: Date A Book, Joëlle Beard

The Utah English Journal

“I hate reading!” “I will never read a book again after graduation; why do I have to read in your class?” “Reading is so boring; there aren’t any good books!” If you are a secondary English teacher, comments like this are nothing new. So many of our students do not enjoy reading and do not see the value of reading a book. Part of this is due to the curriculum push to read novel excerpts rather than full novels, or sometimes eliminate fictional texts altogether and read solely informational texts. The feeling of not wanting to read a book or …

Writing Prompts In The Healing-Centered Classroom, Elizabeth Hancock

The Utah English Journal

As I began the 2013-14 school year, I encountered students with a full range of life experiences. My students’ lives ran the gamut from having the 1950s version of traditional middle- class families to being part of the Utah foster care system. Their challenges included depression over not making the school dance team, dyslexia or other learning disabilities, and responding to trauma with self-harm by using a heated curling iron. I wondered what I could do to help struggling students make it through the minefields in their lives, and remembered the character of Ponyboy, who writes about his friends’ traumatic …

Voice And Reflection: Innovating Peer Review With Think-Aloud Group Discussions, Marissa Palmer

The Utah English Journal

“Ok guys, get out your Chromebooks and pull up your rough drafts. Today we are peer reviewing!”

As the students start getting things ready, there are a few groans from around the room and a few panicked “what if I’m not done yet?”s. The beginning of every peer review day starts the same: help kids get their essays properly formatted, demonstrate how to put their document in suggesting mode, and go over the protocols for the day.

Book Review: Monstrous: A Transracial Adoption Story, Amanda Thomas

The Utah English Journal

Sarah is a little girl with a vibrant inner life and explosive energy and creativity. From her first realization that The Little Mermaid was made by teams of artists drawing thousands of illustrations, she sees life and power in her art. Sarah relies on that power as she navigates the confusing and sometimes harsh realities of being one of few non-white kids growing up in her small Maryland town. Adopted from Korea as an infant, Sarah struggles to understand how she is different from the other kids and even from her older adopted sister, Liz (also from Korea). Every time …

From The Editors: Turning Pages, Turning Hearts, Mandy Luszeck, Jon Ostenson, Rachel Knecht

The Utah English Journal

When my students complete reflections on their readings, my favorite responses usually say something along the lines of, “I never saw it that way before, but now I do.” As English Language Arts teachers, we are well aware that literature is more than mere stagnant text, rather it is dynamic. It is transformative. Perspectives, experiences, ways of being that might otherwise be shielded from our students are illuminated in the stories they read, allowing them in turn to see and understand the world around them in a new light. According to Steven Wolk (2009), “As educators, we need to help …