Teaching Russian in 2022–2024 II: Discussing the Kremlin’s War against Ukraine in the Russian Language Classroom

Session Submission Type: Roundtable

Brief Description

The year 2024 marks the tenth anniversary of the Kremlin’s unjust aggression against Ukraine, and the second year of the full-scale invasion. This is a topic that cannot be ignored in Russian language classes, especially considering the role that language politics plays in the conflict. However, discussing such a complicated and terrible military conflict can present a significant challenge. The proposed roundtable seeks to delve into pedagogical strategies that promote nuanced perspectives and encourages students to critically engage with the current events and contemporary issues surrounding the invasion. By examining ways to address the war in Ukraine within the context of a Russian language curriculum, participants will share insights on cultivating empathy, fostering cross-cultural understanding, and encouraging open dialogue in the classroom, alongside concrete educational solutions and materials used to teach the Russian language within these themes.

Sub Unit

• Linguistics/Language Pedagogy/Translation

Chair

• Steven G Jug, Baylor U

Roundtable Members

• Jessica Lynn Ginocchio, UNC at Chapel Hill

• Steven G Jug, Baylor U

• Julia Kriventsova Denne, By the Onion Sea