Teaching Russian Language and Culture in a Time of War

Session Submission Type: Roundtable

Brief Description

As the war between Russia and Ukraine persists, the task of teaching Russian language and culture has become imbued with new complexities. This roundtable seeks to address these challenges, offering innovative strategies to incorporate cultural components into language education during a time when cultural expression and political narratives are deeply interwoven, while also acknowledging and addressing the concerns and anxieties students may harbor about the war.

Key areas of focus for the discussion include:

1. Navigating the diverse experiences and opinions of students on the war, respecting the spectrum of backgrounds from heritage speakers to those new to the language.
2. Reflecting the diversity and complexity of Russian society, highlighting the breadth of perspectives beyond the political mainstream through cultural mediums such as music.
3. Sharing insights on how to broaden American students' understanding of the diversity of Russian speakers around the world and how a decolonizing approach can influence curriculum and teaching.
4. Adapting existing textbooks to create assignments that are relevant to the current geopolitical situation and examining ways to connect textbook themes to the changing realities in the post-Soviet region through the lens of films and artworks.
5.Transitioning from textbook scenarios to authentic language use, including media from Ukraine and other Russian-speaking regions, to cultivate cultural competence and to enhance language learning.

Through this roundtable, participants will engage in a critical dialogue, aiming to equip educators with practical tools and insights to effectively teach Russian language and culture in a time of war.

Sub Unit

• Linguistics/Language Pedagogy/Translation

Chair

• Irina Walsh, Bryn Mawr College

Roundtable Members

• Marsel Khamitov, U of Wisconsin-Madison

• Anna Kudyma, UCLA

• Melissa Lynn Miller, Colby College

• Shannon Quinn, Michigan State U

Session Manager

• Maureen Waters O'Neill, Sorbonne Nouvelle