𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘈𝘳𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘛𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘙𝘶𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘢𝘯: Language Schools Faculty and Staff Win the AATSEEL 2023 Book Award

The Art of Teaching Russian offers a uniquely multifaceted fusion of scholarship on Russian language teaching practices, learning, and curriculum development. This edited collection, enriched with insights from leading professionals, has instantly become an essential resource for any scholar or practitioner interested in exploring the history and current landscape of providing instruction in Russian language, culture, and relevant subfields. 

Unveiling the journey from past methodologies and paradigms to contemporary trends in foreign language education, it offers an impressive survey of various pedagogical strategies tailored for different proficiency levels. The volume delves into the issues of proficiency standards, content-infused curriculum development, representation of diversity in teaching materials, preparation of graduate teaching assistants, and explores technology assisted tools informing research methods and instructional practices. It is not just a book but an enriching journey into the heart of teaching Russian.

Jason Merrill, Director of the Kathryn Wasserman Davis School of Russian
 

I graduated from Middlebury College in 1990 and received my Ph.D. in Russian Literature from the University of Kansas in 1997. I am currently Professor of Russian at Michigan State University, after previous stops at Dartmouth College and Drew University. Prior to becoming Director, I taught at the Kathryn Wasserman Davis School of Russian for five summers: in 2001 and 2002 I was the lead teacher for Level Two, and in 2007-2009 I led Level Four. 

Dr. Irina Dubinina, an instructor at the Middlebury Language Schools STARTALK program, holds a PhD in Russian (with specialization in Second Language Acquisition) from Bryn Mawr College. She has been the director of the Russian language program at Brandeis University since 2007. Dr. Dubinina has 17 years of experience teaching Russian as a foreign language and an extensive background in teaching heritage speakers of Russian. 

Dr. Dubinina is the Chair of the Foreign Language Oversight Committee at Brandeis University and a consultant for the National Security Language Initiative for Youth. She has developed and led a number of teacher training seminars in Russia for teachers of Russian as a foreign language. She is a regular contributor and reviewer for the Online Resource Center for Teachers of Russian, has authored and co-authored several articles on heritage learners, and has collaborated with the authors of Live From Russia: Stage One (ACTR/Kendall) on publishing the 2nd edition. She is currently working on a textbook for adult heritage speakers of Russian. Dr. Dubinina has  been awarded the Doris Sill Carland Award for Excellence in Teaching from Bryn Mawr College (2007) and the Louis Dembitz Brandeis Prize for Excellence in Teaching (2012).

Evgeny Dengub is an accomplished language educator, known for his expertise in Russian language and pedagogy.

Since 2013, Evgeny Dengub has held the position of director at the Startalk Institute for Teachers of Russian at Middlebury College School of Russian. The institute, which is sponsored by NSA grants, focuses on providing valuable training for Russian language instructors. In addition to his role as director of the Institute, Evgeny Dengub has also contributed as an associate director in the Russian School. 

Evgeny’s dedication to language education is evident in his numerous awards and accolades. He has received the Best Contribution to Language Pedagogy Prize from the American Association of Teachers of Slavic and Eastern European Languages (AATSEEL) for his textbooks Etazhi (Georgetown UP, 2021, co-authored with S. Nazarova) and Panorama (Georgetown UP, 2017, co-authored with B. Rifkin and S. Nazarova).

Be sure to check out the Immersion, Graduate, Russian Refresher, Advanced Online, and STARTALK programs at our Kathryn Wasserman Davis School of Russian.