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The Role and Value of Technology

in Teaching Colloquialisms Elena Sedova-Hotaling

Associate ProfessorDefense language Institute

Disclosure:

This presentation is a further development of two previous presentations by Sedova-Hotaling, Elena & Soboleva, Valentina: “Russkij “Tusovochnyj”: To Teach or Not to Teach?” (Mid-Atlantic Conference, NY - March 2008) and “Barbarization of the Russian Language: Trends and Issues” (AATSEEL Conference, SF - December 2008).

Today’s Learners – Net Generation

The students vote for having choice in

how, what, and when to learn.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGCJ46vyR9o

Main characteristics of the “Google Generation”

Confident and achievingIndependent but team-orientedTechnologically savvyPrefer individualized learning

(Reese,S. 2010)

Existing System of Education

“One-size-fits-all” (DanTapscott, 1998) Heavy reliance on the blackboardTeacher-centered education“Once generation fully takes over educators’

workplace will never be the same” (John Hollon, 2008)

Existing System of Education: to Maintain or Change?

Arguments against changes

Technologies minimize the teacher’s roleDiminish face-to-face interactionTraditional mentoring brings better results

Existing System of Education: to Maintain or Change? (cont.)

Arguments for changesDigital generation expects new approaches to learning and teachingInteractive technologies and multimedia are routine to the Digital generationTechnologies provide resource-based learningKeep students on task

DTRA Students’ Opinion on the New Learning Channels

Survey: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/TKMQMD7

Findings: reasonable combination of traditional methods with advanced technology

DTRA Students’ Opinion on the New Learning Channels (cont.)

Advantages of Interactive Technologies for Language Learning

Powerful tool for communication beyond the classroom environment

Immediate access to authentic materialsFlexibility in adding and updating authentic

materialsPossibility to integrate context-, content-

and resource-based learningMotivational factor of technology

Advantages of Interactive Technologies for Language Learning (cont.)

Allow student to choose his/her own learning strategy and pace

Important value - independent but collaborative work

Create student-centric, cross-cultural learning environment

New Trends in the Russian Language

Paradigm shift in teaching style & learning channels coincides with changes in the Russian lexicon caused by collapse of the totalitarian system & rapid transition to free economy

Liberalization process caused massive deviation from the normative language

Current Russian is a FL for its native speakers

New Trends in the Russian Language (Examples)

Over flooding of mass media and modern literature with colloqualisms, criminal jargon & youth slang

Оттяг/оттянуться - rest / /Тусовка тусовщик тусоваться -

socializing,/Прикол прикалываться – joke,fun

лох - a fool

New Trends in the Russian Language (cont.)

A dynamic influx of colloquialisms is caused by a new perception of the norm itself.

Mass media language bends for sub-standard and non-standard.

New Trends in the Russian Language (Examples)

Excessive borrowing of AmericanismsYouth slang created from English words with

Russian affixation

янговый (молодой) - young;френдовый ( принадлежащий другу)

friend’s; прайсовый (денежный) – having money;

хитовый (популярный) – top popular

New Trends in the Russian Language (cont.)

The colloquial non-codified language has become a serious rival of the standard language

Lexical changes are far-reaching and fundamental.

Controversial Public Reaction to Language Changes

PROS:CONS:

Accept the changes as natural processes

“Intrusion of foreign words makes Russian attuned to the contemporary reality”(V. Kostomarov)

Use of borrowings and non-normative lexicon is degradation of the Russian language

Concerns about the permeation of criminal jargon in mass media

"A lack of regard for the Russian language is becoming a norm in life.“ Provost of MGU (2009)

Sub-Standard Russian: To Teach or Not to Teach?

The Author’s Position

The scope and magnitude of linguistic changes are so evidential that they cannot be ignored or discredited

Lack of familiarization with slang limits RL learners from better understanding of native speakers

Modern interactive technologies can bridge the gap & aid our learners

This type of vocabulary should be taught

About the Bloghttp://phraseology.elenahotaling.com

Conceptual example of new approaches to teaching

Blog embeds audio, video and textual authentic materials

Colloquialisms are selected from mass media and literature

“Conversion” from personal use to non-traditional educational practice

This concept may compliment the curriculum

Conclusion

Conceptual example of new approaches to teaching

Special value of the interactive technologies – enhancement of socio-cultural awareness

social media can bridge the gap between the growing disconnect between today’s education system and modern means of communication and learning.

Interactive Approach to Learning Colloquialisms

Questions?

http://phraseology.elenahotaling.com/2010/11/14/video-task-schoolwork

Reference materials:

Reese, S. (August, 2010) The Language Educator. “Teaching Languages to the Millennial Generation”

Spodark, E. (August, 2010). The Language Educator. “Structuring a Language Course to Respond to Millennial Generation Workplace Characteristics”

Tapscott, D. (1998). “Growing up digital”. In The Rise of the Net Generation. New York: McGraw-Hill

Reference materials (cont.)

Hollon, J. (August, 2008). In Spodark. The Language Educator. “Structuring a Language Course to Respond to Millennial Generation Workplace Characteristics”

Wesch, M. Downloaded from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGCJ46vyR9o. Sept, 2010

Ryazanova-Clarke, L. & Wade, T. The Russian Language Today. Routledge, 1999

  

Reference materials (cont.)

, . . (1999). Костомаров В Г Языковой вкус эпохи. -Из наблюдений над речевой практикоймасс

.медиа СПб: Златоуст. Sadovnichy, V. “ Их нужно заразить

”, правильным отношением к учёбе и труду АргументыиФакты, 17 , 2009.марта

., . « » Шкапенко Т ХюбнерФ Русский тусовочный . , 2005как иностранный Янтарный Сказ

   

Reference materials (cont.)

. “ БасинскийПавел Вам русским языком”. # 4446. говорят Российская газета On-

line. 22 aвгустa, 2007 . . “ Букина Е В Молодёжный сленг в

”. современной культуреhttp://archvuz.ru/magazine/Numbers/2004_07   . « - ». ВасильеваЮлия Чисто по нашему

. РусскоеИнтернет Телевидение On-line. 2008

Reference materials (cont.)

Chokhonelidze, N. (2007). Экспансия разговорности в сферах средств

. массовой информацииhttp://www.surbor.ru/select.php?idf=12115 on 06 June 2007

Неизвестный Эрнст. Знамя № 90: 2 // Шкапенко Т. и др. 2005

. “РобскиО Casual”, . 175, 261, Рассказы" ", 2007Издательство АСТ