New techy approaches to the teaching of Russian (radical versions thereof?)

[Monnier, Nicole M.]

SEELANGStsy!

I'm sitting in a teaching & technology seminar and am amazed to discover (what I consider) radical uses of technology  that takes language teaching out of (or reduces the time spent in) the brick-and-mortar classroom and into the magical world (!) of technology.  I'm not talking about video classrooms, where an instructor is teaching a class from one site to a variety of of classrooms in other locations. (Though FYI, this seems to be one way in which the US Dept. of Ed. is supporting the teaching of Arabic - see http://www.arabicstudies.edu/index.shtm.)

An example of what I mean can be found the program description for an intro Spanish class at Portland State U. created through the National Center for Academic Transformation:

http://www.center.rpi.edu/PCR/R3/PoSU/PoSU_Overview.htm. 

The "transformation" replaced in-class time for grammar instruction with web-based and software-based activities; automated a goodly amount of grading; cut down the number of hours in class per week (3x to 2x); and finally, reduced the number of instructors in the course.

I find myself at once horrified and fascinated by this prospect. Is anyone doing this with Russian (or any other Slavic language, for that matter)?

Curiously,

Nicole


************************************
Nicole Monnier
Assistant Professor of Instruction
Director of Undergraduate Studies (Russian)
German & Russian Studies
University of Missouri - Columbia
Columbia, MO 65211

office: 573.882.3370
fax: 573.884.8456




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