Education

  • ACTFL OPI Tester Certification (2006)
  • ACTFL Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) Tester Training Workshop; UC Berkley (2004)
  • Ph.D. “Aureole aspects of lexical semantic in synonymic paradigms”; People’s Friendship University of Russia, Moscow, Russia (1991)
  • Pedagogy courses for teaching Russian as a foreign language; People’s Friendship University of Russia, Moscow, Russia (1988)
  • MA in Russian as a second language; Kiev State University, Kiev, Ukraine (1983)

Research

Heritage and non-heritage learners of Russian, language pedagogy

Publications

Books

Articles

  • “Developing a Textbook: A Framework and Reflections,” with Olga E. Kagan, in The Art of Teaching Russian, E. Dengub I. Dubinina, J. Merrill, ed.; Georgetown University Press, 2020.
  • “Assessment and Curriculum for Heritage Language Learners: Exploring Russian data,” with Olga E. Kagan, Foreign Language Proficiency: Curricular and Assessment Issues, Susan Gass, Paula Winke, Springer, ed. ; Educational Linguistics, Volume 37, 2019, pp. 71-91.
  • “In defense of the culture list(s): Assessing the cultural awareness of Russian heritage speakers” with Nila Friedberg, Bloomington, IN: Slavica, 2018, pp. 49-82
  • “Developing a Textbook: A Framework and Reflections,” with Olga E. Kagan, The Art of Teaching Russian, E. Dengub I. Dubinina, J. Merrill, ed.
  • Kagan, O. & Kudyma, A. (2012) Heritage Language Learners of Russian and L2 Learners in the Flagship Program: A Comparison. Russian Language Journal, Volume 62.  pp. 27-46.
  • The Use of Oral Computer-Mediated Communication: Adding a New Dimension to FL Teaching and Learning with Hiromi Aoki, Ted Liu// Proceedings of the  DIGITALSTREAM CONFERENCE , California State University Monterey Bay,  March, 2006
  • Uchebnyi komputernyi dialog //Tezisy konferentsii MAPRYAL “Teoria i praktika sozdania kommunikativno orientirovannykh individualnykh uchebnikov”. [“Computerized Dialog for Academic Purposes”. Proceedings of the International Conference, International Association of Teachers of Russian Language and Literature. Theory and Practice of creating communicatively-oriented individualized textbooks.] Tallin,1988.
  • Uchebnyi komputernyi dialog “Kommercheskie peregovory” Komputernye uchebnye materialy po russkomu iazyky kak inostrannomu. [“Computerized Dialog for Academic Purposes: Commercial Negotiations.” Computerized course materials for Russian as a foreign language.] Moscow, Pushkin State Russian Language Institute, 1988.
  • Semanticheski orientirovannye komputernye programmy po russkomu yazyky. //Tezisy Mezdunarodnoi konferentsii MAPRYAL. “Psihologicheskie i pedagogicheskie osnovy organizatsii obuchenia russkomu yazyku v usloviyax nerusskoi yazykovoi sredy” [“A semantically-oriented computer program for Russian Language.” Proceedings of the International Conference, International Association of Teachers of Russian Language and Literature: Psychological and pedagogical principles of Russian language study in a non-Russian-speaking country.” Tbilisi, 1989.
  • Eksperimentalnoe psikhometricheskoe ismerenie sinonimicheskikh otnoshenii/metodicheskii aspect/ Primenenie EVM v izuchenii fundamentalnykh distsiplin. [“Experimental psychometric measurement of synonymous relationships/methodological aspect: The use of computers in the study of fundamental disciplines.”] Kiev: Academic-methodological office of the Ukrainian Ministry of Education, 1990.
  • Izuchenie leksicheskoi sinonimii s pomoshch’u komp’utera? [“Computer-aided study of lexical synonyms?” Russian Language and Literature in World Communication: problems of performance and teaching. Proceedings of the Seventh International Conference, International Association of Teachers of Russian Language and Literature.] Moscow: Russkii iazyk, 1990.

Courses

  • Elementary Russian: Russian 1– 2 – 3
  • Intermediate Russian: Russian 4– 5– 6
  • Russian 101 A – Third –year Russian
  • Russian 102 A – Fourth-year Russian
  • Russian 103 A – Russian for Native and near Native Speakers: Russian National Identity
  • Russian 103 B – Russian for Native and near Native Speakers: Literature and Film
  • Russian 103 C – Russian for Native and near Native Speakers: Special Topics
  • Russia 107 A: Russian for Social and Cultural Studies
  • Russian108 – Business Russian
  • Russian Flagship Program courses
  • Ukrainian 101 A –B – C: Introductory Ukrainian
  • Ukrainian 187 A – F: Advanced Tutorial Instruction in Ukrainian

Recent Presentations

  • Webinar Organizer: “Russian for STEM and Professional Purposes: Curricula and Assessment,” UCLA, May 20, 2022
  • “Bringing Students from Intermediate to Advanced through Russian films and Art,”AATSEEL, New Orleans, LA, 2019
  • “The new content-basedtextbook Russian through Art: For Intermediate to Advanced Students,” ASEEES, Boston 2018
  • “In Defense of the Culture List(s): Assessing the Cultural Competence of Russian Heritage Speakers,” Third international Conference on heritage/community languages, LA 2018
  • “Assessment and Curriculum for Heritage Language Learners: Exploring Russian data,” AATSEEL 2018, Washington DC
  • “Teaching Reading: Online Reading in Russian,” AATSEEL 2018, Washington DC
  • “Integrating Online and In-class Learning,” University of Wisconsin, Fall 2017
  • Russian Flagship Teacher Training Workshop: Teaching from the Intermediate/1 to Advanced/2 Levels of Proficiency, UCLA, 2017
  • “Pushkin as a brand: Heritage speakers and cultural awareness,” AATSEEL 2017, SF
  • Panel organizer: Teaching Russian Grammar. This panel is dedicated to the memory of Professor Frank J. Miller, AATSEEL 2016, SF
  • “Teaching Russian Grammar at the Advanced level: from Linguistic to Discourse Competence,” AATSEEL 2017, SF
  • “Online reading in Russian,” UCLA Language Alliance Symposium, Fall 2016, LA
  • “Teaching Advanced Russian: Problems and Solutions,” UCLA Language Alliance Symposium “Teaching Intermediate and Advanced Language Classes: Proficiency, Content, and Culture,” 2016, LA
  • “Online Content-Based Course: access to professional language,” ASEEES 2015, Philadelphia, PA
  • “Blending Online and In-class Learning in Russian,” with N. Lekht, UCLA Language Alliance Symposium, 2015, LA
  • “Bringing Students from Intermediate to Advanced in a Russian Flagship Program”, AATSEEL 2015, Vancouver, Canada
  • “What Works in Heritage Classrooms”, Startalk 2014, Indianapolis, IN
  • “Content-Based Course: An online approach,” AATSEEL 2014, Chicago
  • “Classification of the Russian heritage language learners enrolled in post-secondary Russian language courses: linguistic and cultural knowledge gaps,” Heritage Teacher Training Workshop “Professional Development of Teachers of Heritage Language Learners,” University of Iowa, June 24 – June28, 2013
  • “Teaching Writing: A New Russian Textbook for Heritage Learners ‘We are writing in Russian’: A Writing Textbook for Heritage Speakers,” ASEEES 2012, New Orleans, LA
  • “Teaching Advanced Russian: Challenges and Approaches,” ASEEES 2012, New Orleans, LA
  • “Teaching Beginners and Intermediate Russian”, workshop, Columbia University, New York, 2012
  • “The UCLA Russian Flagship Program: Teaching Heritage and Non-Heritage Learners”, NCOLCTL 2012, Madison, WI
  • “Advanced Level: A Comparison of HL and L2 Learners”, with Olga Kagan, AATSEEL 2012, Seattle, WA
  • “Teaching with Beginner’s Russian,” AATSEEL 2011, Los Angeles, California
  • “Different Paths to Superior Proficiency: Heritage and Non-Heritage Learners,” AAASS 2010, Los Angeles, California
  • “The UCLA Russian Flagship Program: A Comparison of Heritage and Non‐Heritage Learners,” International Conference on Heritage/Community Languages, 2010, LA
  • “Preparing Graduate Students for the Language Classroom,” AATSEEL 2009, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
  • “An Undergraduate Flagship Program: Can Students Get from Novice to Superior in Four Years?” AATSEEL 2009, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
  • “Using on line program Wimba in a Russian Language classroom,” 4th UC Language Consortium Conference on Theoretical and Pedagogical Perspectives, April 25-27, 2008 UCSB
  • “Communicating in a Foreign Language: Speaking as a Web-based Activity,” UC Consortium for Language Learning & Teaching Conference, UCLA, April, 2006
  • “The Use of Oral Computer-Mediated Communication: Adding a New Dimension to FL Teaching and Learning,” DIGITALSTREAM CONFERENCE , “EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES IN TEACHING LANGUAGES AND CULTURES,” CSUMB, March, 2006
  • “Beyond Digital Audio:Wimba, Adding a New Dimension to Foreign Language Teaching and Learning,” ACTFL 2005:39-th Annual Meeting and Exposition at Baltimore
  • “V PUTI on the WEB”, AATSEEL Annual Meeting, Washington DC, December 2005 “Russian Wimba,” UCLA CWL, 2005

Grants and Awards

  • The Language Flagship: STAR (Steps to Advanced Reading) 2018-2020
  • The UCLA Language Alliance Grant (2016-2017)
  • UCLA Distinguished Teaching Award, winner (20013-2014)
  • Fourth Summer Heritage Research Institute. Heritage Speakers: Linguistics and Pedagogy, 2010, University of Hawaii at Manoa
  • UCLA Distinguished Teaching Award, nominee (2008-2009)
  • The UC Consortium for Language Learning & Teaching Grant (2008-2009): Tagging Russian Films
  • Brian P. Copenhaver Award for Innovation in Teaching with Technology, nominee (2006, 2008)
  • UCLA Anderson School for Management Grant (2006-2007): Russian Business podcasts
  • The UC Consortium for Language Learning & Teaching Grant (2006-2007): Materials for WIMBA: web-based oral instructional and testing materials in Russian
  • Office of Instructional Development Grant (2005-2006): Materials for WIMBA ORAL BOARD, a collaborative project for web-based oral instructional and testing materials in Italian and Russian