Drawing on numerous classics of Russian animation, this text is designed for a wide range of learners from advanced novice to intermediate to provide interesting authentic cultural materials in the study of the language. Each lesson is based on a well known and available animation and provides exercises in Russian language skills and a springboard to the discussion of Russian culture.

Nominated for the 2010 AATSEEL book prize for Best Contribution to Language Pedagogy.
 

Animation for Russian Conversation draws on the best known Russian works of animation --Cheburashka, Karlson, the Hedgehog, and Vinni Pukh -- all classics of the Russian cinema. Intended for Russian students of the Novice High to Intermediate Mid levels according to ACTFL guidelines, this book will be interest to anyone learning Russian through authentic, but accessible Russian materials. Exercises cover vocabulary and grammar, with advanced exercises to challenge students further.

Instructors can select assignments based on the level of their group and their course goals. Some grammar exercises might best be used in conjunction with a regular textbook, depending on the level of the class. The Table of Contents includes a listing of grammar and lexical topics covered in each section. The animations in the text are generally widely available, but must be purchased separately from this book.

Jason Merrill is Associate Professor of Russian at Michigan State University. He has taught all levels of Russian language and courses on Russian literature, culture, and cinema. He also teaches an introduction to the literature and cinema of Eastern Europe. He has published articles in the journals Russkaia literatura [St. Petersburg], Slavic and East European Journal, Elementa, Scando-Slavica, and Slavonica. He is the author of Russian Fairy Tales: A Student Reader. He also currently serves as the Book Review Editor for Folklorica: The Journal of the Slavic and East European Folklore Association.

Julia Mikhailova, Ph. D., is the Language Program Coordinator at the Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures at the University of Toronto. She teaches methodology of teaching Slavic languages and graduate courses in Slavic linguistics as well as Russian language courses with significant cultural emphases. She is a certified Oral Proficiency Interview Tester. Her articles on Oral Proficiency in Russian were published in Foreign Language Annals and Russian Language Journal. Currently she serves as the Head of the Pedagogy Division of AATSEEL Program Committee.

Maria Alley is a Ph. D. candidate in Slavic Linguistics and Director of Language Programs at the Department of Slavic and East European Languages and Literatures at the Ohio State University. Her research interests include Russian morphology, second language acquisition and language pedagogy.

Contemporary language pedagogy emphasizes teaching language using authentic cultural materials. To this end, several recent Russian language textbooks design exercises around the viewing of classic Russian films (e.g. Kagan, et. al., Mesropova, Pichugina). Like those books, Animation for Russian Conversation aims to improve students’ Russian-language skills, especially in the area of conversation. This collection, unlike previous textbooks, focuses on the genre of animation.

Animation for Russian Conversation features materials for some of the best-known Russian works of animation. Cheburashka, Karlson, the Hedgehog, and Winnie-the-Pooh (in his Russian incarnation, Vinni Pukh), are known and loved by many Russians, and should be considered significant parts of Russian culture. While the importance of Russian directors and films has long been acknowledged, Russian animation, not unlike Russian children’s literature, also was created by some of the finest talents, is of a high artistic level, and is certainly not just for children (see MacFadyen and Pontieri). Many, if not all, of the films presented here can also rightly be considered classics of the Russian cinema.

Three authors have collaborated to create Animation for Russian Conversation. Each section belongs to one of them and reflects the personality of the author and the peculiarities of the given animated film. Attempts have been made to standardize the collection, but the authors felt it was important to maintain the character of each individual part. Teachers using these materials will therefore notice differences among the sections.

The majority of the exercises presented in this collection are intended for Russian students of the Novice High to Intermediate Mid levels according to ACTFL guidelines, with some additional activities designed for more advanced learners. But hopefully the book will be of use to anyone interested in learning the language while working with authentic Russian materials. The more basic exercises emphasize repetition of certain vocabulary items and grammatical constructions, while each unit has more advanced exercises that will challenge students to creatively work with the material. Instructors can select assignments based on the level of their group and their course goals. Instructors will find that some of the grammar exercises may require additional explanation and might be best covered in conjunction with exercises in their regular textbook, depending on the level of the class. To help instructors coordinate the films with their lessons, the Table of Contents includes a listing of grammar and lexical topics covered in each section.