Expanding the Online Dimension of WSU Russian Classes
Laura Kline, Senior Lecturer in Russian, Department of Classical and Modern Languages, Literatures, and Cultures

Russian pedagogical materials on the market today are severely lacking in several key respects, requiring us to supplement them or create them ourselves. Available textbooks have very limited and unsatisfactory online components (if any at all). The recent introduction of My Russian Lab in conjunction with the Golosa textbooks, which we used at Wayne for many years, has not resolved this problem. The materials in this program are generally the same as those previously available on the Golosa website, and are fraught with the same problems. For example, they use the same videos, which are far too fast for the level, as are many of the oral exercises. Most importantly, the Golosa series focuses too much on grammar and too little on developing communication skills, which is why we discontinued its use.

1. Currently available third- and fourth-year Russian textbooks are not designed to follow any particular second-year textbook. This is a major issue in terms of continuity.
2. Our Russian classes (like those at many universities) are too small to allow us to teach separate third- and fourth-year classes, so we are forced to teach them together. That requires a textbook providing two years of material that can be started from any point (by students, for example, who are entering the sequence in the third semester).

At present we are using Ovsienko's first- and second-year textbook, which we have been modifying and supplementing, and a third- and fourth-year textbook, which I am in the process of creating myself. In order to improve the effectiveness of our language program, we have been creating a variety of audio-visual materials to supplement these Russian textbooks. Tatyana Sherman recorded the vocabulary and texts for RUS 1010, 1020, and part of 2020. A 2011 FLTC Minigrant allowed us to create audiofiles and a variety of online materials for the first of the four semesters of third- and fourth-year Russian. We are now attempting to extend these audiovisual tools and technologies to the remaining semesters and to supplement them with more materials.

Last year I received an FLTC grant of $1000 to create an on-line course teaching Polish medical vocabulary to students with an intermediate to advance level of language proficiency. With the help of this money a new Blackboard site "Medical Polish" was created. The site was tested by an Honors Option student who found it very educational and interesting. The amount of work required to build such a site, together with receiving less funding than had been anticipated, only allowed for three full modules to be completed so far (while the work on two other modules was started and is currently in different phases of advancement). This year’s grant will allow me to complete the two modules, and develop three additional modules of Medical Polish over summer 2012. "Medical Polish" will be offered through a Blackboard password protected site for two credits in the fall of 2012.

As a part time Chinese Language Instructor of the College of Modern Languages Classics, Literatures & Culture, I am always seeking for innovative ways to improve the teaching and learning. I believe that this project, VoiceThread, will continue the 2011 project and explore more about the interactive and collaborative way of learning into the Chinese language acquisition at Wayne State University.

The grant is intended to be used for two main purposes: recording and storing audio visual news, documentaries, and interviews from different sources of Arabic and English media outlets and building a media text bank and relevant comprehension materials. I will record the audio-visual and prepare authentic textual Arabic material and develop listening, comprehension and writing exercises for them. The developed material will be organized in thematic topics that can be used for the weekly topics of Media Arabic which is usually offered in the winter or spring semesters. Media Arabic consists of 13 weekly topics in the winter semester and 8 in the spring semester. Topics are organized around a general theme (such as media coverage of conflicts and wars). The developed material will be uploaded to a Blackboard website that will be designed for the purpose. The instructor will be able to select from the text bank suitable material to enhance a skill-based and interactive learning experience.