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Reviewer’s Corner Книжное обозрение

Kourova, Alla. Picturing and Barry Tomalin and Susan research of Russian Culture by : a research guide to Stempleski, Cultural Awareness3. scholars of various disciplines Russian Culture. Dubuque, These authors distinguish and by students who are Iowa: Kendall Hunt Publishing between what has become known interested in cultural analysis” (p. Company, 2016. 132 pages. in language teaching circles as v). Kourova aims to include an ISBN- 10: 1524906255. ISBN- “capital C” or “big C”, culture, introduction to elements of 13: 978-1524906252. $55.00 for which refers to the celebrated history, literature, art, music, and the E-Book at visual or performance arts of a architecture into the objectives for https://he.kendallhunt.com/produ culture and “little C” or “small C” her work. In tandem with these ct/picturing-russia-research- culture, which includes a culture’s cultural elements, the text offers guide-russian-culture informal and often hidden patterns opportunities for cross-cultural of human interactions and analysis, linguistic data analysis People interested in Russian viewpoints4. A precise about cultural perceptions, and culture and preparing for travel, understanding of both types of Russian language development. study, or work in Russia face a culture provides optimal Furthermore, the author designed problematical task when trying to preparation for any travel, study, the book “to enhance cultural find a single, multi-faceted, or work in Russia. To this end, understanding between American thorough treatment of the culture Picturing Russia: a research and Russian students” (p. 1), of Russia. In fact, the very guide to Russian Culture will be referring to linguistic experiments definition of culture, as presented considered in this review as a tool that show that these two groups in guidebooks and other for providing that optimal experience a lack of such resources attempting to preparation for successful work, understanding in their encompass the elusive nature of study, and travel to the Russian interactions. culture, varies widely. The Federation. Cambridge Dictionary offers the Structure of the book following two definitions of The purpose of the work in culture1: 1) the way of life of a the context of fully The first chapter opens with a particular people, especially as understanding Russian history of the work that led to the shown in their ordinary behavior culture creation of the book. The author and habits, their attitudes toward states her objectives and the each other, and their moral and The book’s author, Alla Kourova, benefit of her text to her own religious beliefs and 2) the arts has dedicated nearly a decade to university. According to Kourova, of describing, showing, or “researching the integration of the text purports to “provide an performing that represent the cultural knowledge and inter- international focus to our traditions or the way of life of a cultural competence into the curricula and research particular people or group; foreign language curriculum” (p. programs”. Her belief is that the literature, art, music, dance, 2). She describes the overall book “offers a unique learning theater, etc. purpose of her book in the experience for faculty and These two definitions are preface, stating, “This book is students by facilitating reflected in the works of Nelson about understanding and studying understanding of Russian culture Brooks, Language and Language Russian Culture. [The book] can on an individual level and Learning: Theory and Practice2 be used as a basis for further creating new opportunities for

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interaction, dialogue, and fascinating cross-cultural study Chapter 5 centers around five collaboration” (p. 4). Such grounded in Russian culture as pillars of mainly “big C” Russian benefits could easily be utilized in the point of departure for Culture with some elements of other universities and educational comparison. The chapter begins “small c” culture included. These establishments, meeting such with definitions of culture and pillars are literature, architecture, institutions’ overarching goals for then describes twenty-four types music, art, and the interaction and international-level cooperation. of “cultural ways” or concepts history of religion in Russia. To The second chapter presents rated by 100 students illuminate each pillar, the author a fascinating word study participating in a joint Russia- offers the reader texts in English conducted by the author herself American program and/or in an side-by-side with the same text in using the 1992 model of Dr. intensive Russian language study Russian. Sub-categories of each Svetlana Ter‒Minasova of program. These students used of the five pillars of culture follow, State University. In the criteria of pertinence to their but the dual-language texts 1999, and then again between own lives to rate the cultural ways deserve special commentary. 2011 and 2014, Kourova asked in order of importance. Some of Each of the texts in the sub- approximately 300 students of the cultural ways represent rites categories is laid out in a visually- English in high schools and of passage such as marriage, appealing way with a photograph universities in Penza, Russia, to childbearing, family, and death. or image illustrating each text’s give five words that “express their Others are more sociological: content. The author has included vision of America and Americans” religion, work, gender, family, succinct texts that give the reader (p. 5). She asked both Russian age. Further categories include an overview of the significance of and American students for single- learning, food, dress, magic, each figure or phenomenon for a word responses to the categories naming, sports, time, wealth, Russian person. The fifth chapter of Features of the Russian (or building, freedom, power, and evokes Genevra Gerhart and American) character, Features of speech. The remainder of the Eloise Boyle’s invaluable contemporary life in Russia (or chapter illustrates the manner in contributions to the Russian the ), Nature and which these cultural ways are language profession: The Landscape, and Proper Names. expressed, viewed, and Russian’s World: Life and She also compares the five-word perceived by Russians with the Language and The Russian language pictures of Russia understanding that the American Context: the Culture behind the provided by American students audience is the point of Language5. Kourova’s approach, before and after an academic reference. akin to that of Gerhart and Boyle, year spent becoming acquainted As a continuation of the cross- endeavors to give students of with the language and culture of cultural study begun in Chapter 3, Russia and Russian language a Russia. For Russian-language Chapter 4 describes the sense of what phenomena professionals, these words can similarities between the United Russians themselves hold serve to paint a picture of each States and Russia and then significant in their cultural self- culture’s perception of the other illustrates the misunderstandings perceptions. An additional benefit and how such perceptions that come from the often of Chapter 5 for students of change with the introduction of nuanced, sometimes glaring Russian and English is the value certain dynamics (political or differences in areas such as of these texts for developing social shifts, academic training, values, nonverbal behavior, the reading comprehension. The etc.) in the test subjects’ perception of time, educational pillars of Russian Culture/culture environment. and other customs, gestures, and

The third chapter offers a superstitious beliefs. Reviewer’s Corner, to be continued on p 20.

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Reviewer’s Corner, continued from p 19. Conclusion Reviewer’s Corner Editor (both “big C” and “little C” culture) The complexities of an NASA/Johnson Space Center included in Picturing Russia odyssey into another culture can incorporate: be subtle, if not confounding. Work Cited: Paul Sturges, a proponent of 1 Cambridge University Press. 2008. 1. Literature: library scientists widening their Cambridge online dictionary, Cambridge Leo Tolstoy, Alexander Pushkin, understanding of various Dictionary online. Retrieved January 12, Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Anton cultures, writes, “The sheer 2017, from the website Chekhov. difficulty of entering into the http://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictiona 2. Architecture: minds of people from different ry/english/culture 2 a. Moscow: the Kremlin cultures is frequently Brooks, Nelson D. 1968. Language and Language Learning: Theory and Practice. Cathedral Square, Moscow’s Tall undervalued…” (p. 166. New York: Harcourt, Brace. Buildings, Moscow’s Parks and However, for those who are 3 Tomalin, Barry and Susan Stempleski. Squares determined to make such an 1993. Cultural Awareness. Oxford: Oxford b. Saint Petersburg: European attempt, Picturing Russia, University Press. influence, Canals and Bridges, recommends itself as a rare, in- 4 Alatis, James E., Carolyn A. Straehle, Peterhof, Tsarskoye Selo depth, and painstakingly- Maggie Ronkin, and Brent Gallenberger, 3. Music: Pyotr Tchaikovsky, prepared guide. The author, her eds. 1996. Georgetown University Round , Vladimir colleagues, and her research Table on Languages and Linguistics: Vysotsky, Lyube, Pussy Riot participants are to be Linguistics, language acquisition, and 4. Art: Portraits, Landscapes, congratulated on an excellent language variation: Current trends and Action Shots resource, indispensable for the future prospects. Washington, D.C.: 5. A Brief History of library and classrooms of any Georgetown University Press. Religion and its Influence institution or individual keen on 5 Gerhart, Genevra. The Russian’s World: on Culture: Cathedrals entering the minds of people from Life and Language. Fourth edition. either Russian or American Slavica Publishers at Indiana University, The sixth and final chapter culture. 2012. [reviewer’s note: The 1974, 1995, and 2001 versions serve as excellent provides detailed lesson plans The Dutch psychologist Geert windows into the life and culture of that have been used successfully Hofstede describes culture as the Russians at the time they were in classes teaching Russian and “software of the mind”7. The English as a Foreign Language published.] Boyle, Eloise and Genevra analogy of a computer operating Gerhart, Eds. The Russian Context: The at various levels of proficiency. system that directs the actions of The author gives clear directions Culture behind the Language. Slavica the hardware and software of a Publishers at Indiana University, 2002. for the use of specific chapters computer may fall short for an 6 Sturges, Paul. “Understanding Cultures from the text and includes a adequate description of human and IFLA’s Freedom of Access to variety of instructional activities beings. However, successful Information and Freedom of Expression that reinforce the content of the work, study, and life in Russia (FAIFE) Core Activity”. Journal of text while developing language and the United States depend Documentation, 61(2) 2005, 296- proficiency. heavily on developing a certain 305.http://www.ifla.org/files/assets/faife/p Picturing Russia ends with an understanding of and possibly ublications/sturges/understanding- exhaustive list of references that even an appreciation for those culutres.pdf 7 allow for further investigation of things that the native members of Geert Hofstede, Gert Jan Hofstede, and research into Russian that culture hold dear. Michael Minkov, Cultures and Culture/culture. Organizations: Software of the Mind. 3rd ~Submitted by Edition. McGraw-Hill USA. 2010. Aimee Roebuck-Johnson,

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