scholarly journals Decolonizing Siberian Minds

Sibirica ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. v-vi
Author(s):  
Matthew P. Romaniello

Russian imperialism continues to leave a strong imprint on indigenous cultures across Siberia, and throughout the Russian Federation and the post-Soviet republics. Imperialism is invasive and persistent, and it might be impossible to escape its consequences. In 1986, African novelist and postcolonial theorist Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o published his influential essay collection, Decolonising the Mind: The Politics of Language in African Literature. One of his arguments is that no postcolonial subject could be free from the constraints of imperialism until she or he succeeded in freeing the mind from the trap of an imposed (and foreign) language. Ngũgĩ’s experience was based on his own life growing up in Kenya, but his lesson is as applicable to Siberia as it is for East Africa. For indigenous Siberians, language and education are at the forefront of the ongoing postcolonial struggle to maintain their cultural identities in modern Russia.

PMLA ◽  
2002 ◽  
Vol 117 (5) ◽  
pp. 1225-1227
Author(s):  
Mette Shayne

martin cohen's “developments in foreign approval buying,” in the march 2001 issue of pmla, lists some of “the foreign language bibliographer's […] tricks” (393) for stocking collections. Acquiring African literature, however, is largely a different matter. The approval plans Cohen mentions, whereby “the vendor allows you to see the book [or a description of it] before you decide whether or not to add it to the collection,” would be applicable to the presses in England and France specializing in Third World literature (e.g., Heinemann in England, L'Harmattan in France), which publish primarily the most established African writers (see Maja-Pearce; Ruppert). But when it comes to publishing on the continent of Africa, even books by well-known writers (like Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o), when written in the national languages, can only be obtained locally. And certainly all other literature has to be bought in the country of origin.


1987 ◽  
Vol 30 (2) ◽  
pp. 102
Author(s):  
H. S. Bhola ◽  
Ngugi wa Thiong'o

1987 ◽  
Vol 61 (2) ◽  
pp. 339
Author(s):  
Jidlaph G. Kamoche ◽  
Ngũugĩ wa Thiong'o

2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 150-159
Author(s):  
Suharyanto H Soro

Lecturer plays an important role in teaching Englishas a foreign language, in spite of the success of teaching English itself depends on the many factors, one of them is students’ participation in the English class. In the other words, the teaching of English becomes useful and more systematically when the lecturer is fully aware of the aims and values of teaching of English subject since the core principle of any teaching  is “know what you do and only do what you know”. Hence it is essential to understand the aims and values of teaching English. In linguistics study,performance and competence are different, competence is study about language rules in the abstract form or one’s capacity to use a language, while performance is the application of one’s ability in the concrete form, or the actual application of this competence in speaking or listening. Chomsky (1965:18) said that  performance is the effect or the application of competence. Further he said that clearly, the actual data of linguistic performance will provide much evidence for determining the correctness of hypotheses about underlining linguistic structure. Notice the following figure. The data collection procedures in the present study are based on classroom participant observation, student interviews, and questionnaire  are the primary sources of data collection. As a point of departure, unstructured interviews conducted with English and students to gain initial understanding of the learning English as a foreign language. This also serves as a pilot study, paving the way for designing the guidelines for the semi structured individual interviews. Notes taken in these unstructured interviews were included in the data analysis. Taking lecture involves the lecturer and the students in formal setting. Lecturer is one who transfers special knowledge (English teaching materials) to his students in form of academic setting. They are engaged in academic norms, for example lecturer has qualified education (magister or doctorate degree) and the students  have already registered their status as a university student. The lecturer’s function is threefold. In the presentation stage of the material, the lecturer serves as a model, setting up situations in which the need for the target structure is created and modeling the new structure for students to repeat. The lecturer was required to be skillful manipulator, using questions, commands, and other cues to elicit correct sentences from the students. The students wanted the lecturer to give more opportunities for English practice. They can learn from mistakes and develop in real situation. Role play is one of methods can be applied in teaching English. The students like this methods (96%) because they can imitate and practice their English pronunciation.


2019 ◽  
pp. 535
Author(s):  
Arab Samir ◽  
Mohamed Yamine Boulenouar

2020 ◽  
Vol 45 (4) ◽  
pp. 148-154
Author(s):  
Marilyn Clarke

Library work now has a role to play when it comes to decolonisation. This article outlines what Goldsmiths Library, University of London is doing, through the Liberate our Library initiative, to diversify and decolonise its collections and practices against the backdrop of worldwide movements for education and social justice led by both students and academics to challenge the dominance of the ‘Westernised university’.2Examples of how we are doing this work are explained using critical librarianship as our guide, whilst recognising that we are still developing expertise in this evolving field of practice. This decolonisation work also uses critical race theory (CRT) as a means to dismantle racial inequality and its impact on higher education.Here, I would like to acknowledge the excellent and inspirational content of ALJ, Critical Librarianship: Special Issue (v.44, no.2) and I see this article as an ongoing companion piece.Goldsmiths Library's liberation work endeavours to empower its users with critical thinking and study skills whilst conducting their research using hierarchical systems and resources which in themselves are in the process of being decolonised.Decolonising a library collection and a profession must of course always begin or at least happen in tandem with the self, through a process that Kenyan author Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o describes as ‘decolonising the mind.’3


“Music is a world within itself a language we all understand “– Steve Wonder. According to these words if this language called “Music” can be used in the teaching of a foreign language it justifies the words of Plato “Music is a more potent instrument than any other form of education because rhythm and harmony find their way into the inward places of the soul”. This article aims To highlight the advantages of “Vocalese” in the teaching of French as a foreign langue (FLE) – Francais Langue Etrangere and to structure a formative and fun FLE course through the exploitation of a song aiming at functional, linguistic and socio cultural objectives. Why use songs? Why music? Music is a therapy. It is a communication far more powerful than words, far more immediate and far more efficient” – Yehudi Menuhin. Having understood well the advantages of using songs in the teaching of FLE, let us now analyze the concept the “Vocalese”. What is Vocalese? Vocalese is a style or musical genre of jazz singing wherein words are sung note for note to melodies that were originally created by a soloist's improvisation. Why use Vocalese? Man can learn nothing except by going from the known to the unknown – Claude Bernard (French physiologist).In “Vocalese” one is familiar with the tune. When this (known) tune is combined with new lyrics (the unknown) learning is facilitated. Advantages of “Vocalese” in the concept of teaching - Vocalese uses the deductive method of teaching in lieu to the inductive method of teaching. Music is to soul what words are to mind and if these words can be altered it is nothing more than the alteration of the mind – the very first step needed in the teaching of any language. Thus the duty of every teacher is not to teach but to facilitate teaching in accordance to the words of Robert Frost “There are two kinds of teachers: the kind that fills you with so much quail shot that you can’t move and the kind that just gives you a little prod behind and you jump to the skies”. I conclude with the words of Albert Einstein “It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge” and I as a teacher would like to awaken this joy via music and would prefer to be called an “Educational Rock Star”


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