Irina Kostina CV

Kostina demonstrates unique competencies of developing assessments, interactive face-to-face courses and curriculums for Russian language, culture and civilization, intensive Russian courses for students, professionals, and heritage learners that increase student engagement, motivation, achievement, and retention. 

Dr. Kostina’ s research interests are in the methods of teaching Russian as a foreign language, and the theories of creating communicative textbooks. 

Since 1993 Kostina has presented her research at numerous national and international conferences, published several textbooks for students of Russia («Перспектива»/ «Perspective», 6 parts, «Надежда»/ «Hope»,1st part of 3), participated in 10 grants (Fulbright-Hays, National Security Education and Department of Defense grants), has several awards (The President and Provost Award for Teaching Excellence; Certificate of Nomination for U.S. Professors of the Year Awards Program; Instructional Improvement Award; Global curriculum development award). 

Irina Kostina teaches all levels of Russian language and courses on Russian culture (Slavic Folklore, Orthodoxy, Women from unknown land: fight for independence and more). 

Several times she leaded American instructors, schoolteachers, and graduates to Russia. 

Together with international program at the University of Iowa Irina Kostina created summer intensive Russian program in Moscow, at Plekhanov Russian University of Economics that gives American students a unique chance to get BA in Russian for 3 years at the UI and 7 weeks in Moscow, Russia. 

Areas of Specialization and Interest

• Specialist in the development of Intensive Russian Language Course for the professionals 
• Methodology of Teaching the Russian Language 
• Russian Culture and Civilization 

Teaching Experience

• 1993 - Present Lecturer.  The University of Iowa.  Iowa City, Iowa. 
• Indiana University (Summer Slavic Workshop) Bloomington, Indiana; Black Hawk College, Illinois 
• University of Bergamo, Italy 
• Havana University, Cuba 
• Moscow State University of M. Lomonosov 

Publications

• Over 30 publications are available upon request

The Courses

• First-fourth year Russian 
• Beginning and Advanced Conversation and Composition 
• Russian Linguistics 
• Russian Slang and Contemporary Language of Russian Youth 
• Surviving Russia 
• Winter intensive advanced Russian (120 hours) 
• Summer 8-weeks intensive Russian (160 hours) 
• Paganism and Folklore 
• Russian Orthodoxy and Culture 
• Islamic Women in Russia 
• Youth Subcultures after Socialism 
• Little Tragedies of Pushkin 

Grants

• 1996-1998  National Security Education (NSEP) "Improving International Educational Opportunities among Diverse Student Populations: Russian and Ukrainian Studies." 
• 2005  Instructional Improvement Award.  Through a Veil of Clouds.  Islamic Women in Dagestan (Russia): from Segregation to Liberation and back. 
• 2007  Department of Education of the USA.  FIPSE.  Preparing Bilingual Professionals for the New Global Economy 
• 2010  International Programs Major Project: "20 Years after the Berlin Wall: Women's Shifting Roles and Status in Post-Communist Europe" 
• 2010  U.S. Department of Education through the Fulbright-Hayes Group Project Abroad Program 
• 2012  "Bridging the Gap Through Standards & Technology: STARTALK Program for Russian Teachers" 
• 2013  "Bridging the Gap Through Standards & Technology: STARTALK Program for Russian Teachers" 
• 2013  Fulbright-Hays Group Projects Abroad Program ($75,000), Department of Education 
• 2014  Bridging the Digital Gap. STARTALK Summer Program ($90,000), Department of Defense 
• 2015  Bridging the Digital Gap. STARTALK Summer Program ($90,000), Department of Defense 
• 2016  Bridging the Digital Gap. STARTALK Summer Program ($91, 000), Department of Defense 
• 2017  Bridging the Digital Gap. STARTALK Summer Program ($89,915 ), Department of Defense 
• 2017  Rethinking Russian Language programming for 21st Century Students ($135,839), Department of Education 

Awards 

• 2011  The President and Provost Award for Teaching Excellence, the Council of Teaching, University of Iowa 
• 2013  Certificate of Nomination for U.S. Professors of the Year Awards Program