Dmitrii Pastushenkov

ABOUT ME

I am a Preceptor in Slavic Languages and Literatures at Harvard University, with a Ph.D. in Second Language Studies from Michigan State University and over 15 years of experience as an applied linguist. 

TEACHING

Since 2010, I have taught courses in Russian, English, second language acquisition, and teacher education. Before joining Harvard, I taught at Michigan State University, California State University, Northridge, and Kent State University, holding graduate assistantships, fellowships, and positions in six STARTALK programs.

During my Ph.D. studies at Michigan State, I also served as a research assistant at Middlebury College’s Kathryn Wasserman Davis School of Russian, a role that shaped both my teaching and research.

RESEARCH IN APPLIED LINGUISTICS

I specialize in instructed second language acquisition, drawing on theories and methods from interaction research, psycholinguistics, and corpus linguistics, and examining ways to strengthen the research-pedagogy connection. The following areas are central to my work:

• Research-pedagogy link;

• Second language interaction, with a focus on task-based peer interaction;

• Learners' individual differences;

• Computer-assisted language learning and assessment.

In my dissertation, a mixed-methods study guided by Dynamic Systems Theory, I investigated individual differences among Russian language learners and their learning gains during Middlebury's summer immersion program. My publications have appeared in Foreign Language Annals,  Language Learning & Technology, The Modern Language Journal, Applied Linguistics, Russian Language Journal, and TESOL Journal. 

Together with Dr. Liya Zalaltdinova, I co-edited a Routledge volume on assessment in Russian language classrooms. 

Connecting Applied Linguistics with Media and Literary Studies

As a scholar at Harvard, I have developed an interest in media studies and literary research, particularly in the context of contemporary Russia, drawing on theories and methods from applied linguistics and related disciplines. I am currently analyzing how Russian state-owned media portrays opposition leaders. Additionally, I am exploring Dmitry Glukhovsky's Outpost duology, focusing on themes of martyrdom and the portrayal of Russia's future as a return to its past.

LEARN MORE

For more information, please see my CV and academic social networks.

If you have any questions, please contact me at dpastushenkov@fas.harvard.edu