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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 20 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 and led to my return to Middlebury in summer 2026 as an instructor.
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 System, Russian Language Journal (2025 and 2021), Foreign Language Annals (2025a and 2025b), Language Learning & Technology, The Modern Language Journal, Applied Linguistics, 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
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