Associate Professor of Russian and Director of the Russian Language Program
Office: Bondurant E-210B
Email: vbiepuri@olemiss.edu
Phone: 662-915-7715
Education:
Ph.D. in Linguistics, Minsk State Linguistic University (1989)
B.A., M.A. in TEFL/Translation, State University of Moldova (1980)
Teaching and Research Interests:
Russian Language in the Post-Soviet Period, Languages in Contact, Language Pedagogy, Sociolinguistics
Courses Taught:
Russ 111: Elementary Russian
Russ 202, 211:Intermediate Russian
Russ 301, 302: Conversation and Composition
Russ 399: Special Topics in Russian
Russ 401, 402:Advanced Russian
Russ 411: Political Russian
Russ 499: Advanced Topics in Russian
Russ 501: Contemporary Russian
Recent Publications:
Articles
“The Ukrainian Language in Moldova: Its Sociolinguistic Status, Function and Contact with Other Languages.” Southern Journal of Linguistics, Volume 42, Number 2 (2018).
“Îmblu or Umblu:Remarks on Pronunciation Variation in Moldovan Dialect of Romanian.” Balkanistica, Volume 31 (2018): 93-112.
“Russian Signage as a Reflection of Contemporary Culture.” Southern Journal of Linguistics, Volume 42, Number 1 (2018): 40-70.
“What Makes Russian Advertisements Russian? Contemporary Russian Advertising as a Sociocultural Phenomenon.” Russian Language Journal, Issue 67 (2017): 55-76
“Культурологический компонент в преподавании русского языка американским студентам”, Русский язык за рубежом, специальный выпуск, Русистика США, Москва, Государственный институт русского языка им. Пушкина, с. 35-43. [“The Cultural Component in Teaching Russian to American Students” (with Mara Sukholutskaya). Russian Language Abroad/Teaching Russian in the USA/2017, Moscow, The Pushkin State Russian Language Institute, (2017): 35-43.]
“О прагматическом аспекте словарных и энциклопедических дефиниций”, Вестник, №4 (83), Минский государственный лингвистический университет, Беларусь, 2016, с. 67-76. [“On the Pragmatic Aspect of Dictionary and Encyclopedic Definitions.” Vestnik №4 (83), Minsk, State Linguistic University, Belarus (2016): 67-76.]
“Continuing Language Conflicts in the Republic of Moldova: Is There Light at the End of the Tunnel?” Balkanistica, Volume 29 (2016): 85-98.
“Socio-Political Vocabulary in Russian Dictionaries: Lexical-Semantic Dynamics.” CARTA Research Journal, № 2 (2015): 1-31.
“Элементы языковой игры в названиях городских объектов (на материале эргонимов Москвы, Санкт–Петербурга и Саратова).” Язык – когниция– социум. “Word Play in Commercial Signage in the Cities of Moscow, St. Petersburg, and Saratov” (with Tatiana Kadirbaeva, Saratov) Language-Cognition-Society, Minsk, Belarus (2012): 125-129.
“How Words Change Meaning: Observations on the Evolution of Modern Russian Lexical Semantics in Post-Soviet Moldova” (with Donald L. Dyer and Tatiana Kadyrbaeva). Съепостовительно езикознание/Сопоставительное языкознание/ Contrastive Linguistics ХХХV, № 3, Sofia, Bulgaria (2010): 101-108.
“A Case Study on Lexical Change and Semantic Shift in the Russian of Moldova” (with Donald L. Dyer and Tatiana Kadyrbaeva). Probleme Actuale de Lingvistică, Glododidactica şi Ştiinţă Literară, ediţia a IV-a, vol. 4, part 1, Chişinău, Moldova (2009): 384-392.
“Дефиниции словарей и энциклопедий как текстовые образования в англоязычной лексикографии.” Контекстуальные свойства единиц языка, Минский государственный педагогический институт иностранных языков (МГПИИЯ), Минск, (1986): 75-82.
“Англоязычная лексикография и имена собственные.” Лексическая и грамматическая семантика. Минский государственный педагогический институт иностранных языков (МГПИИЯ), Минск (1985): 64-72.
Professional Activities:
Director of the Russian Language Program
CARTA (Central Association of Russian Teachers of America) Executive Board Member
MFLA (Mississippi Foreign Language Association) Executive Board Member
MFLA Vice-President (2008-2010)
ACTR (American Council of Teachers of Russian) Selection Committee Member (2012, 2007)
STARTALK Russian Language Program, Instruction Leader, East Central University, Oklahoma (2013)
Dobro Slovo National Slavic Honor Society Faculty Advisor
Curriculum and Policy Committee, College of Liberal Arts (2017-Present)
Longest Lecture Committee (2017-Present)
Faculty Senate (2013-2015)
Study Abroad Advisor for the Russian Language
Awards and Honors:
Mississippi Foreign Language Association Award of Distinction (2016)
College of Liberal Arts Summer Research Grants (2013, 2014, 2016)
Russian Cultural Center, Washington D.C., Outstanding Service Award (2015)
Mississippi Foreign Language Association Outstanding Service Award (2014)
Outstanding Leadership Award for Outstanding Vision, Dedication, and Contribution to the 2010-2012 MFLA Board (2012)
Central Association of Russian Teachers of America Excellence in Teaching Russian Award (2008)
Swedish Institute Grant, the Department of Linguistics and Phonetics, Lund University, Sweden (2000-2001)
Fulbright Grant, Fulbright Visiting Scholar Program, USA (1998-1999)
Web Resources:
Russian Program
CARTA (Central Association of Russian Teachers of America)
