Old Languages, New Ways?

Abstract

Historical linguistics has always been a cornerstone in Russian studies, and most programs have traditionally included courses in Old Church Slavonic (OCS) and the history of Russian. But do such courses have a place in curricula of the future? In this article, I argue that historical linguistics is more relevant than ever, and I discuss seven pedagogical principles for courses in historical linguistics. I suggest that future courses should be more theory-based and technology-based, but that the centerpiece should still be reading of medieval texts