Mila Saskova-Pierce

Mila Saskova-Pierce, Emerita Associate Professor of Russian (Ph.D., Kansas) has been at UNL since 1989. She received the degree of Licencee in Slavic languages and general linguistic respectively at the Free University of Brussels and the Catholic University in Louvain. She received Master and Ph.D. in Slavic and general linguistics at the University of Kansas. Her research interest is in cultural history, teaching methodology, and Slavic linguistics. She has published articles on learning processes; American Czechs' cultural history; Russian, Ukrainian, Slovak, Polish, and Czech languages in the United States. At present, she is researching the modalities of teaching foreign languages over the Internet. Under her advising, the Czech Komensky Club received the prestigious Gratias Agit Prize 2005 from the government of the Czech Republic for its cultural programming at UNL. She has been involved in the cultural programming of the UNL Russian Club as well.

Fellowships & Honors

• Participation in the CARLA Summer Institutes for Language Teachers (Uncommonly taught languages). University of Minnesota, NSF funded, July 2011.
• Recipient of a scholarship for SLOAN Faculty Technology Training (MOODLE). June 2011.
• Recipient of “Certificate of Recognition for Contribution to Students”, by the UNL Parent Association, January 2012.
• Recipient of “Certificate of Recognition for Contribution to Students”, by the UNL Parent Association, January 2011.
• Recipient of a scholarship for UNL Faculty Technology Training. June 2010.
• Recipient of ACTFL Proficiency Language Tester License. December 2009.
• Recipient of “Certificate of Recognition for Contribution to Students”, by the UNL Parent Association, January 2010.
• Recipient of a scholarship for participation in the X Seminario de Administradores de Programmas Educativos de Cooperacion International. The seminar titled “Foreign Language Evaluation : Certification Models” was held at the Palacio de Sobrellano in Comillas, Spain from May 11-13, 2009.
• Recipient of “Certificate of Recognition for Contribution to Students”, by the UNL Parent Association, January 2009.
• Recipient of “UCEA Great Plains Region 2008 Innovations and Contributions Award” October 2008; for innovative on-line foreign language teaching.
• Recipient of a scholarship for participation in the CARLA Summer Institutes for Language Teachers (Techniques, and Technologies). Competitive. University of Minnesota, NSF funded, July 2007.
• Recipient of a scholarship for participation in the SEELRC Summer Institute (Acquisition, Techniques, and Technologies). Competitive. University of North Carolina and Duke University, NSF funded, July 2006.
• Recipient of Gratias Agit International Award, for advising and organizing cultural programming of the UNL Komenský Club, from the Czech Republic Government. June 2005.
• Recipient of a scholarship for participation in the SEELRC Summer Institute (Acquisition, Techniques, and Technologies). Competitive. University of North Carolina and Duke University, NSF funded, July 2004.
• Recipient of Professional Development Scholarship in Russia, American Council of Teachers of Russian and Moscow State University. Summer 2003. Competitive.
• University of Nebraska, Recognition Award for Contribution to Students, by UNL Parents Association, 2004, 1996, 1995, 1992, 1991.
• Nominated Outstanding Education/Entertainment Program of a Student Organization, Chancellors Leadership Recognition, April 2002.
• Czechoslovak Society of Arts and Sciences Presidential Citation (Towards Preserving the Czech and Slovak Heritage in America), August 2001.
• Honorary membership of the Wilber T.J. Sokol August 2001.
• Nominated Outstanding Student Organization Adviser, Chancellors Leadership Recognition, April 2001.
• Outstanding Student Organization Adviser, Chancellors Leadership Recognition, April 1996.
• Recognition as Adviser of the Year Nominee in the Student Involvement. April 1996.
• Nomination for the Outstanding Teacher of the Year Award in the Student Government Election. March 1996.
• University of Nebraska, Recognition Award for Contribution to Students, by UNL Parents Association, 1996, 1995, 1992, 1991.
• Recipient of Inspiring Female Teacher Award, nominated by women students in Sandoz, UNL, November, 1994.
• University of Nebraska, Summer Research Fellowship, Center for Great Plain Studies, 1993.
• Recipient of Research Grant-in-Aid, University of Nebraska Research Council, Summer 1991.
• Defense Language Institute, Award for Outstanding Contribution to Academic Workshop, Nov. 1988.
• Award for Outstanding Contribution to Czech and Slovak Cultures in Greater Kansas City, by Kansas City Ethnic Council and the Mayor, 1988.
• Research Fellow of Joyce and Elizabeth Hall Center for the Humanities, University of Kansas, 1986-1988.
• University of Kansas, Award for Outstanding Dissertation, 1986.
• Member of Dobro Slovo, Slavic Studies Honor Society 1983.
• University of Kansas, Award for Excellence in Teaching, 1980.
• President of the University of Kansas Slavic Club, 1977-78.
• Honor Fellowship, University of Kansas, 1976-1980.

Articles

• “Distance Delivery of Czech Language in a Learning Community Format.” published proceedings of the Czechoslovak Society of Arts and Sciences World Congress, Ceske Budejovice University Press, Czech Republic. June 2008.
• “Distance Delivery of Beginning Foreign Language: The Case of Czech. http://www.unomaha.edu/esc/2006papers.html, proceedings from European Conference, University of Nebraska at Omaha in 2007.
• “Sto let programu českého jazyka na UNL v roce 2007.” České listy, Mediaservice, Prague, Cz. Republic. No 2007, pp. 24 – 27.
• “Czech Language in Midwest,” in Encyclopedia of Midwest, 2006, p. 327-328.
• “Slovak Language in Midwest,” in Encyclopedia of Midwest, 2006, p.330-331.
• “Polish Language in Midwest,” in Encyclopedia of Midwest, 2006, p. 331-332.
• “Czech Gestures and Body Language from a Foreigner’s Perspective.” Czechoslovak Society of Arts and Sciences 2nd World Congress Proceedings, 2005. Olomouc University Press, Czech Republic. December 2006.
• “Language, Culture and National Identity. A History of Czech and Slovak Literatures.” Slovo, the National Czech and Slovak Museum periodical in Cedar Rapids in Iowa. Fall 2005 (solicited). Volume 6, Number 2, Winter 2005-2006, 4-8.
• “Did Willa Cather read Grandmother? Božena Němcová and Willa Cather.” Kosmas. Czechoslovak and Central European Journal. Volume 19, No 1, Fall 2005 (1-8) (refereed).
• “Czech Language at the University of Nebraska –Lincoln” in Proceedings from the Czechoslovak Society of Arts and Sciences North-American Conference in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, 2003. Published in 2004, http://www.svu2000.org/conferences/19.doc; accessed February 5, 2005.
• “The Czechoslovak Society of Arts and Sciences in North America, “American Association of Teachers of Russian and East European Languages Newsletter, December 2002 (37-38).
• "History of Czech Language Instruction at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln,” Czech Language News (Publication of the North American Association of Teachers of Czech), Fall 2001. (2-5) (refereed).
• “First Language Changes and Attrition in the Speech of Ukrainian, Czech and Russian Immigrant to Nebraska.” together with Natalya Ivan’kova, Sbirnik movy, kul'tury ta pereklad u konteksty evropejs'kogo spivrobitnytstva. Ukrainian Academy of Arts and Sciences, Kiiv, May 2001. (411-415) (refereed).
• "Czech National Corpus on Line," American Association of teachers of Russian and East European Languages Newsletter, April 2001, (23).
• "Josef Škvorecký" His contribution to Czech Humorist Literature," The Review of Contemporary Fiction," Spring 1997, (115-119), (refereed).
• "The Czech Language in Nebraska," Nebraska Humanities. Vol. V, No. 1, 1995. (16-18), (refereed).
• “Instruction of Czech Language and Teaching Materials: The Current Lack of Such Products in the Marketplace,” Czech Language News, Spring 1995/4, 4-8 (refereed).
• "Rozklad a odolnost jazykových kategorií: jazyk starousedlíků v Nebrasce" (Attrition and Resiliency of Language Categories and the Language of Settlers in Nebraska), Čestina doma i v zahraničí (Czech Language at Home and Abroad).2/1995. (112-117), (refereed).
• “Vyučování jazyku komunikativní metodou “ (“Communicative Method Language Teaching”) (with Ivana Bozděchová), in Czech, Časopis pro moderní filologii (Journal of Modern Philology), Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague. Spring 1995/ N7. (30-38), (refereed). Author of 80% of the article.
• "Jazyková smrt národnostních menšin" ("Language Death of Minorities"), Lidové noviny, August 6, 1994, (49) (5 typed pages) (refereed).
• "Jazyk se dá učit i bez biflování" ("Language teaching without excessive memorization"), (Together with Ivana Bozdechová) Učitelské listy (Teachers' Journal), Oct. 1993, (9) (3 typed pages), (refereed). Author of 80% of the article.
• "Czech Language Maintenance in Nebraska" in The Czech-American Experience, Nebraska History, Fall/Winter 1993 (209-217), (refereed).
• "Education Task Force Report" for the Great Plains Regional Center; May 2001.
• “České Panorama: 100 let programu českého jazyka na UNL v roce 2007.” Listy, official publication of the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs. February 8, 2007.
• Electronically Published
  • “Distance Delivery of Beginning Foreign Language: The Case of Czech. http://www.unomaha.edu/esc/2006papers.html
  • "History of Czech Language Instruction at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln,” November, 2004 http://www.svu2000.org/conferences/papers.htm

Reviews

• Madeleine Hron: Translating Pain. Immigrant Suffering in Literature and Culture. TorontoPress, 2009. In Kosmas, Czechoslovak and Central European Journal, Vol 23, No 1, Spring 2010.
• Naughton James. Colloquial Czech. The Complete Course for Beginners. Routledge.London and New York. 2008. Kosmas, Czechoslovak and Central European Journal Fall 2008, Vol.22, No 1, pp.143-145.
• I. Lunde & T. Roesen, eds. Landslide of the Norm - linguistic liberalization and literary development in Russia in the 1920s and 1990s. (Slavica Bergensia 6), University of Bergen Press. 2006. Canadian Slavonic Papers. March 2008 ; Vol 50, N 1/2, pp. 150-151.
• Janoušek Hroznata, Jiří Seidl, Marie Štermberková. Čeští kněží-misionáři v Nebrasce, Jan Vránek, Jan Štěpán Brož, Alois Klein. (Czech Priests-Missionaries in Nebraska, Jan Vránek, Jan Štěpán Brož, Alois Klein). Publ. Edice Myrta. Gloria Publ. Rosice u Brna, Czech Republic 2007. Kosmas, Czechoslovak and Central European Journal Spring 2008, Vol.21, No 2, pp.116-117.
• Melchuk, I.A. Kurs Obshchei Morphologii. Moscow-Vienna: Wiener Slavistischer Almanach, 2001. Slavic and East European Journal Fall 2007 No51.3. pp. 652-652.
• Welner Sylvia and Kevin Welner. Small Doses of Arseninc. A Bohemian Woman Story of Survival. Hamilton Books, Lanham, Maryland. Czech Language News. Spring 2007, No 27, p. 9-10.
• Hudec Ivan Slavic Myths. General editor Georgine Cooper, Trans. Emma Nezhinska, Jeff Schmitz, Albert Devine, Ill. Karol Ondreicka. Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers, Inc. Wauconda, Ill. 2005 Kosmas, Czechoslovak and Central European Journal. Volume 19, No 1, Fall 2005 (1-8) (refereed).
• Reznikow Stéphane. “Francophilie et identité tchèque (1848-1914)” Histoire Culturelle de l’Europe N° 2, France: Paris. Honoré Champion in Studies in 20th Century Literature Fall, Winter 2005-06 (Vol.34, Nos. 1&2); 163-166.
• Curta, Florin. The Making of Slavs. History and Archaeology of the lower Danube Region c. 500-700. Cambridge Studies in Medieval Life and Thought No. 52. UK. Cambridge UP Slavic and East European Journal, Summer 2005 (49.2).
• Peter Brock, ed. Life in an Austro-Hungarian Military Prison: The Slovak Tolstoyan Dr. Albert Škarvan‘s Story. Trans. Peter Brock. Syracuse, NY: Syracuse UP, 2002. Slavic and East European Journal, Spring 2005 (49.1).
• Pavol Dobšinský: Traditional Slovak Folktales. Ed. and trans. David L.Cooper. Slavica, NY 2001; In Slavic and East European Journal, Summer 2003. (The publication date was one year behind the real date).
• Pavol Dobšinský: Slovak Tales for Young and Old. Ed. and transl, Lucy Bednar and Peter Strelinger,. Kriváň, Bratislava 2001, Kosmas, Czechoslovak and Central European Journal. Fall 2003.
• Zdeněk Roučka: “Američané a západní Čechy. Americans in West Bohemia.” In Slovo, Cedar Rapids, Vol 3, Winter 2002/2003. Together with Layne Pierce.
• Elena Lappin, ed. Daylight in Nightclub Inferno: Czech Fiction from the Post-Kundera Generation. Catbird Press, North Haven, CT, 1997, in Slavic and East European Journal, Summer 2001 (Published in 2002).
• Scott Spector. Prague Territories: National Conflict and Cultural Innovation in Franz Kafka's Fin de Siecle. U of California P, Berkley, Los Angeles, London. 2000, by Kosmas, Czechoslovak and Central European Journal. Vol. 15, N 1, Fall 2001.
• Clinton Machann and James W. Mendl, translators and editors: Czech Voices, Stories from Texas in the Amerikán Národní Kalendář, Texas A&M University Press, 1991, second ed. 1998, by Kosmas, Czechoslovak and Central European Journal. Spring 2001.
• E.Sergej Machonin, Příběh se závorkami (Alternativy) / A Story with Parentheses (Alternatives), in Kosmas, the Czechoslovak and Central European Journal. July 2000.
• Václav Havel, Esteemed Citizens. in Kosmas, the Czechoslovak and Central European Journal September 1996.
• Czech and Slovak Literature Issue of Prairie Schooner in Bulletin of American Association of Teachers of Czech. Fall 1995.
• Starý, Zdeněk: Vývoj české psací soustavy. (The Evolution of the Czech Writing System). Slavic and East European Journal, Fall 1994: (538-539).
• Norma Rudinsky. Incipient Feminists: Women Writers in the Slovak National Revival. Slavica Publishers, Inc., Columbus, Ohio, 1991. Slavic and East European Journal, Winter. 1993, (590-2).
• T. Zalmanova, V. Sekletov, A. Demin, Tell Me a Tale, My Computer, InerRus Company, Inbound Trade, Inc, 1991, Slavic and East European Journal, Fall 1993, (407-8).
• E.Vlasov, A.Dryomov, O.Rudenko-Morgun, T.Vasileva, A. Zaparovanny, A. Skalinsky, M. Petrov, V. Brook, R.T.Bryant, A.Demin, J.C.Palka, Case Detective, ABV Russian Alphabet in Games, and Exercises, Russian in Business, Inbound Trade Incorporated, Boston, MA. Slavic and East European Journal, November 1992, (381).
• E.Vlasov, A.Dryomov, O.Rudenko-Morgun, T.Vasileva, A. Zaparovanny, A. Skalinsky, M. Petrov, V. Brook, R.T.Bryant, A.Demin, J.C.Palka, Case Detective, ABV Russian Alphabet in Games, and Exercises, Russian in Business, Inbound Trade Incorporated, Boston, MA. AATSEEL Newsletter, Dec. 1991, (23).
• Grazyna Privorotsky, Reading Comprehension in Czech Language, Center for Applied Linguistics, 1991. AATSEEL Newsletter, Dec. 1991, (10).

Courses Taught

• Irex/USAID Funded Methodology and Leadership Program TEA, Spring UNL 2012.
• Irex/USAID Funded Methodology and Leadership Program TEA, Spring UNL 2011.
• Irex/USAID Funded Methodology and Leadership Program TEA, Fall UNL 2010.
• Irex/USAID Funded Methodology and Leadership Program TEA, Spring UNL 2010.
• Irex/USAID Funded Methodology and Leadership Program TEA, UNL 2009.
• Irex/USAID Funded Methodology and Leadership Program TEA, UNL 2008.
• Second Language Teaching Methodology Workshop. Tajikistan 2007, 2008, 2009 Department of Defense Funded.
• Survival Czech in Distance Delivery Format
• Russian in a Community Service Course
• Russian Language - Study Abroad
• Second Language Teaching Methodology, 800-level course
• Undergraduate Russian language classes, all four levels
• Fourth-year-level Business Russian, Russian Press
• Undergraduate Czech classes, all three levels
• Third and fourth-year level Czech literature and Czech press
• Cultural History of Great Plains
• Slovak first-year level
• Polish first-year level