Essay from Dildoraxon Turg’unboyeva

In general, the results obtained scientifically confirm that innovative approaches in native language lessons significantly increase the effectiveness of working with a dictionary. This indicates the need to combine traditional methods with innovative approaches in the modern educational process, without completely rejecting them.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, the process of working with a dictionary in native language lessons is one of the pedagogical areas that is of decisive importance in the formation of students’ speech development, level of thinking and communicative competence. The analysis conducted during the study showed that working with a dictionary is not just a process of teaching new words, but a complex methodological system that shapes students’ attitude to the language, develops their creative and independent thinking.

Traditional approaches – that is, methods of explaining, memorizing and translating words – although useful to a certain extent, cannot fully meet the requirements of today’s education. In a modern educational environment, it is necessary to involve students as active participants, increase their interest and direct them to independent research. In this regard, innovative methods significantly increase the effectiveness of working with a dictionary.

According to the results of the study, interactive methods (cluster, brainstorming, group work), digital technologies (electronic dictionaries, multimedia tools, mobile applications) and gamification elements contribute to the rapid and stable acquisition of vocabulary by students. In particular, these approaches increase students’ interest in the lesson, forming them as active participants and independent thinkers.

Also, the research revealed that when innovative methods are used, students develop not only their vocabulary, but also their speech literacy, level of logical thinking and creative approach. This directly affects the quality of education and the effective organization of the educational process.

In general, organizing work with vocabulary in native language lessons based on modern innovative approaches is one of the important factors in increasing educational efficiency. In the future, teachers should further improve these methods and widely apply them in the educational process. This will serve to form a high level of speech culture, independent thinking and creative approach in students.

REFERENCES

Gulamov A. Methodology of teaching the native language. – Tashkent: Teacher, 2010. – pp. 145–150.

Mahmudov N. Language and speech culture. – Tashkent: Science, 2018. – pp. 98–105.

Matchonov S. Interactive methods in native language education. – Tashkent: Innovation, 2020. – pp. 67–72.

Harmer J. How to Teach English. – London: Longman, 2007. – pp. 120–130.

Poetry from J.J. Campbell

——————————————————————————————-

the porcelain gods are calling

preparing my mind for hours

on the toilet the day before

my colonoscopy

with colon cancer on both

sides of my family, dread

is on the tip of my lips

and i know, i’m young

enough to beat anything

found early

but the question that is

never asked

would i really want to

no one seems to understand

death is the only way out

of here

why fear it

why prolong this fucking

misery

unless of course, you’re

into the pain, the agony

and the endless struggle

perhaps have a drink

with sisyphus and go

over the war stories

preferably, i’ll have

a stiff drink

maybe listen to some

music

close my eyes

and just let go

———————————————————————–

hidden joy

i’ve been dealing

with pinched nerves

long enough now

that the pain no

longer sneaks

up on me

it is like a constant

companion

the nagging wife

on a long road trip

of course, i can say

that since i am single

a hidden joy of loneliness

—————————————————————-

a little money

here come the beautiful

women telling me they

just need a little money

and they will make me

thousands to help me

get out of debt

i laugh and ask which

rock was i born under

or what ditch will they

leave the body in

they can try to insist

they are legitimate

but i know damn

well

i can’t be the only

one to know a fucking

scam when i see one

besides, using a porn

star for your profile pic

is an obvious fucking

giveaway

—————————————————————-

suffer

sitting here in

the waiting room

listening to this

program

that is stressing

that you don’t

need to suffer

over and over

again

i’m guessing we

all have different

terms of suffering

but holy shit

suffering is coming

out of that television

just loud enough

i get the fucking

point

————————————————————-

a lesser hell

i hear all the horror stories

of the father that left for

cigarettes and never came

home

i’m sure most of them

were running from debt

or a family they didn’t

love or could barely

afford

and sure, some ran to

other families that were

of a lesser hell

but how many of those

that never came back

never made it to another

destination

i think of all the bodies

turning up in old fields

deep in the woods

i bring up all of this

because i have always

wondered why my father

couldn’t have been one

of those fuckers

he stayed for the abuse

for the hell

for all the times he never
knew how to be a man

J.J. Campbell (1976 – ?) is old enough to know better. The 3 time Best of The Net nominee and two-time Pushcart Prize nominee, he’s been widely published over the years. Most recently at Yellow Mama, The Beatnik Cowboy, The Rye Whiskey Review, Night Owl Narrative and Disturb the Universe Magazine. His latest book, to live your dreams, published by Whiskey City Press, is available by going here: https://a.co/d/01WIoaxo

Poetry from Ryan Quinn Flanagan

Gorky’s Cathedrals

Cathedrals of the city,

that is what Gorky called the many fire hydrants

he would pass in the street.

Ascribing meaning and texture,

the artist’s eye brought to everything.

I’m surprised surly New York 

never got to him,

always how and when he wished

to see it.

An acrobat 

of such fine delusions.

How far out

do you plan on treading

against the twisting 

tides?

I sit

at the back of the house

wondering how the front 

of the house

is doing

and if this makes me paranoid 

or overly sensitive

in some way 

then you’re counting

porcupines 

instead of

quills.

Net of Lemons

The fridge almost empty again,

it is hard to not grow sour.

A single net of lemons.

Pushed back by better options  

and forgotten on the second shelf.

The yellow netting 

every bit as cowardly and sad

as the failing fruit within.

And I stand over the sink.

Squeeze out the last dried dregs

into the bottom of a single malt glass.

Thrown back without toast.

That deep copper mine way I wince with a pain 

everyone can remember.

Standing

in this change 

room

trying on many 

slim fit shirts 

that don’t fit

as half-naked children

run around 

trying to open 

all the doors

not realizing 

their future 

is just

on the other 

side.

What I love

about 

Detroit 

is that it never 

once

tries to be

Paris,

only itself,

which is all 

we can 

ever 

do.

Sub Par

The submarines are on shore leave. 

Playing a round of golf in checkered pants 

that hide their torpedoes.

The submarines are taller than you would think

when they stand up on end.

Waiting for their turn at the tee.

Looking to break even on a difficult Par 4.

Tiny pencils to keep score.

A friendly wager or two before the 6th green.

While the rest of the submarines are off patrolling the oceans.

With sonar ears and gangly periscope eyes.

Waiting for their shore leave.

An opportunity to hit the links.

Your

life can be in park

even if you don’t drive

that is what

they never tell you

once they get 

around to not telling 

you things.

Steve Jobs 

ate his food raw 

and would always lease a car  

for 6 months 

because anything longer  

required a license and registration  

under California law 

so that every six months 

Steve Jobs would drop off his car 

at the dealership 

and drive a new one 

off the lot  

behind that steering wheel  

that had just been waiting 

for its turn at the helm.

Question

What’s wrong with losing your mind?

You may find it all over again.

And never in the way or place

they told you.


Ryan Quinn Flanagan 
is a Canadian-born author residing in Elliot Lake, Ontario, Canada with his wife and many bears that rifle though his garbage.  His work can be found both in print and online in such places as: Evergreen Review, The New York Quarterly, SynchronizedChaos, Literary Yard, Red Fez, and The Oklahoma Review.

Essay from Federico Wardal

Rome. An astonishing Mega-Event and Spectacle dedicated to Dante Alighieri on Via Margutta—a Street linked to Fellini, Picasso, Gregory Peck, Audrey Hepburn. Billy Wilder Celebrated in SF and Naples.

By Federico Wardal

Rome. In early December of last year, *Il Messaggero*—a newspaper that frequently reaches one million readers a day—published a massive article about me (https://www.ilmessaggero.it/roma/eventi/wardal_amato_da_fellini_da_hollywood-9232025.html?refresh_ce), an article that would restore my full renown throughout Italy. Around Christmastime, a magical encounter took place between myself and Tina and Teresa Zurlo—the curators of one of Europe’s most important art galleries. 

It is located  at number 90 on the legendary Via Margutta, this street is inextricably linked to my mentor, Federico Fellini (who lived at number 110), as well as to Pablo Picasso; it is also famously known as the setting for the film *Roman Holiday*, starring Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepburn, which was filmed at number 51. 

Via Margutta also played a starring role during the years of Fellini’s *La Dolce Vita* and the era of his paparazzi—foremost among them the globally famous and celebrated Rino Barillari, known as “The King.” 

During our meeting, the Zurlo sisters and I discussed Fellini, as well as a major exhibition dedicated to him by the renowned painter Mario Russo—an event graced by the exceptional presence of his daughter, the famous actress Adriana Russo, serving as its godmother. However, as I was unable to return to Rome due to filming commitments in Hollywood, I sent a video message offering my greetings and recalling my personal bond with Fellini. The video proved to be a great success, and the brilliant Zurlo sisters subsequently informed me that they wanted me to serve as the absolute star of a grand event dedicated to the “Supreme Poet ” Dante Alighieri—an event that would extend into a subsequent tribute to Pier Paolo Pasolini and Dario Bellezza.

Inspired, I bring forth—from “the strata of the rock of history”—a short theatrical piece titled: *Dante, Pasolini, Dario Bellezza, Wardal: Infernal… all of them*. It is a reverse journey for the poet Virgil, who guides Dante into the contemporary world of Pasolini, Dario Bellezza (a friend of mine), and myself. Enrico Bernard—a playwright and director of exceptional caliber—directs me; the popular flutist Andrea Ceccomori graces the performance with magical musical moments (much like in the film *Anita*); and Antonio Zaru has designed for me a floor-length tunic of “Inferno-red” sequins.

My entrance is planned to take place from a luxurious automobile—naturally, also “Inferno-red.” An event constructed from such elements—never before blended in this way—has already circled the globe before it has even taken place. The glamour enveloping the event serves as a garment through which—with increasing clarity—emerge political, social, and moral issues: questions regarding peace, and the rampant psychological toxicity pervading both personal relationships and fluid modern connections. It feels as though a “Golden Age of Hollywood” has returned—a legacy that belongs to me through my friendships with Alfred Hitchcock and Billy Wilder. Indeed, I am bringing Billy Wilder back into our present times, envisioning him as the potential protagonist of a mega-event spanning San Francisco and Pompeii—the latter being close to Ischia and Sorrento, where Wilder filmed *Avanti!* with Jack Lemmon.

From the Cannes Film Festival, stars are already booking their attendance for the Roman event scheduled for May 22nd; meanwhile, in Egypt, *The Times International*—edited by Ibrahim Shehata—has published a fascinating article on the subject: https://www.thetimesinternational.com/?p=169588. A flurry of activity is currently underway, forging connections between an American film festival—active across California, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and New York State—and the Vesuvius Film Festival in Pompeii, presided over by architect Giovanna D’Amodio. Meanwhile, the film *Anita*—based on a poem by the hero Garibaldi and a winner at both the SF New Concept IFF and the Vesuvius FF—is enjoying special screenings in Brazil at the Gramado IFF, as well as at Andrea Priori’s Cortintelvi IFF (located between Como and Milan); it has also garnered interest in France at the *Festival International du film d’histoire*.

By now, the role of “puppeteer” seems to be taking hold of me—a role I embrace in order to bring to life these cultural and artistic bridges that constitute my lifelong dream. The very latest news concerns the event scheduled for May 22nd in Rome: the occasion will be graced by exceptional patrons—the legendary impresario of Tina Turner, Domenico Modugno, and the longtime head of the Sanremo Festival, Adriano Aragozzini—alongside Francesco Garibaldi Hibbert, a direct descendant of the “Hero of Two Worlds” who is currently making waves in the film world with *Anita* (a film about his famous ancestress, Anita Garibaldi). The event’s distinguished hostess will be the great actress Adriana Russo. Also taking center stage will be prominent ladies such as the Hon. Angela Alioto and *Cavaliere* Silvia Gardin.

We anticipate a veritable flood of VIPs, aristocrats, academics, stars (whose names we will reveal only after the performance), and filmmakers—including, of course, the performance’s director, Enrico Bernard. They will be joined by directors Antonello Altamura (*Ancient Taste of Death: The Sinister Legend of Wardal*)—who has a “top-secret” surprise in store!—as well as Andrea Marfori (*SHEMSU-HOR*), Jason Zavaleta (*Start on Market*), Sherif El-Azma (*Al-Maza*), and Jennifer Glee (*Narcisse Fluid*). All will be there with me, accompanied by the stars of their respective films—my heartfelt thanks to them all! Also in attendance will be director Agostino Marfella, who, like me, shares a theatrical bond with the poet Dario Bellezza.

But hopefully, all of this will be replicated live in NYC, LA, SF, and the Bay Area—and certainly on both Italian (TV programs featuring Maria Luisa Lo Monte) and American television networks.

Poetry from Lan Xin

Good Days

Poem by Lan Xin

Internationally renowned writer, poet and translator, member of the Chinese Writers Association. The only female inheritor of UNESCO-listed Dongba Culture, International Disseminator of Dongba Culture and practitioner of Chinese culture’s global outreach. Winner of the Italian Francesco Giampietri International Literary Award, President of Lanxin Samei Academy and Dean of Yulong Wenbi Dongba Culture Academy.

What makes a day good

Some live in the perfection the world admires

Yet grow numb in ease

Forgetting how to feel

Some walk through simplicity and toil

Yet find joy in the mundane

And peace in contentment

A good day

is never defined by what you have

but lit by how your heart perceives

When gratitude dwells within

and you cherish all before you

when you love life deeply

with tenderness with contentment

with a heart that knows how to love

Then every single day

becomes a day that shines

Poetry from Daniela Chourio-Soto

The smells I have lost

The roads that used to be the day to day
now feel surreal,
like a dream that passed too quickly.

But I still feel under fingerprints
the old fabrics of the table and bed,
the ants waiting for bread crumbs,
and the smell of coffee in the morning.
I miss it, a little,
The soft touch of your face
and its warm comfort.

“But only a little” says my mind,
which barely remembers
the burning sun,
the cold esmerald floor
and white ceiling.

“Feel it again” says my heart desperately,
which only felt
the easy warmth,
the heat of a hug,

and a lost voice.

“I miss everything” says my nose,
to which everything
seems new
and distant:
the roads,
the coffee,
the fabrics,
and your scent.

Short story from Bill Tope

Stephen Miller Dishes the Dirt on the Controversial New Trump Arch

On Friday, deputy White House chief of staff Stephen Miller met with reporters to give the low down on the proposed Donald J. Trump Independence Arch. Comparisons with the world famous Arc de Triomphe, in Paris, have led to designating the new arch as the Arc de Trump.

Miller drew parallels between the French arch and the Trump Monument. To begin with, the Arc de Triomphe was conceived in 1806, after the victory at Austerlitz by Emperor Napoleon at the peak of his fortunes.

Trump’s arch will mark a victory as well, said Miller. “It will celebrate The Dear Leader’s victory over the goddamned Democrat Party,” shouted Miller, interviewed at the construction site of the proposed monument, on a Washington roundabout across from the Lincoln Memorial.

Asked if the design had been finalized, Miller grew cagey and said that the “final dimensions could change at any moment.” Although the proposed Arc de Trump, at 250 feet, is almost 90 feet taller than the Arc de Triomphe, Miller called attention to the Gateway Arch, built in the mid-1960s.

Originally known as the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial and erected along the Mississippi River in St. Louis, Missouri, it was built to mark the expedition of Lewis & Clark in 1804.

“The St. Louis Arch,” snarled Miller, grinding his teeth, “is effin’ 630 feet tall and somehow it doesn’t seem right that the president’s arch should be smaller. I mean, who the hell were Lewis & Clark and Thomas Jefferson anyway?”

Miller said he has become quite an expert on arches over the past year that consideration has been given to the project. He explained that the Paris arch is a typical triumphal arch, which is a monumental, free-standing archway. It often spans a road. It’s origins date to ancient Roman architecture.

The Gateway Arch, in St. Louis, Miller explained, is built in the form of a weighted catenary arch. It is the world’s tallest arch, a fact which does not sit well with Miller. Miller has chosen a different template for the Arc de Trump.

“Our arch,” boasted Miller, “will be modeled after the Golden Arches in the McDonald’s restaurant logo. While McDonald’s dropped the physical arches from nearly all of its restaurants many years ago, the Golden Arches have remained in the logo, and as a commonly understood term for the company.”

President Trump has a well known fondness for McDonald’s sandwiches. Miller went into greater detail about the origins of McDonald’s arches. “The McDonald’s logo was established in the 1960s on advice from psychologist Louis Cheskin.

“Cheskin likened the arches to ‘mother McDonald’s breasts,’ invoking Freudian elements for consumers. President Trump is very much into female breasts,” declared Miller proudly.

And whereas the Arc de Triompe is composed of limestone, and  the St. Louis Arch is made from stainless steel, here again Trump opts to be different. “The Arc de Trump,” said Miller, “will be made of gold.”

He hastened to add that it would not be gold through and through, but rather, gold-plated. If the final version of the Arc de Trump is in fact equal in size to the Gateway Arch, then it will require some 3,840 pounds of pure gold.

And with gold running to $29,560 per pound, this means that gold-plating the arch will cost $1.13 billion and change. “It will all be paid for by GOP donors,” Miller hastened to add, “so it won’t cost the American citizens a penny.” Miller was asked if possible vandalism of the gold-plated monument was a concern.

“Got it covered,” snapped Miller, pausing to point and laugh at a stray dog that was run over by an ICE vehicle on Memorial Drive. Miller immediately came back to Earth, describing in detail the turrets which will be appended to the arch. “Sharpshooters will take care of any mischief makers,” he said soberly.

As the press event began to wind down, Miller noted that the Arc de Triomphe has a staircase extending to the top of the French monument. “There are 284 steps leading upwards,” said Miller, who went on to say that the Arc de Triomphe would have not stairs, but a golden escalator to the top. “First class all the way,” boasted the Reichsfuhrer, crushing an anthill under his jackboot.