Effective Factors of Online Teaching Foreign Languages in Russian Universities

Abstract

This paper studies the effectiveness of online mastering the foreign language course by Russian university students specializing in humanities and economics. The article discusses different formats of online learning and types of educational technologies for learning a foreign language remotely. An important point is a detailed analysis of Russian and foreign literature which allowed to identify not only the advantages and disadvantages of distance learning at universities, but also the factors influencing the success of students’ mastering the program. These factors include the psychological state of the student, technical capabilities (stable Internet and sufficient computer equipment), lack of live contact with the teacher and groupmates, tight deadlines, difficult tasks, etc. To determine the factors that influence the students’ success when mastering the foreign language course, a survey was conducted among 290 students of 16 Russian leading universities. The results of the survey showed the strengths and weaknesses of online teaching foreign language from the students’ point of view. A regression model showed that the students’ psychological state (mood, comfortable environment, lack of distractions) has a direct impact on the effectiveness of learning. One more notable fact is that recording a lecture or a seminar negatively affects the students’ motivation. The main result of the study is the authors’ recommendations on adapting the system of online learning for the foreign language course. Worked out for Russian universities’ administration, these suggestions include a variety of tools for conducting the educational process, the idea of students of different specializations’ collaboration, the use of gamification tools, etc.