Russian Teachers Research Articles

Problems and prospects for employment of young Russian teachers

The article raises the problems related to the peculiarities of building a professional career of graduates with pedagogical education. Despite the constant demand in the labor market, educational organizations are in a situation of chronic shortage of teaching staff. The aim of the article is to analyze the difficulties and challenges faced by young teachers not only during employment, but also during the period of adaptation in an educational institution. Based on a large array of statistical data, as well as sociological studies conducted by the research teams of Institute of Sociology of FCTAS RAS and RSUH, risk factors and channels of leaving the labor market of young teachers-professionals shown. The article poses, firstly, the problem of insufficiently meaningful choice and, as a consequence, motivation of future teachers during their enrollment in the university, the formation of “professional ballast” of students unmotivated for the profession of teacher. Secondly, the problem of lack of necessary vacancies, insufficient salary, uncomfortable working conditions. Thirdly, the problem of adaptation to work in an educational institution: the lack of stress resistance, professionalism, communication competence, responsibility and initiative. It is concluded that in order to attract young teachers to schools it is necessary to take thoughtful measures to retain motivated people in the profession, starting from the university stage and ending with the creation of favorable conditions for their career development in the workplace.

The impact of increased teaching load on the subjective well-being of female teachers in Russia and Italy

The impact of increased teaching load on the subjective well-being of female teachers in Russia and Italy

ФОНЕТИЧЕСКАЯ ИНТЕРФЕРЕНЦИЯ КАК ЛИНГВОМЕТОДИЧЕСКАЯ ПРОБЛЕМА ПРЕПОДАВАНИЯ РУССКОГО ЯЗЫКА КАК ИНОСТРАННОГО В КОНСЕРВАТОРИИ

The article is devoted to the problems associated with the interfering influence of the native (Chinese) language in mastering Russian language by students receiving vocal education at Russian Conservatory. The relevance of the research topic is due to the large number of students from China studying in Russia in the field of vocal art. Having chosen phonetic interference as a priority aspect and relying on studies of this process conducted by linguists over the years, the authors propose special methodological techniques that take into account professional specifics of the contingent of trainees. The article emphasizes an important role of the correct selection of didactic material in the organization of the educational process. The authors illustrate their suggestions on ways to overcome phonetic interference with examples and analyze in detail the phonetic features of the texts of vocal works included in the repertoire of Chinese vocalists of the first academic year. The article notes the importance of interaction between teachers of Russian as a foreign language and vocal teachers in the process of working on the elimination of pronouncing defects at the stage of the introductory phonetic course. The materials of the article can be used by specialists of higher educational musical institutions working with Chinese students whose goal is to receive vocal education.

The structure and content of the information culture of a teacher of Russian as a foreign language

The structure and content of the information culture of a teacher of Russian as a foreign language

PERCEPTIONS OF THE RUSSIAN LANGUAGE IN THE MINDS OF TEACHERS OF RUSSIAN AS A FOREIGN LANGUAGE (Based on a Psycholinguistic Experiment)

The article describes the results of a psycholinguistic experiment aimed at identifying the perceptions of the Russian language in the minds of teachers of Russian as a foreign language. The specifi city of the experi-ment consists of the explicit professionally oriented character of the stimulus Russian language; during planning the experiment, the experience of similar studies with respondents-physicians was generalized of similar studies with respondents-philologists. One of the hypotheses, that preceded the experiment was the assumption that the teachers’ linguistic consciousness combines naive and scientifi c ideas about the Russian language in the teachers’ linguistic consciousness language. The experiment, built according to the free-chain model, was conducted in March–April 2023. The described material was extracted from 177 questionnaires, the total number of analyzed reactions is 1,185. In the fi rst stage of the analysis, the reactions were characterized in structural and grammati-cal aspect (predominantly one-word associations expressed by nouns), and at the second stage — in the semantic aspect. Semantic analysis of the associates allowed us to distinguish three semantic fi elds: “Russian language as an object of evaluation”, “Russian language as the basis of national Russian language as an object of evaluation”, “Russian language as the basis of national self-consciousness”, and “Russian language as an academic subject”. While analyzing the reactions that made up the fi rst fi eld, it proved expedient to refer to the typology of evalua-tive meanings proposed by N. D. Arutyunova. As a result, the predominance of private evaluative meanings in the fi eld was established of a wide spectrum. The second fi eld combines reactions based on their linguocultural potential: thus, the fi eld includes ethnonyms, culturally signifi cant toponyms, precedent phenomena, and symbol-ic words. The third fi eld most clearly represents the results of the work of professional linguistic consciousness and includes reactions of mainly terminological nature, correlated with linguistic concepts, sections of the course “Russian Language”, etc. The interpretation of the empirical material testifi es to the professionalization of the concept “Russian language” in the cognitive space of philologists and confi rms the hypothesis that associations refl ect the specifi cs of teaching Russian as a fo reign language, combining language teaching with immersion in Russian culture and intercultural communication. The respondents’ everyday perceptions include positive asso-ciative and evaluative meanings

Promotion of the Russian Language in the education system of Tanzania: conditions, demand, «deficits» and potential «growth points»

The article analyzes the program documents regulating functioning of the education system of Tanzania, examines the socio-economic factors affecting its development, analyzes the language policy, as well as the state policy of the Government of the United Republic of Tanzania in the field of education, which is considered to be a strategic factor in the transformation of mentality and the creation of a well-educated nation, sufficiently possessing the knowledge necessary for competent and competitive solutions to the challenges facing the country. The authors identify objectives of the education system of Tanzania, aimed at promoting universal access to quality basic education, including preschool, primary and secondary education; eradication of illiteracy; dissemination of high-quality higher education, providing training of highly qualified personnel necessary for the effective development of all sectors of the economy. The problems faced by the education system of Tanzania, the ways to solve them and the prospects for development are determined. The activities of the Representative Office of the Federal Agency for the Commonwealth of Independent States, Compatriots Living Abroad, and International Humanitarian Cooperation, which is the coordinator of the promotion of the Russian language and culture in Tanzania, are described in detail. The factors influencing the demand for the Russian language, increasing motivation to study it and the demand for Russian education in general among the youth of Tanzania, as well as the formation of a positive image of Russia in the minds of Tanzanians, are identified. The conditions, «deficits» and potential «growth points» of the promotion of the Russian language in the education system of Tanzania are determined. The article presents the results of the survey conducted during the official visit of the delegation of the Samara State University of Social Sciences and Education to Tanzania, which determined the future prospects of the study, which will result in designing a modular training program for teachers of Russian as a foreign language for educational organizations of the United Republic of Tanzania in the system of Russian teacher training education, including a Russian as a foreign language course at a preparatory department, bachelor’s and master’s degree programs and advanced training for teachers of Russian as a foreign language.

Italian Russian Studies and Russian Teaching at University: Analytical Review of Ten Years (2013–2023) of Research

Italian Russian Studies and Russian Teaching at University: Analytical Review of Ten Years (2013–2023) of Research

РАЗВИТИЕ УСТНОЙ ПРОДУКТИВНОЙ РЕЧИ И НАЦИОНАЛЬНЫЙ ХАРАКТЕР: КРИТЕРИИ ВЗАИМОДЕЙСТВИЯ ПРИ ИЗУЧЕНИИ РКИ ВНЕ ЯЗЫКОВОЙ СРЕДЫ

Nowadays we can see a growing interest to the Russian language among Chinese citizens. The thing is that there are many relevant factors that may be the reasons for that, but the most vital is active collaboration development between Russia and China on the government level. These days Chinese students are learning Russian language when they come to Russia or being in China. On the one hand, a great number of students are aimed to come to Russia and learn the Russian language in the natural language environment. On the other hand, Chinese higher education establishments strive for inviting Russian teachers for their faculties to create favorable language environment, mastering the language out of Russian-speaking environment. It is of higher importance, that in Chinese higher education establishments are trying to create the most favorable conditions, fulfilling all the modern requirements, for learners of the Russian language. However, Russian teachers often face some difficulties. Teachers state that the biggest problem of these students is obtaining speaking skills, taking initiative in oral communication in Russian. The aim of this article is to observe and analyze problems of teaching Russian (its speaking aspect) in Chinese higher education establishments in the light of national personality traits. We also aim to represent some methods and recommendations to update the learning process. While teaching Russian in China a teacher from Russia has to create language environment, which must not contradict Chinese mindset, and encourage students to teach and think “as Russians do.” It is worth using pictures and different objects, such as a piece of chalk and mediatechnologies, giving modern and useful knowledge on country studies, going to a club or visiting a theatre, etc. To get the best results in a short period of time a teacher must respect his country and involve his students into language learning.

Educating future Russian language teachers in the United States

The increasing tensions between the Russian Federation and the United States of America have exacerbated the already serious decline in numbers of students seeking to study Russian, as well as the concomitant elimination of many Russian language programs at both the K-12 and university levels. The purpose of the research is to consider the need to improve the preparation and quality of future teachers of Russian in U.S. public schools. This work draws on applied philosophical analysis and policy studies, as well as a review of existing Russian language and literature programs at major U.S. universities. Measures of relevant data are presented, showing a paucity of linguistic competence in Russian produced through current practice in the U.S. Implementation is suggested. A model five-year program is proposed for the preparation of future Russian language teachers in the United States. Based on the typical undergraduate curriculum, this model would involve coursework in three broad areas: general education courses (the liberal arts and sciences), Russian language and related courses, and courses concerned with pedagogy.

WAR IN UKRAINE: A PUSH FOR RESHAPING GERMAN SLAVIC STUDIES

The article examines the transformative impact of the war in Ukraine on Slavic studies in the German academic environment. German universities, traditionally focused on Russian studies, have identified an urgent need to reassess both educational programs and approaches to teaching, as well as their own perspective on the development of Slavic studies. Scoping meetings, workshops, conferences, and seminars held in the German academic environment over the past two years are intended to update and systematize the achievements of German Slavic studies and outline new perspectives for its development. The aim of the research is to outline the main aspects that are identified as priorities for the development of Slavic studies in the academic environment of Germany and to trace the changes in the development of Slavic studies reflected in open information platforms, particularly university websites. In addition, special emphasis is made on the changes that have affected Ukrainian studies after the full-scale invasion. During joint meetings, German scholars identified significant limitations in the functioning of Slavic studies and difficulties with representation of all (or almost all) branches of Slavic studies in Slavic departments. Analyzing the information provided on university websites, it can be concluded that Russian studies dominate: the majority of universities offer the study of the Russian language in courses offered by Language Centers (95.7%), almost all educational programs for Slavic studies are aimed at preparing specialists on Russian studies (96.7%), and finally, students choose Russian as a pedagogical component, allowing them to qualify as teachers (88.7%). Polish and Czech are also represented in universities, but to a much lesser extent: as language courses: 36.2% – Polish, 17.2% – Czech; within educational programs: 90% – Polish and 70% – Czech; for teacher qualification: 16.7% – Polish, 10% – Czech. The Ukrainian language was insufficiently represented both as a language to be studied in courses (1.7%) and as a language that could be studied as a first/main language – 2 universities (Greifswald, Munich). Ukrainian language was not offered and is not offered for teacher qualification: in primary and secondary education institutions (schools, gymnasiums) Ukrainian language is impossible to study neither as a language of origin nor as a foreign language, although some initiatives exist. After the full-scale invasion, the situation has changed; Ukrainian language has been included in the proposals for study by 12 universities, in addition, there is an opportunity to learn not only Ukrainian language (at level B2 and above) but also literature and history within educational programs. However, German scholars still do not see the possibility of introducing Ukrainian as a component for teacher qualification, despite the extremely large number of Ukrainian children in German educational institutions. Instead, there is a proposal to develop an additional certification program for teachers of Russian to Polish, which also seems unrealistic. German scholars emphasize the need to expand their boundaries in order to offer “full Slavistics” in universities, but they highlight insufficient funding and the lack of interest among applicants in Slavic studies as major problems. Key words: Slavic studies in German universities, Ukrainian studies in German universities, Language Centers, degree programs in Slavic studies.

Особенности взаимодействия преподавателя с российской и китайской студенческой аудиторией

This article deals with the peculiarities of the teacher’s interaction with the Russian and Chinese student audiences in the process of teaching in the higher education system of the Russian Federation. Russian and Chinese students’ audience features were analyzed in terms of using these features in the professional activity of a teacher teaching Russian and Chinese students both individually and as part of mixed groups. The author highlights the following as the main features of Chinese students: collectivism, respect for elders, fear of “losing one’s face”, good memory, tendency to memorize the material, orientation to the fact that the teacher is always right, compliance with the principles of subordination, different from Russian practice, ambiguous attitude to non-traditional forms of classroom instruction, positive attitude to the use of electronic learning tools. Russian and Chinese students are also given a comparative description from the point of view of the peculiarities of the mentality of the representatives of Chinese and Russian linguoculture. It is concluded that a university teacher who takes into account the peculiarities of the Chinese audience will be able to structure the educational process in such a way that all the peculiarities of the mentality of Chinese students will be taken into account. The author also concludes that the due regard of the Russian and Chinese students’ national characteristics will make it possible to teach effectively in mixed student groups. The final paragraphs present possible prospects for further research into the peculiarities of teacher interaction with Russian and Chinese student audiences at the current stage of the development of the higher education system of the Russian Federation.

“Confucius Institute” at Novosibirsk State University: Teaching Chinese Today

In 2023, the number of native Chinese language teachers at Novosibirsk State University and its partner universities in the Confucius Institute project returned to pre-pandemic levels, and the scale of educational activities and related projects such as a summer language camp in China were restored. The article discusses issues of staffing and measures in the field of improving the professional level of teachers, features of teaching Chinese language (ways of involving Chinese teachers in vocational, secondary and additional education programs, models of interaction between Chinese and Russian teachers such as joint classes, independent classes with separate presentation of different types of educational material within one course or teaching certain aspects of the Chinese language). The activities of the Confucius Institute in the field of holding competitions in the Chinese language and the results of students’ participation in competitions of various levels are also shown. Stimulating the competitive activity of students, according to the authors, is an important additional condition for the development of their language skills and achievements in competitions which indicate a high level of language training provided by the Confucius Institute centre.

Система обучения категории вида русских глаголов в китайской аудитории

The aim of the study is to propose a system of teaching the category of aspect of Russian verbs to Chinese students. The paper presents a research conducted at the Altai State Pedagogical University, which helped to identify the main problems in the assimilation of types of verbs by Chinese students and to test the developed teaching system, which made it possible to reduce the number of errors in the use of the grammatical category of aspect by three times for each specific Chinese student who took part in the research. The scientific novelty of the study lies in developing the system of lessons to overcome linguistic difficulties in the use of the category of aspect by Chinese students in the framework of teaching Russian as a foreign language. As a result, the teaching system is presented that may be useful for teachers of Russian as a foreign language, methodologists, and linguists interested in studying language transfer, aspect in Russian and Chinese.

Teachers S. A. and K. Ya. Lyugebil and their first kindergarten in Russia

Introduction. The history of the creation of the first preschool institutions in Russia is of interest to modern Russian historical and pedagogical science. The purpose of the article is to characterize the work of the first Russian kindergartens and the ascetic educational activities of the pioneers of Russian preschool education. Materials and methods. The leading research methods are the analysis of scientific literature, the biographical method. The author actively used an axiological methodological approach, which made it possible to identify and evaluate the most important achievements of the Lyugebil spouses and other Russian teachers in opening the first kindergartens in Russia. Results. Spouses Sofya Andreevna (1824-1914) and Karl Yakimovich Lugebil (1830-1887/1888) entered the history of Russian education as the founders of the country's first kindergarten. In their work, the Lugebil couple used the experience of their foreign predecessors, first of all, the German teacher F. Froebel, the creator of the first kindergarten in Europe. They were active members of the Pedagogical Society, at whose meetings they closely communicated with K. D. Ushinsky, P. G. Redkin and other prominent Russian teachers of that time; they invariably supported their progressive position on various issues of education development and sought to promote the idea of widespread preschool education in Russia. Discussion. The advanced teacher E. N. Vodovozova believed that the Lugebil spouses in their work sought to avoid thoughtlessly following the experience of others, even famous teachers such as F. Froebel and his direct students and followers. The Lugebiles went their own unique way. The progressive magazine Sovremennik paid close attention to the work of the first kindergarten, and in its articles gave a full account of the educational work carried out in this institution. The first kindergarten gave an impetus to the opening of similar institutions throughout the country, including in the province. Conclusion. The practical activities of the Lugebil spouses and other Russian teachers of the second half of the XIX – early XX centuries included axiological, humanistic content and therefore had a noticeable impact on the development of preschool education in Russia. The opening day of the first kindergarten, September 27 (1863), is celebrated in modern Russia as the day of the preschool worker.

Anglicyzmy w konfrontatywnym nauczaniu języka rosyjskiego

Russian language acquisition by Polish students is understood as effective and appropriate interaction in various conversational situations. This requires specific habits in the use of the contemporary Russian linguistic system. The use of a language can be examined in a natural communicative situation, which needs informal, spoken language. The usage of English loanwords in spoken Polish and Russian is frequent, which is why the characteristics of spoken language in contemporary spoken Russian and Polish needs to be examined. Research conducted on a group of Polish, Russian, Belorussian and Ukrainian Youtubers shows that their speech contains some specific derivatives which are characteristic of colloquial Russian and Polish. It also contains groups of English loanwords: assimilated nouns, verb and adjective derivatives with productive suffixes. The study shows that English loanword adaptation differs in Polish and Russian, which reveals system differences between two related languages. Comparison of the most productive word formation processes in Russian and Polish can help to overcome language interference and improve the teaching of Russian to Polish students in general.

International students’ language and cultural integration: Expert comments by a teacher of Russian as a foreign language

The article provides the results of the study of the educational programs potential within academic courses of Russian as a foreign language in the fields of “Philology” and “Linguistics” when solving the issues of language and cultural integration of international students into realities of modern Russian society. The study has revealed the merits of tools and resources for teaching Russian to international students: a number of profile academic disciplines. The study confirms that the solution of the issues of linguistic and cultural adaptation of international students is achieved in the course of doing the academic disciplines “Lexicology”, “Linguocultural Studies”, “Linguocountry Studies”, “Translation Theory”, in the study of linguistic sections “Non-Equivalent Vocabulary”, “Semantics”, “Cognitive Linguistics” and in mastering the competences of analyzing the fictional text (its stylistics and phraseology). We outline the role of the relationship between Cognitive Linguistics and Linguocultural Studies in bringing international students closer to the issues of linguistic consciousness, which predetermines the full command of the language. The study allows us to conclude that the degree of mastering professional competences for a linguist and philologist can be considered as their level of linguistic and cultural competences.

Professionally-Oriented Teaching Russian as a Foreign Language to Uzbek Music Students in the Context of the Communicative Method.

Professionally-Oriented Teaching Russian as a Foreign Language to Uzbek Music Students in the Context of the Communicative Method.

The Standard of Living of Primary School Teachers in Russia in the Second Half of the 19th – Early 20th Centuries (On the Materials of the Middle Volga Region)

The Standard of Living of Primary School Teachers in Russia in the Second Half of the 19th – Early 20th Centuries (On the Materials of the Middle Volga Region)

Georgian National Idea in the Tiflis Seminary of the Post-Reform Time: The Optics of the Russian Language and Literature

This article examines the case of seminarian David Kezeli who compiled the anti-Russian proclamation To the New Generation of Georgia, confiscated in December 1873. Although the St Petersburg and Caucasian authorities interpreted the case differently, they were united in their inattention to the situation of the Tiflis Theological Seminary. The internal problems of the theological educational institution, including the problem of the disloyalty of the “native” teachers, were to be solved by the officials of the Synod’s Educational Committee and the Exarch of Georgia. The author aims to show the ambivalence of the anti-Russian views of the Georgian seminarians and analyse the Kezeli case as part of the processes in religious education initiated by the 1867 reform. Special attention is paid to the discussion about the establishment of the Georgian language class, the idea of which either led to a consensus among the teachers or to a confrontation described in the Synod documents as a struggle between the Russian and Georgian “parties”. The origins and limitations of anti-Russian sentiments among seminarians are considered in relation to conflicts among teachers, the rules of access to educational and extracurricular literature, and the status of the Russian and Georgian languages. The author concludes that in the first years after the reform, young graduates of the theological academies were inspired by the opportunity to change the content of theological education by introducing the achievements of modern science into it. This goal united teachers of Russian and Georgian origin. They worked together both on projects for Georgian language classes and on compiling lists of advanced literature to be purchased for the student library. Georgian teachers, such as Jacob Gogebashvili, were prepared to become conduits of “human Russification”, arguing that only the Russian language allowed their students to access modern science. The transformation of interaction into conflict, which took on the form of a confrontation between the Russian and Georgian “parties” in the seminary, was explained on both sides by its participants’ personal ambitions. They were fighting for power and money, not for the promotion of the Georgian national idea or the defence of Russian interests in the region. David Kezeli was wholly a product of this situation. After completing his studies at the theological school and moving to the seminary, he felt hostility towards his teachers, seeing in them “Famusovs” who were trying to educate him as a “Molchalin”, while he was constructing himself as a “Bazarov”, the only “nihilist” in Georgia. The anachronism of Kezeli’s “nihilistic” identity emphasises his attachment to the generation of “fathers” who determined the literature available to him and provided him with a tool to master it, i. e. the Russian language.

Methodological conditions of teaching Russian as a foreign language and their implementation at Kazan Innovation University named after V.G. Timiryasov

The article analyzes the implementation by teachers of Kazan Innovative University named after V.G. Timiryasov of methodological conditions for teaching foreign students Russian as a foreign language, evaluates the effectiveness of the implementation of these conditions in terms of students achieving different levels of proficiency in the Russian language. The methodological recommendations of leading experts in the field of RCT on the maximum allowable number of students in a group of 8 people are substantiated. The requirement is being considered that classes in a group should be conducted by two teachers at the same time (in the weekly schedule, both teachers work in a 50%/50% ratio. This helps to overcome the effect of «getting used» to the timbre of a foreign student’s voice, the pace of speech and the phonetic features of a native Russian speaker. Each teacher activates all types of speech activity in each lesson: speaking, writing, listening, reading and learning vocabulary and grammar. The use of various non-academic forms of improving language skills in teaching foreign students allows students to actively train speaking and listening skills, expand their horizons by getting acquainted with the surrounding foreign cultural reality outside the framework of academic classes. A fundamentally important methodological point is the «re-equipment» of study groups after foreign students have passed the test for a certain level of Russian language acquisition, depending on the results demonstrated by the students. An important condition for ensuring the effectiveness of RCT training is interaction with the parents of students. Kazan Innovative University named after V.G. Timiryasov, when organizing the teaching of Russian as a foreign language to foreign citizens in a remote format, focuses in this process on ensuring «live» communication with the teacher.