Chinese Students Study the Russian Language in Digital Environment

The Preparatory Faculty uses technologies of distance education in teaching the Russian language to international students.

Due to the outbreak of coronavirus, the students from China could not start their classes in the new academic term. Nevertheless, they continue their studies online.

Starting from January, every day the international students take Russian language classes via Skype. Two students study daily both at the university and online. The group and individual online classes and online consultations are held by the Candidate of Philological Sciences, Associate Professor of the Department of Russian as a Foreign Language of the Institute of Philology Natalia Urvantseva.

In the classes, the students study Russian grammar, speak and read a lot. The Chinese students are outside the language environment and cannot communicate with native Russian language speakers; hence much attention is paid to developing listening skills. Independently, they listen to Russian songs and watch Russian cartoons, which are later discussed in class. The students send their homework, tests, and essays to the teacher by e-mail and in Vkontakte social network. In order to achieve results while working online, both the teacher and students have to be flexible due to different time zones. It is important to set the right length of a class, select the right study materials and their delivery mode, and choose the most suitable teaching methods.