PSYCHO-PEDAGOGICAL SPECIFICS OF FOREIGN LANGUAGE INSTRUCTION OF THE RUSSIAN LANGUAGE TO INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS

The Russian language, universally accepted as the most difficult to study, is gaining popularity among those who are targeted at learning a foreign language. The reasons of its popularity are numerous and from the researcher’s perspective it is most vital to pinpoint the predicaments that the novices in a language study face while plunging into the ocean of Russian grammar structures and lexical system. Methodologically the article is based on the linguistic works by Chzhao Jujczjan, T. Chernigovskaya, T.M. Balikhina, E.Yu. Kosheleva, I.Ya. Pak, A.Z. Chernobylski. In psychology and pedagogics the problems arising within the process of the Russian language instruction to the foreign students has long been studied in the theoretical and empirical levels (M.A. Ivanova, T.S. Petrovskaya, S. Gieve, R. Clark, G. Hu, L. Jin, M. Cortazzi).

The greatest interest towards the Russian language and literature study is shown by the Chinese students (proved by the researches of linguo-didactic fundamentals of ethnic-oriented education).

The following aspects are to be taken into account:
(a) the productive means of increasing the success of Russian language study is in understanding and acquiring of the ethnocultural, ethnocultural background of the students;
(b) the individual abilities to study that are individually varied in each of the Chinese students within the process of their culturalization and language study;
(c) the refocusing of the Chinese students onto the Russian educational strategies and technologies is to be done on the basis of methodologically grounded and wise usage of linguo-didactic traditions of China;
(d) to keep the Chinese students motivated while mastering the Russian language the educational process is to be based on the already formed and stable aspects of their authentic ethnopsyche;
(e) the specifics of the Chinese mentality, the proneness to “preserving the positive face”, the priority of a family over the individual and a state over the person, the strict hierarchy and control are to be taken into account while organizing the Russian language study process;
(f) the individual from of work is to be combined with collective ones alongside the systematic control and the analysis of the results already achieved.

It is also important to consider the psychological portrait of a Chinese student in creating the model of his/her instructing the Russian language. Most of these students have non-communicative or rational style of mastering the foreign languages, they easily make the “fill-in the gaps” exercises, but show profound difficulties in acquiring speech skills. Not the least in the Russian language education is the ability of the Chinese students to work steadily and hard, to be responsible and persistent in getting the results.

The Russian literature turns out to be a good support creating the ground for deep and figurative level of language comprehension, thus bringing the foreign students closer to understanding the Russian national mentality.

So, taking into account all the psycho-pedagogical specific aspects of the foreign students’ instruction in Russia the tutors and educational authorities can substantially influence the effectiveness of the educational process and become aware of the psychological and linguistic portraits of a Chinese student.