Abstract:

Language shock is psychological and linguistical disorientation experienced by most people with the immersion into foreign language environment when they move for an extended period of time into a culture different from their own. It is closely connected with a wider phenomenon - culture shock. Though culture shock has become an everyday cliché, as it is one of the oldest models of cultural adjustment and some researchers thought it to be the umbrella term for many heterogeneous processes, the symptoms and coping mechanisms of language shock hasn’t been thoroughly studied so far.

As communication is an important feature in the intercultural adaptation process, natural foreign language environment, though stressful, helps to overcome the challenges of understanding and communicating in a new culture.

Modern educational arena involves virtual instruction which replaces the face-to-face communication with a teacher. What is the influence of virtual language environment? Does it aggravate or relieve the language shock?

The paper aim is:
(1) to review the features of virtual language environment;
(2) to discuss its role as the key of overcoming the language shock,
(3) to examine the pilot project results. A pilot project lasted for half a year, two groups of students participated in it - international students of Russian language of diverse origins (Ecuador, Afganistan, Bulgaria, China, etc.) studying Russian as a foreign language in natural language environment and international students taking an e-leaning course in Russian.

In the initial stage the participants were interviewed as for their expectations towards the outcomes of Russian language studies. The middle-term questionnaires included information of language difficulties and possible language barriers. The study was followed by a survey and personal interviews with the students. The survey included one open-ended question and eight questions with a number of choices to select. The aim of the assessment was to test the influence of natural and virtual learning environments on language skills of students and their feeling safe in intercultural communication.

According to pre- and post-assessment and survey results, the pilot project was effective for both groups for improving international students language skills and it resulted in softer language shock, though the students living in natural Russian speaking environment demonstrated better listening comprehension skills. Both groups experienced language shock, and the paper examines the reasons for it. These results highlight the need for further comprehensive analysis of language shock factors and ways to eliminate it.

Keywords:

Language shock, e-learning, foreign language environment, virtual instruction, intercultural communication.