Abstract:

The article examines the problem of professional adaptation of university students through the prism of the activity of their ‘curator’ or, most common, ‘academic tutor’, as an important innovative component of the modernization of education and training system in Russia. The research is based on a case study of a unique phenomenon of academic tutorship at Kazan Federal University, Russian Federation. The authors reveal the milestones of the academic tutor’s activity to provide for professional adaptation of would-be graduates in Linguistics.

While exploring the issue the authors designed and tested an experimental model of professional adaptation of students by selecting communicative, motivational, target, structural, technological and assessment components. They integrated approaches and technologies, ensuring the effective functioning of the proposed model in practice. A special feature of this study is that it was designed on a broad experimental basis, the theoretical model was tested in the authors’ long-term practice and has not been previously applied by other researchers.

The article provides recommendations on the implementation of the progressive technology that allows an academic tutor to gradually involve intended graduates in the professional adaptation focused on the development of creative, interpersonal, and professional culture competence. The technology combines system, activity, axiological, integrative, competence-based, and culture-based approaches to education.

The authors developed and tested applications and integrative technologies aimed at professional-valuable adaptation, the development of active professional perspective of future linguists.

The authors determined the pedagogical conditions and factors that contribute to the effective work of the academic tutor on the professional adaptation of the university students. They defined the priority areas of integrative activity of the tutor for professional adaptation of students at university, including academic, scientific, and educational components.

The authors revealed the difficulties of the transition period for first-year students; the factors that hinder adaptation and those that increase its efficiency; identified the areas of educational and scientific work with students; systematized the core values of professional work of the future experts; structured the hierarchy of their personal and professional qualities as well as standards of professional culture.

The article summarizes the concept of ‘professional adaptation’, its objectives, role and significance in the professional culture of the prospective linguists in the conditions of modernization of the global education space. It shows the active role of the academic tutor as a facilitator in the process of student transition to the new academic environment, their personal growth, development of a competitive personality who will later become a highly demanded specialist with a university degree.

Keywords:

Student, academic tutor, university education, Linguistics, student transition to university, professional adaptation model, Russia.