Features of cooperative methodology in teaching RFL to Chinese students when teaching listening comprehension (from teaching experience at MSU-BIT University in Shenzhen)

Abstract

In the article, the cooperative methodology of joint teaching of Russian as a foreign language to Chinese students in an extra-linguistic environment on the basis of the Russian-Chinese MSU-BIT University in Shenzhen is considered, where training in most programs is carried out in Russian and is supported by a rich cultural and communicative infrastructure of the campus. The specificity of the distribution of functions between Russian and Chinese teachers in the formation of students’ auditory competence at the stage of leaving the zero level to A1 in an intensive format is analyzed: with a difference in national educational standards, the Chinese side provides a more rigid and systematic practice of grammar and vocabulary based on the native language, visual means of presenting material and test control, while the Russian teacher concentrates on listening, speaking and written fixation, setting increased requirements for the perception of the semantic structure of the statement and for the transfer of understanding to one’s own speech. It is shown that the organizational model before classes — during classes — after classes allows for synchronizing the pace of passing the training complex, implementing advanced introduction of material by a Chinese teacher, its subsequent generalization and communicative activation by a native speaker, as well as promptly correcting problem points and building support for weak students. The difficulties of listening as a type of speech activity with a typological distance between the Russian and Chinese languages are discussed and a combination of intensive listening (formation of auditory-pronunciation and lexical-grammatical skills) with elements of extensive listening enhanced by visual support (photos, illustrations, video fragments) is described. The socio-cultural characteristics of the Chinese audience are taken into account, determining the demand for collective techniques for training pronunciation and rhythmic-intonational skills. The presented survey data confirm the perception of the Russian-Chinese tandem by students as functionally complementary, and the final interpretation of the experience links cooperative teaching with a more reliable preparation of students for the perception of professionally oriented information in Russian and for inclusion in academic communication.