The role of discussion communication in teaching Russian as a foreign language to Arab students: ethno-orientated approach

Abstract

In the context of globalization and the increasing number of international students in Russia, the problem of developing effective methods of teaching Russian as a foreign language (RCT), taking into account the ethnocultural characteristics of students, is becoming relevant. The presented study examines the potential of an ethno-oriented approach integrated with the method of debatable communication for the development of communicative competencies of Arab students. An empirical study was conducted at the preparatory faculty of Belgorod State University in the 2025 academic year with the participation of 24 Arab students divided into control (standard methodology) and experimental groups. A special 8-week program was developed for the experimental group, shifting the focus to the development of discussion skills in an ethnically oriented environment with the active use of cultural parallels, group work and modeling of real situations. The results of a comparative analysis of academic performance, supported by data from a survey of teachers and students, showed a statistically significant superiority of the experimental methodology. The participants in the experimental group demonstrated significantly higher progress in speech skills. The study revealed that the key success factors were the purposeful consideration of the collectivist type of communication and the religious and cultural context of Arab students, which helped to reduce psychological barriers (primarily fear of mistakes) and increase motivation. It is concluded that the integration of the principles of an ethno-oriented approach with interactive discussion practices qualitatively transforms the educational process, turning it into a meaningful activity of intercultural communication and thereby ensuring a deeper and more effective formation of communicative competence.