Hua Zhao

Teaching the Russian language must necessarily have a communicative orientation, aimed at developing in students the ability to communicate with native speakers on a variety of topics, to participate in dialogue with each other, with teachers, and with native speakers. Studying interrogative sentences will help improve students' communication skills and develop their communicative competence. The purpose of the article was to identify ways to use interrogative sentences as a means of developing communicative competence among Chinese students. The article presents the results of a theoretical and methodological study based on methods of analysis of scientific and methodological literature, observation, comparison, systematization, as well as on the method of designing a system for using interrogative sentences in a communicatively oriented educational process. It is noted that interrogative sentences are an effective means of building a dialogue with an interlocutor, therefore they are important tools for developing communicative competence. Situations for addressing interrogative sentences and ways of using them in RFL classes have been identified. Interrogative sentences are an indispensable resource when working with additional authentic materials in Russian (movies, television, cartoons, etc.); when communicating with native speakers of the Russian language in a natural and artificial language environment; when getting acquainted with the rules of Russian etiquette; when students master such a form of educational work as an interview, etc. The RFL teacher, in the course of developing communicative competence among Chinese students, should draw the students’ attention to using them to express not only a question, but also a request. He/she must also take into account the cultural characteristics of Chinese students, which cause difficulties in developing their communication skills. The theoretical significance of the article lies in the formulation of the need for a systematic approach to practical use of Russian interrogative sentences by Chinese students. The practical significance lies in the selection of tasks for the use of interrogative sentences as a means of developing communicative competence in students.