Fuqing Xi

The relevance of this work stems from the ongoing shift in approaches to foreign language instruction. While previous eras emphasized refining learners' lexical and grammatical competence, the contemporary focus is on acquiring language as a communication tool. Within this context, fostering peer interaction during lessons becomes increasingly vital, as it offers a more effective pathway for developing communicative abilities in the target language. This is particularly crucial for Chinese student cohorts, who frequently encounter genuine speaking difficulties in foreign language learning. These challenges often relate to characteristics of the Chinese education system, which traditionally prioritizes exam success over cultivating effective communication skills. The article's objective is to examine methods of peer interaction in Russian as a Foreign Language (RFL) classes. The primary research methodologies employed are systems analysis and comparative analysis. Key Findings. The work outlines the theoretical foundations and core principles underpinning peer interaction in RFL instruction. These include: a focus on communicative objectives; ensuring task appropriateness and difficulty level; providing clear instructions and task definition; implementing guided autonomy; fostering psychological comfort and accommodating individual differences; incorporating reflection and language support. Furthermore, the article identifies specific peer interaction techniques (pair work, group work, project-based work), analyzes potential challenges (language barriers, dominance by certain students leading to exclusion of others, lack of communication within specific pairs/groups), and proposes solutions. Theoretical Significance. The study's contribution lies in identifying, analyzing, and comparing key RFL peer interaction methodologies, alongside outlining their potential for application within student groups. Practical Significance. The findings can be directly applied in teaching Russian to international student audiences. Additionally, they offer practical utility for further research in foreign language pedagogy, including Russian as a Foreign Language.

Under the influence of modern information technologies, higher education has entered the era of digital education. Traditionally accepted relationships in the university, when a student is an object, and a teacher is a subject of the educational process, are being questioned. The structure of interaction and relationships between teachers and students at universities is changing. If earlier the interaction between a teacher and a student was limited by space and time, then in the era of digital information education these restrictions can be eliminated. There was also distance learning (through paper letters, videotapes, etc.) before the widespread use of the Internet, however, such education was episodic, one-sided and could neither replace nor fully complement traditional classroom-based higher education. However, today the situation has changed, and this issue is relevant to consider not only from the point of view of new educational methods, but also from the position of changing the nature and direction of communication between students and teachers as the main participants in the educational process. The aim of the article is to describe in detail the characteristics of changes, technological achievements and trends in the development of interaction between participants in the educational process at a university in the era of digital education. This article is of a theoretical nature. It uses systemic, cultural-historical and communicative approaches. The results of the study suggest that the choice of electronic educational environments requires a clear correlation with the format of pedagogical activity and its targets. Moodle demonstrates the greatest efficiency in the framework of systemic training designed for a long term; the platform provides detailed control of students' academic achievements and structured accumulation of educational analytics. In turn, Zoom is suitable for organizing synchronous classes: online lectures and seminars, where immediate exchange of opinions between participants is important. Theoretical significance of the work. The article contributes to understanding the functional characteristics of digital educational platforms in the context of transforming interaction between students and teachers today. Practical significance of the work. The results of the study can be useful for updating university programs through the targeted implementation of technologies for adjusting pedagogical approaches taking into account the synergy of asynchronous and synchronous formats, and for improving the quality of distance learning. The novelty of the study lies in the fact that the work examines the specific features of interaction between teachers and students in digital environment in the context of the present time using specific examples.