Keyword: «language environment»

The article deals with the possibility of using the potential of the educational environment for the formation of foreign language communicative competence in teaching a foreign language. We have proposed a definition of the concept of "cultural-language environment", defined its main components and stages of creation. The experience of creating such an environment in a general education organization within the framework of project activities is also analyzed.

Modern Chinese universities train philology majors who are to study and teach Russian as a foreign language. The peculiarity of the process of learning Russian as a foreign language by Chinese philology majors is the impossibility of immersing students in real functioning of the native language environment, as well as direct initiation into the Russian socio-cultural specifics. Teachers at Chinese universities are faced with the need to create conditions for the partial familiarization of students with the Russian language environment, which determines the relevance of the search for and implementation of new tools for building up socio-cultural competence of students who learn the language outside the language environment. The aim of the work is to identify the specifics of the study of Russian as a foreign language by future bachelors-philologists studying Russian as a foreign language in Chinese universities. The study is based on the use of such methods as analysis, synthesis, systematization, and comparison. Based on the analysis of modern domestic and foreign scientific and methodological sources concerning the creation of an artificial language environment in the process of learning a foreign language, the author summarizes information on the means and tools used in the practice of foreign language teaching that allow foreign students to be partially initiated into the language environment of native speakers. It is revealed that this process is facilitated by the widespread use of technical teaching aids, as well as information and communication technologies, which allow the teacher to find and correctly introduce authentic materials in text, audio, and video format into the course of education. In addition, the practice of teaching Russian as a foreign language as an element of effective learning outside the language environment shows the positive effect of organizing "speaking clubs", direct communication with native speakers within the classroom and extra-curriculum activities of students. Based on the identified tools and means of compensating for the lack of a natural language environment, it seems possible to describe the specifics of the study of Russian as a foreign language by philology majors at Chinese universities. The theoretical significance of the study lies in clarifying the means of developing the basic competences of foreign students in the process of learning Russian as a foreign language. The results of the work may be in demand by teachers who teach foreign languages to foreign speakers outside the language environment.

The relevance of this study is explained by the need to teach future IT specialists the skills and abilities necessary for communication in a foreign language. At the same time, it seems that the choice of educational trajectory largely depends on the pedagogical conditions of a particular educational institution and country of study – something course developers often tend to neglect. One of such conditions is the educational environment. This study aims to work out an approach for developing emergent oral speech in IT students in the near-to-native language environment. An experimental approach was chosen as the methodology of the study, which included experiential learning. The developed course was tested on 23 Innopolis University first-year students through experiential learning. A total of five tests were conducted. The results of the tests were subjected to statistical analysis that consisted of three parts: checking the normality of data distribution (Shapiro-Wilk test), analysis of variance (ANOVA) for repeated measurements, and post-hoc analysis using paired t-tests with Bonferroni correction for multiple comparisons. It was found that the skill of unprepared speech was actively formed throughout the course and even in its early stages. A certain slowdown occurs only towards the end of the course. Statistically significant emergent speech development from test to test indicates that the course is effective. In experiential learning, a correlation was also found between such particular-methodological principles as learning in a near-to-native language environment and the principle of intensity, which ensure faster acquisition of spontaneous speech skills under time constraints. In addition, it was found that the combination of such pedagogical conditions as the prevalence of group and pair work during the class, continuous speech practice, and the student/ teacher ratio of speaking time in favor of the former, as well as simultaneous performing oral speech tasks by students of a group provides a faster mastery of spontaneous speech by IT students in a near-to-native environment. Theoretical significance of the study is in the introduction of a new concept “near-to-native language environment” and the justification of the need to create a set of conditions for spontaneous speech development in IT students in the near-to-native environment. The practical significance of the study is conditioned by the proposed stages of foreign language speaking skills development. Moreover, a list of communicative situations based on the IT area specifics is proposed.