The Days of Russian as a Foreign Language at SPbU have ended

The Days of Russian as a Foreign Language at St. Petersburg State University have ended. From September 26th to October 5th , large-scale events were conducted to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the establishment of Russian as a Foreign Language departments at SPbU. Now it will probably become a good tradition.

As part of the conference, both online and offline events were held: debates, presentations, roundtable discussions, and meetings. The week began with the roundtable discussions: "The Language of Specialization: Teaching a Language or Subject?" and "Russian-speaking Bilinguals in the Global Space: Issues and Perspectives". There were many interesting presentations, including the lecture by M.Yu. Sidorova, the Doctor of Philological Sciences, professor of the Russian Language Department at Lomonosov Moscow State University, on the cognitive and communicative approaches of teaching the language of specialty. There were also presentations by associate professors of the Department of Russian Language and Literature at St. Petersburg Mining University, N.A. Potapova and E.V. Kornilova, on professionally- oriented teaching of Russian as a foreign language (RFL). The presentation by A.A. Lopukhina, a research associate at the Center for Language and Brain of HSE University, on a comprehensive assessment of Russian-speaking bilingual children’ language skills using standardized tests, sparked great interest. The presentation by T.E. Petrova, the associate professor at the Department of Theory and Methods of Teaching Arts and Humanities, and a researcher at the Institute of Cognitive Studies at SPbU, on "How Do Bilinguals Read Polycodal Texts?" and the presentation by A.V. Golubeva, the chief editor of the educational publishing center "Zlatoust," on "Why Are Textbooks for Bilinguals Written Only in Russian and Only for Children?" were actively discussed by the participants of the roundtable.

"The Competencies Needed by the Modern Russian as a Foreign Language Teacher: Forms of Professional Development" was the topic of another roundtable discussion that took the form of a debate. The discussions involved E.A. Khamraeva, the Head of the Department of Linguodidactics, Russian as a Foreign Language, and Bilingualism at Moscow Pedagogical State University; V.V. Chastnykh, the Deputy Director for Development at the Institute of Russian Language and Culture at Lomonosov Moscow State University; and M.D. Stravsky, the Senior Lecturer at the Russian State University.

The presentation by the leading Russian publishers in the field of Russian as a foreign language (RFL), including "Zlatoust," SPbU Publishing House, "IPR MEDIA," "Flinta," and "Russian Language. Courses," also caught the participants' attention. The discussion program continued with debates on the topic "The Russian Science vs. Western Science: Coexistence Options in the New Geopolitical Environment," and a roundtable discussion on "The Competencies Needed by the Modern Russian as a Foreign Language Teacher". The speakers were I.V. Tunkina, a Russian historian and specialist in the history of science and archival studies, the corresponding member of the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS), and one of the authors of the Great Russian Encyclopedia, as well as N.L. Sukhachev, a philologist, translator, senior research associate at the Institute of Linguistic Studies of the RAS, and specialist in Romance philology and Balkan studies.

The speech by T.I. Popova, the professor and head of the Department of Russian as a Foreign Language and its Teaching Methods at SPbU, drew significant interest. She discussed successfully implemented projects, including the international video competition "My City Is the Best in My Country" and the Creative Competition named after L.A. Verbitskaya. L.V. Moskovkin, the Doctor of Pedagogical Sciences and professor, presented a virtual album titled "The History of Russian as a Foreign Language in Photographs and Facts," while I.N. Erofeeva, the candidate of Pedagogical Sciences and associate professor, shared the story behind the creation of the film-video tour "My Beloved Philology Faculty". The honorary guest of the event was Valery Mikhailovich Mokienko, the first dean and professor of the Faculty of Russian as a Foreign Language, and the head of the Department of the Russian Language for Foreign Students in the Humanities Faculties.

The week of online meetings for the graduates of the department has come to an end. The gathering was heartfelt and interesting, including not only video greetings from the graduates but also real-life communication, contests, and creative performances. The atmosphere in the hall was warm and friendly.

More than 300 people from 14 countries participated in the events dedicated to the Days of Russian as a Foreign Language. Participants came from Belarus, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, India, Iran, Latvia, Ukraine, Indonesia, Croatia, Uzbekistan, China, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan. Today, the University is the largest center of education, research, and creative activities, preserving traditions while remaining open to innovation. The university's history continues to unfold.

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