Teaching conversational language skills to foreign students: Blended learning and interactive approaches

Abstract

The timeliness of the present study is a consequence of the changing status of the Russian language in the global communication landscape. The growing international significance of Russian requires the development of new language teaching methods. This article aims to demonstrate the effectiveness of employing a blended learning approach to teaching “Russian as a foreign language” with the use of authentic speaking situations, and to show the relevance of interactive education to the teaching of conversational language skills. The primary research method for this problem is a practical method of interactive learning that allows students to hold a constructive dialogue. The author proposes a new pedagogical genre, “convergent lecture,” which takes a different approach to the instruction of foreign students. The article explains how students’ experience of acting out potential social roles in the Russian as a foreign language classroom develops their ability to speak pragmatically in everyday, professional, and educational contexts. The findings of this article may be helpful for scholars who develop educational programs for foreign students, as well as instructors interested in helping their students develop more practical communication skills in a foreign environment. © 2016 Evtyugina, Simonova and Fedorenko.