Coordinator of the Project of the SUSU Pushkin Institute Centres Network in the People’s Republic of China – on the Work in China

South Ural State University continues an active work on establishment and development of the partner network of Pushkin Institute Centres in China. The coordinator of the project in the territory of the PRC, learning support specialist of the SUSU Pushkin Institute Centre Tatyana Beloglazova told on the events, which are held at the partner-universities of SUSU.  

— Could you please tell what are the main objects and objectives of the work on the development of Pushkin Institute Centres Partner Network in China?

— The main object of the project is the popularization of the Russian language on a world stage. Russia maintains long partner relations with the People’s Republic of China. Going out in the Chinese space, we do not just promote and support the Russian language but acquaint the Chinese culture people with the culture and peculiarities of Russia, creating a positive image of our country. Moreover, the work on establishing and developing the partner network of the SUSU Pushkin Institute Centres contributes to the quality enhancement of teaching the Russian language as foreign in China. It has a significant meaning for the Chinese-speaking students.

Within the frames of developing the partner network, the SUSU Pushkin Institute performs the events aimed at popularization of the Russian language. This work is partially connected with the particular feature of South Ural State University in the field of Industry 4.0. Special attention is paid to the employment of the distant technologies. Many events are held in this format — workshops, competitions, webinar, and the courses of advanced training.

— What kind of events students and teachers from China can participate in remotely nowadays? What is their significance?

— Currently, the first round of the International Online Olympiad on the Russian Language as Foreign takes place. It is held remotely; students from China sign in and begin with the first part, which is aimed at the Russian language and culture knowledge.  The second round presupposes two directions at choice: “Russian Language and History” and “Digital Technologies” (the Russian language in the field of digital technologies). Many students are interested in the Olympiad because it is a good possibility to assess their knowledge.

Pushkin Institute Centre of SUSU holds on a photo competition “Russia and China: Language – People – Culture”. Russia and China interact actively and a student can show this interaction in any of the aspects, for example, cultural, political and any other.

In addition, the Chinese-speaking people can participate in a competition of information visualization in the field of digital technologies. Students have to choose any of the notion in the Russian language connected with information technologies, translate it into the Chinese language and explain. Moreover, one should give several sentences in Russian with this word and make a visualization using images, numbers and so on. This is a more complicated and creative work, which requires additional knowledge in the sphere of information technologies.

Recently, an advanced training course “Creation of the Author’s Electronic Course on the Russian Language as Foreign” was launched for the colleagues from China who teach Russian. Except for learning the methodology of the Russian language as a foreign language, the trainees of the course will create an electronic course fragment devoted to a specific topic, for example, to the category of nouns gender. The fragments of the author’s course created by the participants will take part in the competition of projects. These events are very useful for colleagues from China who teach Russian as foreign or teach other disciplines in the Russian language. In the course of webinars and workshops, a Russian-speaking teacher can help to correct the students’ pronunciation, work out the difficult sounds, and advice any tasks. Our teachers of Russian as foreign have rich experience in this direction as the SUSU Pushkin Institute has been carrying out the advanced training courses for the teachers at the PRC universities for several years.

— Could you please tell on the work exactly in the People’s Republic of China? How is it organized?

— I carry out the work at the universities of China, which are included in the partner network of the SUSU Pushkin Institute Centre. Particularly, recently I have carried out a meeting with the students of the Russian Language Faculty at Tianjin University of Foreign Languages. They learned of the development of information technologies in the Russian language teaching as well as got acquainted with the events of the SUSU Pushkin Institute Centre.

I also carried out a competition on the calligraphy among the students and schoolchildren of China who has been studying the Russian language for more than one year. They got special sheets where they had to check their skills in calligraphy and perform the tasks referring to the alphabet. Due to participation in the competition, a student realizes that development of the Russian language is a long historical process. Now the specialists of Pushkin Institute Centre check the materials.

— How do you assess the students’ reaction who took part in the events of Pushkin Institute Centre?

— The students’ reaction is very positive because these events are very creative and they help to study the Russian language and culture. In addition, the participants are awarded prizes and certificates for participation and victory in the Olympiad.

— Was it easy to adapt for the work in the entirely new cultural circumstances? What did contribute to the quick adaptation?

— Of course, Asia is a unique space. People in Chine are very open and sincere; they are always ready to help. At the same time, one can consider them noisy and even impolite, but it is not true — they just have another set of mind, other traditions and one should be ready for that. This country has a rich culture and spirit and as soon as you come there, you wonder its depth. As for the communication with the Chinese-speaking people, I did not have any difficulties as I studied at South Ural State University in the specialty of “Regional Studies. Asian Research” and participated in the students exchange programme. I spend one year at Heihe University, what presupposed study with the Chinese teachers, language practice with the Chinese students and preparation of course papers in some disciplines. Relatively, it provided me with a good language base.

— What are the nearest plans of Pushkin Institute Centre within the frames of the project?

— The nearest plans include workshops on phonetics at Tianjin University of Foreign Languages. It will be held in November; the SUSU Pushkin Institute Centres specialist will present a methodology, which will be discussed with the teachers. We also plan the webinars on different topics, the second round of the International Online Olympiad on the Russian Language as Foreign and other distant events. Next year both in Russia and China with the participation of the SUSU Pushkin Institute Centre, there will be held a Nationwide Dictation Quiz as well as Day of the Russian Culture and other various events.


For your information:
The work is being carried out in the frames of the project “Creation and Development of the Centres Network (not less than 8) of Pushkin Institute in the People’s Republic of China on the Basis of Organizations Providing Education in the Russian Language” within the frames of the event “Grants for the Realization of Events Aimed at the Full Functioning and Development of the Russian Language” of the main event “Development of the Open Education in the Russian Language and the Russian Language Teaching”.

Azaliya Sharafutdinova
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