Teachers took a course at BS BRICS on integrated teaching of Russian as a foreign language
Baikal School of BRICS launched for the first time the courses "Subject-Language Integrated Teaching of Russian as a Foreign Language". The event, organized in a mixed format on January 23-24th, interested about 50 teachers from different regions.
The organizer of the project is the Department of Humanities of BS BRICS, which is headed by Svetlana Latysheva. According to her, the aim of the courses is to improve the skills and literacy of teachers in educating international students.
"The integration of language courses and science content is in high demand. However, most subject teachers and foreign language teachers are only passionate about their fields. This affects the adaptation of international students and doesn't allow students to fully master the material. The courses aim to pump up the teachers' communication with such students.
We were pleased with the response and intend to launch the courses during the summer vacations. Also, all the materials of the pilot project will be uploaded on the digital platform of the Center for Open Education "Middle of the Earth," says Svetlana Latysheva.
Over the two days the participants were trained in four blocks. They learned about the specifics of teaching engineering, humanities and natural sciences to foreigners. Then teachers learned how to develop electronic educational resources in the Moodle system.
According to Zhargalma Mayurova, associate professor of the Department of Humanities, subject-language integration is one of the most important approaches in teaching Russian as a foreign language:
"Teachers' expertise in this area will affect the knowledge of foreign students. Teachers need to find common ground with students through various methodological techniques".
Irina Solovyova, a specialist in educational and methodical work of the Department of Foreign Languages № 2, visited the classes as a free listener:
"There are a lot of foreign students studying at INRTU, so every employee needs to know how to communicate with them.
Besides, the courses at BS BRICS were useful for me as a part of my Master's program. At the moment I am mastering pedagogical language education at the Irkutsk State University".
