Creating the English-Medium Learning Environment in Middle Schools

The paper deals with the idea of creating the English-medium learning environment in middle schools as means of improving students' English language command via learning motivation throughout their school years. The analysis is based on the research into learning environment by Russian and international scholars on the issue. The empirical part of the research is based on the analysis and interpretation of best teaching practices of some schools in the Republic of Tatarstan, which have successfully introduced English-medium learning environment in their institutions. The leading approach used by the authors is observation and classification of investigated material, interviewing, collecting, analyzing and synthesizing the data, received via interviews with teachers and school administration. The authors come to the conclusion that English-medium learning environment allows to successfully maintain to sufficiently improve school students' foreign language command and nurture learning motivation. The materials of the research may be applied by researchers and teaching staff who are interested in creating English–speaking academic environment in their educational institutions.