“Flipped classroom” as a new method of teaching Russian in Chinese universities: Sichuan University experience

This article describes the implementation of the analytical project introducting the “Flipped classroom” method into teaching the Russian language in Chinese universities. The theoretical foundations of the “Flipped classroom” model are presented in the article as an innovative methodology, which the authors use in the process of teaching a foreign language to increase students’ motivation and future linguists and translators’ quality of knowledge and skills. The problematic of the article is defined by the commitment to traditional nationally conditioned methods in the class modeling and teacher-student communication in China. The relevance of the study is determined by the main methods of correcting the education stages, which allow the teacher to intensify the students’ activity not only in applying the acquired knowledge, but also in getting new knowledge and skills independently. The article analyzes the experiment conducted within the course “Grammar of the Russian Language”, which revealed that the “Flipped classroom” arouses more students’ interest to the Russian language, helps to develop their speech skills and improves their ability to use a variety of language means, releases the lecturer from long hours lectures, provides an opportunity to transform the educational process. The main directions of the “Flipped classroom” are defined, the authors’ system of technologies, particularly focused videocourses created without involving programming specialists are shown. Both positive results and problems of teaching the Russian language by Chinese students with the use of the “Flipped classroom” model are considered. Comparative characteristics and the results of traditional and innovative teaching are presented. The statistical data of the students’ survey and the diagnosis of the knowledge quality, monitoring and evaluation of teaching results are given. The article presents the experience of Russian as a foreign language teaching at the Faculty of the Russian language at Sichuan University.