TEACHING RUSSIAN TO FOREIGN STUDENTS IN A GAME ACTIVITY

This article examines the effectiveness of using game-based technologies in the extracurricular activities of international students. The relevance of the study is determined by the growing importance of communicative and linguistic competencies in the the process of sociocultural adaptation of foreign students in the Russian educational environment. The purpose of the research is to substantiate the necessity of implementing various types of games in teaching Russian as a foreign language, using as an example the activities of the “O russkom na russkom interesno!” (“Talking About Russian in Russian Is Interesting!”) club for international students at the Yelabuga Institute of Kazan Federal University. The article analyzes the methodological and competency-building potential of using lexical, grammar, and communicative games in students' extracurricular activities. It presents methodological approaches for conducting games such as “Open the Letter,” “Feet Off the Table!”, “Veto,” and “Gastronomic Lotto,” facilitating the transfer of this technology into the educational process to develop both subject-specific and cross-curricular competencies of international students. The study utilized methods for systematizing scientific knowledge, elements of definitional and lexical-semantic word analysis, and a qualitative method for observing student interactions within the club, including an analysis of their speech behavior. The authors conclude that game-based activities create conditions for the comprehensive development of linguistic, communicative, cognitive, educational, and other key competencies among international students, while also enhancing their motivation to study the Russian language and fostering deeper engagement in the educational process.