Didactic Potential of News Videos in Russian as a Foreign Language Classes

Abstract

The article is devoted to the study of the didactic potential of authentic journalistic news videos in classes in Russian as a foreign language. By authentic materials, authors mean printed texts, videos and audio recordings that students face in everyday life – outside the classroom; at the same time, the main purpose of such materials is not to teach the language, but to transfer information and organize real communication. This kind of journalistic video material is considered in this study as a means of forming the language and socio-cultural competencies of students of the Russian language as a foreign language. The article emphasizes the specifics of this kind of educational content: the use in a large number of colloquial vocabulary, speech clichés, professional terms, words with emotional coloring, evaluative vocabulary, equivalent vocabulary, phraseological units, metaphors, quotes and reminiscences that imply knowledge of precedent texts, specific gestures, facial expressions, etc. The authors cover various approaches to the problem of using authentic texts in the practice of teaching Russian as a foreign language, determine the main criteria for selecting authentic news video materials for Russian as a foreign language lessons, depending on the level of students. The authors emphasize that it is advisable to use news videos as authentic materials in classes in Russian as a foreign language starting from the B1 level: foreign students who speak Russian at this level are able to perceive by ear and understand monological statements within the framework of current socio-cultural topics. As a practical material, the article presents an algorithm for working with news journalistic content in accordance with the level of proficiency in the Russian language, proposed samples of tasks for use in classes in Russian as a foreign language. The methodological basis of the study was the use of the following methods: a descriptive and analytical method, a method of systematization and classification, a design method, as well as a communicative methodology for teaching a foreign language.