Implementation of a Nationally Oriented Approach in Working with African Students: From the Experience of Working with Ivorians
Author:
Gaponova Zh.K., Serogodskaya А.А.
Abstract:
The active development of cooperation between the Russian Federation and African countries has led to an increase in the number of African students in Russian universities and the establishment of Open Education Centers in Africa, overseen by pedagogical universities in Russia. These strategic partnership relations necessitate a reassessment by the academic and pedagogical community of both educational practices with international students and the substantive aspects of teaching Russian as a foreign language (RFL), including the enhancement of national-cultural and practice-oriented components in language instruction. Given the need to foster a positive attitude among foreign students towards the Russian language and culture, as well as to strengthen their motivation for obtaining a Russian education, the search for effective teaching practices for RFL instruction among foreign students—particularly those from Africa, specifically Côte d’Ivoire—becomes highly relevant. This study aims to describe the effective methods and techniques for teaching Russian as a foreign language that have been tested by the authors, taking into account the ethnocultural and ethnopsychological characteristics of Ivorian students and creating favorable conditions for promoting the Russian language. The article offers practical recommendations for RFL teachers who engage in educational activities on the African continent or work with African students in Russia. The experience described in this article will help address certain linguodidactic challenges encountered in educational settings with African audiences. The implementation of the system developed and applied by the authors for teaching Russian to Ivorian students has demonstrated that high effectiveness can be achieved by considering specific characteristics of the African audience, such as emotionality, musicality, and artistic expression, as well as leveraging information and communication technologies that accommodate the multifaceted needs and interests of learners.
Keywords:
Russian as a foreign language, RFL teaching methodology, Ivorian students, nationally oriented education system, Africa, Côte d’Ivoire
DOI:
10.31132/2412-5717-2025-71-2-123-134
References:
1. Arefyev A.L., Maksimenko A.F. (2018). Africa as a promising supplier of students to the global education market (the experience of teaching Africans in the USSR and the Russian Federation). In: Education and science in Russia: the current state and potential of development. № 3. Pp. 409–435. (In Russ.)
2. Asante K.W. (1996). (Ed.). African Dance: An Artistic, Historical, and Philosophical Inquiry. Trenton: Africa World Press.
3. Baranchuk N.A. (2009). The Russian language in Senegal: the current state. RUDN Journal of Language Education and Translingual Practices. № 3. Pp. 40–44. (In Russ.)
4. Calabrese S., Conti V., Broglia L. (2021). Elogio della visual literacy. Enthymema. № 27. Pp. 90–113. https://doi.org/10.13130/2037-2426/15084
5. Deponyan K.A. (2015). A nationally oriented approach to teaching Russian as a foreign language abroad (using the example of Korean universities). Theory and practice of social development. № 4. (In Russ.)
6. Djandue Bi Drombe. (2024). L’allemand et l’espagnol comme langues étrangères en Côte d’Ivoire. Akkunda Scientific. № 3. Pp. 96–111.
7. Eco U. (1989). The Open Work. Cambridge: Harvard University Press.
8. Erokhina T.I. (2023). Aesthetics of the visual in modern culture: the phenomenon of the silent book. Yaroslavl Pedagogical Bulletin. №. 4 (133). Pp. 195–203. (In Russ.)
9. Gaponova Zh.K., Serogodskaya A.A. (2023). The rhythmic approach to linguistic and didactic material among African audiences while teaching Russian as a foreign language: from an empirical perspective. Russia – Africa 2023: The paradigm of Education. Proceedings of the International scientific and practical conference, Yaroslavl, December 14-15, 2023. Yaroslavl: YaGPU. Pp. 49–59. (In Russ.)
10. Gaponova Zh.K., Serogodskaya A.A. (2024). Organizational and pedagogical aspects of the realization of the educational mission of the Ministry of Education of Russia: teaching African students Russian as a foreign language in Côte d’Ivoire. Modern Pedagogical Education. №. 1. Pp. 92–97. (In Russ.)
11. Gribanova V.V., Zherlitsyna N.A. (2008). Teaching student from African countries in Russian higher education institutions: issues and prospects. In: Balezin A.S. (Ed.). Africa: the continent and the Diaspora in search of themselves in the 20th century. Moscow: Institute of World History. Pp. 58–70. (In Russ.)
12. Kholmanskikh Yu.S., Verisova A.D. (2019). Features of nationally oriented RFL education (on the example of Chinese students). Russian Studies Without Borders. Vol. 3. № 1. Pp. 74–79. (In Russ.)
13. Kouame K.M. (2020). Vers une prise en compte de la diversité linguistique dans l’enseignement du/en français dans les classes en Côte d’Ivoire. In : Kouame K., Manda D. (Ed.). L’enseignement-apprentissage en/des langues européennes dans les systèmes éducatifs africains: place, fonctions, défis et perspectives. Paris : Observatoire européen du plurilinguisme. Рp. 231–245. https://doi.org/10.3917/ oep.kouam.2020.01.0231
14. Kouame K.M. (2024). Afrique subsaharienne de l’Ouest/Côte d’Ivoire : pour une école moins exclusive des réalités socioculturelles et linguistiques locales. Administration et Éducation. № 181. Рр. 41–47. http://doi.org/10.3917/admed.181.0041
15. Kozhevnikova E.A. (2022). “The Silent Book” as an object of visual reading. In: Avgul L.A., Akhremchik M.P., Galkovskaya Yu.N., Romanova Zh.L. (Eds.). Library in the 21st century. Social mission. Proceedings of the XIII International Scientific and Practical Conference of Young Scientists and Specialists, Minsk, March 24–25, 2022. Minsk: Kovcheg. Pp. 317–323. (In Russ.)
16. Kozhevnikova M.N., Dudina E.F. (2021). On the use of the terms “ethnically oriented” and “nationally oriented” in the methodology of teaching foreign citizens. Scientific Notes of Turgenev State University of Orel. Series: Humanities and Social Sciences. 2021. № 2 (91). Pp. 224–227. (In Russ.)
17. Nelzina E.N., Panina E.Yu., Lugovtseva E. (2016). Dramatic and theatrical pedagogics in foreign language lessons. Bulletin of the Perm State Humanitarian Pedagogical University. Series № 1. Psychological and Pedagogical Sciences. № 2–2. Pp. 125–130. (In Russ.)
18. Radchenko G.L. (2010). Intensive foreign language teaching. Bulletin of Novosibirsk State University. Series: Pedagogy. Vol. 11. № 1. Pp. 129–136. (In Russ.)
19. Sabitova A.M. (2023). A model of nationally oriented RCT education (using the example of Iranian students). Bulletin of Philological Sciences. Vol. 3. № 3. Pp. 89–93. (In Russ.)
20. Shabaiti I., Gao L. (2021). Ethnocentric learning in the system of teaching methods of RFL. Kant. № 2 (39). Pp. 441–446. (In Russ.)
21. Strutskaya A.A. (2023). Nationally-oriented RFL education for Chinese students. In: Droga M.A., Makhova A.A. (Eds.). Language as a factor of integration of educational systems and cultures. Proceedings of the XV International Scientific and Practical Conference, Belgorod, December 22, 2022. Belgorod: Belgorod State National Research University. Pp. 50–55. (In Russ.)
22. Trofimov R.V., Buxikova O.B. (2023). Rhythm in the traditional dance culture of the peoples of Africa: philosophical aspects. The mission of the faiths. Vol. 12. № 7(72). Pp. 68–77. (In Russ.)
For citation:
Gaponova Zh.K., Serogodskaya A.A. (2025). Implementation of a Nationally Oriented Approach in Working with African Students: From the Experience of Working with Ivorians. Journal of the Institute for African Studies. Vol. 11. № 2. Pр. 123–134. https://doi.org/10.31132/2412-5717-2025-71-2-123-134
Для цитирования:
Гапонова Ж.К., Серогодская А.А. Реализация национально ориентированного подхода в работе с африканскими студентами: из опыта работы с ивуарийцами. Ученые записки Института Африки РАН. 2025. Т. 11. № 2. С. 123–134. https://doi.org/ 10.31132/2412-5717-2025-71-2-123-134