KHACHATUR ABOVYAN ARMENIAN STATE PEDAGOGICAL UNIVERSITY

The 5th scientific-practical conference “Modern Trends in Teaching Russian Language and Literature” was held at Armenian State Pedagogical University on November 27. The event brought together Russian language teachers from Yerevan and marzes (provinces). 

Welcoming the participants of the conference held on the initiative of the Representation of the Russian Federal Agency Rossotrudnichestvo in Armenia, ASPU Vice-Rector for Educational and Scientific Affairs, Srbuhi Gevorgyan, said Russia continues to spread in Armenia, yielding with its popularity only to Mother Tongue «Armenian». 

“Today Russian is spoken by over 260 million people worldwide. In 2013, it was announced that Russian is the second most used language on the web,” she said. 

Emphasizing the conduct of the event dedicated to the peculiarities of Russian language teaching, the vice-rector expressed hope that the reports will also focus on teaching objectives and methodologies, proposing new ways of solution. 

Deputy Chief of Rossotrudnichestvo Natalia Yeryomenko is convinced that the conference is the best way to provide a live interaction, surmount language barriers among schoolchildren, solve cross-cultural and intercultural communication problems and improve teaching methods and skills. 

She highlighted the cooperation with different universities, including the ASPU, stressing that various events organized on a regular basis will contribute to personal and professional growth of teachers, thereby realizing the idea of “lifelong learning” and promoting the spread of the Russian language. 

Lilia Balasanyan, Chief Specialist of the School Management Department of the RA Ministry of Education and Science, an Associate Professor at the Department of Foreign Language Teaching Methods at ASPU, suggested the Russian Company [Rossotrudnichestvo] to organize events for highs school students at the Pedagogical University and said ‘these undertakings will help them stress the importance of pedagogy and fill the ranks of people willing to become educators.’

“We really feel a shortage of good specialists. This is a serious initiative which should involve not only teachers of Armenian schools, but also teachers from Artsakh.”

Bella Yesajanyan, an academician of the Academy of Pedagogical and Sociological Science of Russia, Professor of Armenian State Pedagogical University, did not conceal that Russian language teachers have always been and still remain advocates of the language who seek to internalize Russian. 

The participants of the conference also referred to the modern trends in Russian language teaching, specifically the group method, modern explanatory dictionaries, particular characteristics of Russian language lessons, class planning with innovative methods, etc.