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Russian Language Journal

Keywords

functional grammar, functional-semantic fields, Russian as a foreign language, advanced-level instruction

Abstract

The article Teaching Russian Grammar to Advanced Students (Instructional Observations) discusses current issues in the development of control of grammatical structures by American students of Russian who have achieved Level B2 and are training to Level C1 (ILR-3/3/3) in preparation for the TRKI-3 and Flagship certification exams. Particular attention is paid to the use of a functional-communicative grammar (FCG) and the functioning of language tools at various levels, taking into account the principles of pedagogical consistency and linguistic complexity.

Examples are presented of the algorithms used to organize the presentation and sequencing of course content material with the goal of highlighting the benefits of a systematic study (at this level of proficiency) to the peripheral structures of the FCG, particularly regarding implicitly expressed relationships. Examples include activization of primary and secondary imperfectives and prefixation by students in their own spoken and written statements as well as the importance of maintaining a positive emotional and psyсhological classroom context for this work.

Finally, the article addresses issues related to the selection of grammatical phenomena relevant to the requirements and standards of Level 3 proficiency, student self-monitoring, assessments, error analysis, implicit and explicit approaches to the language material under study. Challenges in the preparation of students at this level are identified and ways to address them noted.

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