Intermediary languages at the stage of pre-university training

Abstract

The article considers the intermediary function of languages used at the stage of preparation of foreign applicants for admission to Russian universities. In a situation when the majority of foreigners’ proficiency of the Russian language is not satisfactory, the process of studying special disciplines is significantly slowed down, and the lack of subject knowledge does not allow foreign students to successfully master their chosen specialty. In order to overcome these difficulties and solve the problem of providing students with initial subject knowledge, various forms of presentation of the material are used, but often they can be effective only if an intermediary language is used in the classroom – a common language that is more or less familiar to all the participants in the educational process. For this purpose, English is more often used in modern education. The choice of English as an intermediary language is explained by the role it plays in international communication and its wide representation in the educational process. Since there are different views in linguodidactics on the ways, methods, and “order” of introducing foreign language knowledge, special attention is paid to the expediency –inexpediency of using an intermediary language at different stages of teaching Russian in groups with heterogeneous ethnic composition. The conclusion is made about the importance of the designated problem and the need for its further development within the framework of ethnolinguistics and linguodidactics.