The Turkmen National Institute of World Languages named after Dovletmammet Azadi is hosting educational projects — the “Teaching the Great” school for foreign teachers of Russian and the “Learning the Great” Russian language school for students.
The courses, organized by Naberezhnye Chelny State Pedagogical University (NGPU) together with the My History Foundation for the Support of Humanitarian Sciences and with the assistance of the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation, brought together more than one hundred participants, including Russian language teachers from five velayats of the country and students of the institute.
The classes are conducted by NGPU experts:
— Konstantin Kalinin, Head of the Department of Russian and Tatar Philology, Candidate of Philological Sciences, Associate Professor;
— Alexandra Potanina, Associate Professor of the same department, Candidate of Philological Sciences.
Noting the high level of Russian proficiency among Turkmen students and teachers, the experts emphasize that the main goal of the courses is interaction and the practice of spoken communication.
“The grammatical approach is important, but the primary function of a language is communication,” says Konstantin Kalinin. “The most important thing is that a person learning a foreign language should not feel a speaking barrier. Many foreign languages we know only passively, and it is essential to learn how to use them as a means of communication.”
Tailored practice-oriented materials have been prepared for participants, aimed at further application in their professional work.
“Interest in the Russian language in Turkmenistan remains very high,” notes Alexandra Potanina. “The institute’s teachers are true professionals, ready for dialogue on quite complex issues of the Russian language related to its history and etymology. The students demonstrate great curiosity and literacy. Our course is largely focused on literary texts — and the students genuinely know them.”
Upon completion of the courses, all participants will receive certificates confirming their professional development.
Guests from Naberezhnye Chelny are visiting Turkmenistan not for the first time and are consistently impressed by the beauty and cleanliness of the white-marble capital and the hospitality of the Turkmen people. As part of their visit, they explored notable cultural sites, including the “Magtymguly Pyragy” cultural and park complex and the historical landmark Old Nisa.
