Adaptive and Student-Centred Approaches in Teaching Russian in Higher Education

The process of teaching the Russian language at higher education has undergone fundamental changes throughout the past few years, not shifting to standardised and teacher-centred approaches, but to the ones that cater to the unique needs, motives, and learning styles of students. Conventional approaches that usually emphasise only grammar and translation might not be effective in engaging learners and equipping them with communicative real-life scenarios. The current study examines the adaptive and student-focused measures that will enhance the efficiency of teaching the Russian language at the university level. The study is informed by the analysis of pedagogical literature, systematic observations in the classroom, and generalisation of practical experiences in teaching. Differentiated instruction, personalised learning paths, and the practices of self-assessment that promote the active participation of learners and encourage the autonomy of learners were specifically considered. The observed interactive classroom methods (e.g. collaborative projects, guided discussions, and problem-solving exercises) were found to positively impact speaking fluency, listening comprehension, and lexical flexibility of the students. Moreover, the introduction of the digital environment, such as multimedia materials and online learning platforms, offered the chance of self-practice and personal learning. The results show that student-focused learning methods are more effective and productive than traditional ones because they are adaptive. Combining individual approach with communicative and technology-mediated tasks will allow teachers to maintain the correctness of grammar and the use of language in real life, as well as to foster self-reliance and motivational learning. These findings can be of great help to teachers and curriculum developers wanting to streamline the process of teaching the Russian language and equip students with the necessary skills in academic, professional and intercultural communication.