Russian language for foreign students at the preparatory faculty
ForeignCitizenshavebeenstudyingatMoscowStateUniversityofMedicineanddentistrysince1950s. Therefore, the Preparatory Faculty was set up to teach non-Russian-speaking students the Russian language so that they could study at Russian universities specializing in natural sciences, including medicine.
Young people from more than 60 European, Asian, African and Latin American countries have been studying at the Preparatory Faculty of MSUMD.
Russian is taught at the Russian Language Chair on the basis of the original program of the PF in accordance with the State Standard. The average course lasts 720 hours.
Russian is taught directly (Russian/ Russian) as well as through a, so called, “mediator language” (for instance, English). The program comprises two items, namely: basic command of the language (everyday use and social and cultural spheres of communication) and professional command / scientific style (the sub-language of mathematics, chemistry, physics, biology, normal physiology, anatomy).
The Faculty provides the students with modern text books as well as other materials, many of which were written by the members of our chair as they required specific, deeper study of various aspects of the language. We have worked out various language programs with the emphasis at physics, chemistry, biology - the subjects which the students will study deeper later, at the university.
At the early stage, for better comprehension and visibility, our Chair has created a wonderful collection of video and audio material, comprising more than 100 items. These are materials for laboratory works for the introductory course of phonetics, tests, educational movies about Russia as well as movies based on the Russian classical literature.
We also attach great importance to the foreign students’ adaptability to the Russian history, culture, customs and traditions. Guided tours “Moscow,” “The Red Square and the Kremlin,” “The Moscow Metro,” “Our Region,” “The Tretyakov Gallery” and others are included in the compulsory program for our students. Each tour is being prepared thoroughly from the linguistic point of view and with the use of the materials of the chair.
The Russian language is also taught to those students who plan to do their further postgraduate studies at MSUMD or other Russian medical universities. The program includes 600 for university graduates and 1000 hours for residents. Theprogramsarespecificallydesignedfordifferentpurposes. Therefore the chair has worked textbooks on various specializations, such as orthodontics, orthopedy, dental surgery, pediatrics, medical radiology, general surgery, neurosurgery, etc.
Teaching in small groups (6-8 people) provide the opportunity of paying more attention to each student, through individual work.
Systemic, multidimensional work and individual approach of the teachers of the Preparatory Faculty provides good results which is clear according to the results of the exams, remarks of the graduates and their teachers of different preclinical and clinical subjects at the university.
The level of the Russian language command of PF graduates corresponds to the First certificate according to the Russian Certified System – Russian as a foreign language (ТРКИ/TORFL) - which provides the opportunity for the PF graduates to take and pass the exam for an international Certificate of the Russian Language command at the Russian Language Test Centre for International Students of MSUMD.