Russian Language for Education

The main focus of the study of Russian Language with a view to Education is preparing an expert in the Russian language, literature, history, facts about Russia and the foundations of didactics focusing on educational activities and education where full teaching qualifications are not required. Classes are held predominantly in the Russian language.

Teaching in the combined Bachelor's degree combines attendance and

distance learning, i.e. learning takes place through educational blocks, consultations and individual preparation of students. Part-time study is supported by a number of study materials in electronic format for independent work of students and distance learning.

Through studying for the Bachelor’s degree graduates gain the necessary competences that allow them to critically apply the use of their pedagogical and psychological knowledge in practice as a teaching assistant or other educational worker (e.g. free-time instructor in youth centres or after-school clubs, in various civic associations engaged in pedagogical activities) in an appropriate manner.

The studies emphasise the principle of interdisciplinarity (interconnection of some pedagogical and psychological subjects); the principle of sequence and gradation of themes and courses, from the more general to the more specific. The concept is also characterized by the interdependence of theory and practice. An important part of the concept is the reflective teaching practice. The principles of reflection on teaching practice and self-reflection are related both to practice and to other experience-oriented subjects. An important part of the concept is also the promotion of inclusion, which is perceived as a cross-curricular theme (also supported by a separate course).

After successfully completing his/her studies the graduate is able to:

• master the spoken and written language at level B2 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages;
• use basic theoretical knowledge and practical skills in phonetics and phonology, orthography, morphology, lexicology, vocabulary, syntax and stylistics of Russian;
• develop their knowledge of Russian history, culture and Russian culture, to build on its current views and compare them with domestic and world development;
• understand the cultural peculiarities and to accept them in contact with each other;
• insert knowledge of Russian literature in to the general conception of European and world literature;
• use a combination of different methods and forms of teaching, including modern methods and modern information technologies;
• apply basic specifics of working with pupils with special educational needs in Russian language teaching;
• collaborate with the various teachers in the school, to plan, implement and reflect the sequence of teaching and activity in relation to the appropriate school curriculum;
• describe and analyze the teaching or educational situation using the terminology and rules of effective pedagogical communication and propose its alteration;
• use self-reflective skills to reflect their actions: for example, to better justify and evaluate their arguments, to name their emotions and their connection with the action, or to critically view their own attitudes towards education;
• use basic methods and tools of pedagogical diagnostics in practice to support differentiation and individualization in teaching, thus gaining data available for individual pupil / client support;
• formulate their own concepts of education that they would like to apply in their future profession, this concept underlies the arguments of theory and practice;
• explain the basic principles of inclusive and special education; to reflect their attitude towards diversity and its influence on their own pedagogical practice;
• explain the basic concepts of developmental and social psychology and to identify possible developmental difficulties or difficulties in social competences or pupil adaptation at school.

Graduates have basic specialized education with a field-didactic component and are ready for the follow-up Master's degree in Teaching of the Russian language and literature.

The graduate can work as a teaching assistant, and also may work as a language instructor in free-time centres, summer camps with language teaching, as well as a language animator in kindergartens as a teaching assistant or an employee in after-school clubs and other free-time groups. They can also find work as an instructor in the unspecialized teaching of adults (eg. in company courses).

• Teacher´s assistant

Reflected teaching practice is an obligatory part of the studies for graduation. The system of teaching practice is long term and systematic, aimed towards developing the professional skills of the student and preparing them for the role of assistant teacher.

The teaching practice consists of a coherent system of consecutive subjects, which are taken from the third to the fifth semester of the degree. These are the subjects teaching assistant practice - tutoring 1, teaching assistant practice - tutoring 2, consisting of individual tutoring (60 hours), teaching assistant practice - teaching assistant 1 (60 hours) and teaching assistant practice - teaching assistant 2 (60 hours) and teaching assistant practice – teaching assistant 3. Overall, there 180 hours of teaching practice.

In the third and fourth semesters, the teaching practice is followed by the subjects self-experiential preparation for the profession 1 and self- experiential preparation for the profession 2, in which the students of the teaching assistant practice reflect (24 hours). Their aim is to enable students to have real experience with selected themes (see seminar topics) regarding personal and professional development through experiential learning with an emphasis on reflection; to encourage students to gradually take responsibility for their own learning process (self-directed learning); to enable students to become aware of and, if necessary, to revise their attitudes towards their future profession.

The standard bachelor's thesis is min. 45 standard pages, i.e. 81 000 characters including spaces (without attachments). The student chooses the topic of his final work from the following areas: linguistics, didactics, literature, history of Russia, Russian culture and civilization.

More detailed information and instructions for preparing the bachelor thesis are available at the Department's website: http://katedry.ped.muni.cz/rustina/informace-pro-studenty/pokyny-k-vypracovani-zaverecnych-praci-na-krjal.

Students can also choose the subject of a bachelor's thesis at the Department of Education, more detailed information can be found at the Department's website: http://katedry.ped.muni.cz/pedagogika/zaverecne-prace.

Graduates are ready to continue in the follow-up Master's programme or in other degrees in the Russian language and literature.