Philological Class
ISSN 2071-2405 (Print) | ISSN (on-line) 2658-5235

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A Transition to University Teaching of Russian as a Foreign Language: Comparison of Students’ Expectations and Reality

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Рубрика: RUSSIAN AS A FOREIGN LANGUAGE: TEACHING CHALLENGES
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DOI: 10.26170/2071-2405-2025-30-3-196-205
Abstract: The article addresses the problem of first-year students’ adaptation to university studies within the “Russian Studies” program. The aim of the study is to identify students’ expectations at the beginning of their studies and to analyze their correspondence to reality after the first semester. The research method is based on a two-stage questionnaire: the first stage was conducted at the start of the semester, the second after the examination session. The participants were full-time students, mostly recent high school graduates. The analysis focused on seven aspects: differences in the level of difficulty between school and university; use of school knowledge; students’ confidence in academic success; expectations of support; time allocated for preparation; fears and difficulties; and learning outcomes after the first semester. The results show that students enter university insufficiently prepared for theoretically demanding studies, face difficulties in managing a large volume of new material and rarely use targeted forms of support. A significant part of the group experiences crisis during the examination period, and the dropout rate remains high. The findings may be applied in the development of methodological, tutoring, and psychological support measures, as well as in the adjustment of curricula. The conclusion emphasizes the need for broader and longitudinal studies.
Key words: higher education institutions; students of Russian departments; first year students; education process; RFL; Russian as a foreign language; methods of teaching Russian; methods of teaching Russian at university; adaptation of first year students; Russian studies; student questionnaire; students’ expectations; difficulties of learning; academic standing; support for students

Для цитирования:

Догнал, Й. Переход к вузовскому обучению русскому языку как иностранному: сопоставление ожиданий студентов-русистов и реальности / Й. Догнал, Т. Занько. – Текст : непосредственный // Philological Class. – 2025. – Vol. 30 • No. 3. – С. 196-205. DOI 10.26170/2071-2405-2025-30-3-196-205.

For citation

Dohnal, J., Zaňko, T. (2025). A Transition to University Teaching of Russian as a Foreign Language: Comparison of Students’ Expectations and Reality. In Philological Class. 2025. Vol. 30 • No. 3. P. 196-205. DOI 10.26170/2071-2405-2025-30-3-196-205.

About the author(s) :

Josef Dohnal

University of St. Cyril and Methodius in Trnava (Trnava, Slovak Republic)

ORCID ID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0763-5784

Tat’ána Zaňko 

Masaryk University (Brno, Czech Republic)

ORCID ID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0346-9870

Publication Timeline:

Date of receipt: 10.09.2025; date of publication: 31.10.2025

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