GROUP WORK ORGANIZING IN THE ONLINE ENVIRONMENT

Abstract. The transition to the online mode brought about many new challenges. Among them organizing efficient and well-coordinated work within the group, collaborations between students, as well as techniques to keep students motivated in the new circumstances. Before the start of the quarantine, these mentioned questions were just as relevant, since they are taken into account when planning curricula and lesson. But the new online reality has made instructors think and reorganize the activities for students to preserve the effect of the teacher’s presence in the absence of direct classroom contact, to increase the efficiency of each lesson in indirect learning and to get the planned results by the end of the semester.

One of the main functions of classes in Russian as a foreign language is social communication, as well as the consolidation of language experience through social interaction. Thanks to one of the main, and popular, features of the Zoom platform used at the University of New Hampshire, breakout rooms, group interaction was easily supported by different technology and pedagogical techniques.

The presentation proposes several types of effective practices aimed at inclusion, interaction and retention of interest in Russian language among students of different levels (A1, A2 and B1) during synchronous classes for two months.

The presentation examines types of group work for warming up, the main part of the lesson and control of speech production. Particular attention is paid to design, presentation and discussion work as the leading clusters to control the process of vocabulary and grammar acquisition, understanding of Russian culture, society and the problems discussed in the topics presented to and by students. This work is based on the principle of developing linguistic and communicative autonomy of students (gradual release of responsibility), as well as the development of independence in search, developing and presenting problems in the language they are learning. As pedagogy specialists have repeatedly noted, the experience of an emergency, unplanned transition to online teaching is different from a carefully planned online distance course.

The presentation reflects on the understanding of the spring experience, which served as the foundation for building a new trajectory for teaching groups of students in the fall of 2020. Keywords: group work, collaboration, maintaining motivation, online environment