The use of authentic songs in teaching Russian as a foreign language on A1-A2 level

The paper deals with the problem of authentic songs’ usage at the initial stage of Russian as foreign language teaching. The inclusion of authentic materials in the educative process is an exclusive requirement of the modern methods of teaching languages: it enables to study language in its symbiotic relationship with the culture of native speakers. The well-thought-out work with authentic songs on A1-A2 level can be not less effective than on other levels, the need for it is here well established too. Nonetheless the authentic song seldom comes into use when teaching beginners, in the methodical literature this question is not often written about too. All this speaks for a low degree of development of methods of authentic songs’ using at the initial stage (including RFL). Our purpose here is to justify the need for this work, to elicit its potential. Regarding the song as a phenomenon of national culture we research its essential features, which determine its high methodological and pedagogical potential: authenticity, musical component, textual component, artistic nature and language material. Immediacy of this potential for the initial stage of Russian as foreign language teaching, as well as some ways of its realization are exemplified by song “Vasja” (music band “Bravo”).

authentic materials, authentic foreign-language song, methodological authenticity, the initial stage of foreign language teaching, Russian as foreign language, listening, foreign-language sociocultural competence, musical composition, piece of art