Formation of phonetic skills in the process of learning to read: The development of a workbook on Russian as a foreign language for Arabic-speaking students

The purpose of the study is to identify the relationship between the effectiveness of the formation of sound-speaking skills in the process of learning to read in Russian and the use of educational materials prepared taking into account the peculiarities of phonetic interference among students who speak different dialects of the Arabic language. The article analyzes the teaching methodology implemented as part of a pedagogical experiment, which is aimed at developing the phonemic hearing of students during their mastering of reading techniques at the initial stage of learning the Russian language (level A1), when sound-speaking skills are formed and automated. It actively contributes to the successful transition to correct, fluent and conscious reading aloud in the future (level A2). Thus, the authors studied Russian vocalism in the speech of Arabic-speaking students, revealed the connection between errors of sound pronunciation and the features of Arabic vocalism (taking into account dialect features), phonotactics, structural features of the Arabic syllable; prepared, tested and supplemented training materials with tasks to correct identified errors and methodological guidelines for teachers. The use of the publication of these materials and its results was analyzed. The scientific novelty of the research lies in the development and substantiation of the effectiveness of the technology for the formation of phonetic skills in the process of learning to read: firstly, the use of some traditional speech therapy techniques during the experiment; secondly, the presentation of specially prepared comparative explanations to students in an accessible form and the teaching of elements of linguistic analysis which, as established by the authors, contributes to the removal of many pronunciation difficulties in learning to read and increases its effectiveness. The result of the study: the development and use of educational materials prepared taking into account the peculiarities of phonetic interference, make it possible to predict possible pronunciation difficulties and modify the learning process of Arabic-speaking students, improve the methodology of using teaching techniques that effectively form reading techniques, prepare a workbook for publishing, including tasks for correcting errors in the reproduction of vowel sounds of the Russian language specified by the peculiarities of Arabic vocalism, phonotactics, as well as the specifics of the structure of the Arabic syllable. The described experiment demonstrates the learning outcomes corresponding to the planned ones and shows the expected dynamics of the development of reading skills.