Features of Implementing a Competency-Based Approach to Teaching Schoolchildren the Russian Language in the People’s Republic of China

Background. In recent years, more and more Chinese schoolchildren choose to study Russian. However, the previous concepts and methods of teaching Russian, unable to meet demands of society and the state's requirements for training specialists capable of developing cooperation with Russia in the political, economic, cultural, and educational spheres. The State standard of the curriculum for the subject “Russian Language” for senior grades of secondary schools (hereinafter referred to as the Standard) of the 2017 edition, developed by the Ministry of Education of the PRC, has been in effect for more than 5 years. Analysis of implementing the new conceptual principles underlying its new edition is highly relevant for further improvement of the model of teaching Russian in Chinese schools. Objective. The study had its purpose to evaluate the effectiveness of the implementation of the competence-based approach to teaching Russian in senior grades of secondary school in the PRC. Study Participants. The study involved 279 Russian language teachers from 130 Chinese schools, of which 245 were women (88.77%). Methods. The study used the methods of theoretical analysis, survey, and statistical data processing. Results. The content analysis of the new Standard showed the importance of forming the key competencies to improve the quality of education and the students’ personality development. The normative document for the first time defined four key competencies to be developed in students within the framework of their mastering the Russian language in senior grades of Chinese schools. An analysis of the results of a survey of Chinese Russian language teachers showed that about 90% of them highly rate its effectiveness in organizing Russian language teaching in senior grades of secondary school. Conclusions. The Standard (2017) substantiated that, in order to ensure the comprehensive personality development of young people and improve the quality of education, teaching Russian in Chinese schools should aim to develop the key competencies. The structure of the curriculum reflects the variability of educational trajectories in studying Russian in a Chinese secondary school.