How to Choose the Right Textbook for Your Students
In practice, the best textbook is often found through trial and error: this method never fails. This is especially true when a teacher starts working with a new group or gives a one-to-one lesson for the first time and does not yet know the learners. One of the key conditions for choosing the right textbook is knowing the learners well: their interests, their goals in learning Russian and their current abilities. It is also important to remember that, in the relationship between the manual and the teacher, the teacher remains the decisive factor: learners’ motivation and mastery of the material depend primarily on the teacher. Nevertheless, choosing appropriate textbooks and authentic materials is also extremely important. Let us consider the factors a teacher should take into account when selecting materials for teaching Russian as a foreign language.
THE LEARNER’S LEVEL. The textbook and additional manuals should clearly correspond to the learner’s level. However, individual language skills may lag behind the learner’s overall proficiency: speaking and writing, in particular, often require additional work. In such cases, lower-level manuals may sometimes be useful for developing those specific skills.
THE LEARNER’S AGE. Different manuals and authentic materials are suitable for children, teenagers and adults. For bilingual children and adolescents, it may be useful to use Nina Vlasova’s textbooks, from “Малышам” to “Продвинутый», various materials by Daria Kumatrenko, and Marina Niznik’s “Русский без границ”. Adult learners also differ in their preferences: some may prefer communicative coursebooks such as “Поехали”, “Точки.ру” or “Русский сувенир”. Other learners prefer textbooks in which grammar plays a central role, such as “Дорога в Россию”. Preferences may also be influenced by learners’ linguistic and educational backgrounds. There is a particular shortage of suitable materials for teenagers. For learners aged 12-13, materials from the “Сорока” textbook can be supplemented with teacher-made worksheets. For those aged 13-18, it is often better to combine communicative coursebooks with materials prepared specifically by the teacher.
THE PURPOSE OF LANGUAGE LEARNING. The choice of materials depends directly on the learner’s goals. A conversational course calls for one set of manuals, such as “Survival Russian”, “Новая Россия: 127 диалогов и самые важные глаголы для общения” and “Общаемся на русском в разных ситуациях”, whereas business Russian requires a different set, such as “Russian for Business” or “Путь к успеху”. The same applies to authentic materials. If a learner needs Russian for working with media texts, the teacher can provide articles and reports on a range of topics – for example, material from metronews.ru at beginner and intermediate levels and from gazeta.ru at advanced level. If the learner is interested in Russian history and culture, the teacher can use articles, infographics and videos from culture.ru, histrf.ru and arzamas.academy. A learner’s goals may, however, change over the course of their studies. The teacher should also avoid structuring the entire course around one narrowly defined goal, as this can make the learning process less effective.
LANGUAGE-LEARNING APTITUDE. MULTILINGUALISM. KNOWLEDGE OF RELATED LANGUAGES. Different manuals and other materials may suit learners who progress more slowly (for example, “Дорога в Россию”, “5 элементов”), learners who pick things up quickly (“Точка.ру”, “Поехали”), and learners progressing at an average pace (“Русский сувенир”). Separate manuals may also be useful for native speakers of other Slavic languages. For example, many textbooks have been designed specifically for Polish learners, taking into account the linguistic similarity between Polish and Russian and the possible effects of interference.
THE LEARNERS’ NATIONALITY. Many learners prefer to work with manuals that include explanations in their native language, especially for grammar. Italian learners, for example, can use the communicative coursebooks “Давайте” and “Мир тесен”; German learners have “Ясно” and “Мост”; and Spanish-speaking learners can use “Ruso para hispanohablantes” and “Как дела?”.
THE LEARNERS’ INTERESTS. This is especially important for private tutors, for whom concrete results and student referrals may matter. The choice of authentic material should reflect learners’ interests. For example, if learners want to develop listening skills and are interested in everyday topics, the teacher can use “Лайфхакер” podcasts in class. Advanced learners are often interested in the history of the USSR, in which case programmes such as “Намедни” and “Сделано в СССР” can be useful.
“GAPS”. If the learner is beyond beginner level, the teacher should identify which lexical, grammatical or communicative areas cause particular difficulty. For grammar, useful resources include “Живая речь”, “A Living Russian Grammar”, “Let’s Improve Our Russian”, “Luggage” and “Трудные случаи русской грамматики”. The same principle applies to the four language skills: speaking, reading, writing and listening. For example, if the learner’s listening skills need further work, the “Живой русский язык” books, which are based on authentic audio material, can be useful. For writing practice, books such as “Мои первые строки по-русски”, “Учимся писать по-русски” and “Золотое перо” can provide effective practice.
THE QUALITY OF THE MANUALS AND AUTHENTIC MATERIALS. The teacher should check the quality and suitability of the materials and ensure that they contain no serious errors. This is particularly important when selecting authentic materials from external sources; manuals should also be checked for accuracy and suitability. It is advisable to use reputable, established sources, such as the cultural and historical websites mentioned above and well-known news sites including lenta.ru, gazeta.ru and echomsk.ru.
Author: Yulia Amlinskaya, teacher of Russian as a Foreign Language and administrator of the “RFL Teachers” professional community.