Difficulties in Teaching Russian as a Foreign Language for Beginners in the Context of European Multilingualism

Abstract

The geographical location of Alsace (France) and its historical relationships define language situation in the region: most students speak French as well as German, and some of them know the Alsatian dialect. Besides, contemporary standards of education and professional activity require a certain level of English proficiency from students. As a result, teaching the Russian language at the Haute Alsace University is realized in the context of the regional, as well as individual multilingualism. The paper aims to highlight several difficulties (phonetic, lexical, and grammatical) which students face in the learning process and to suggest some ways to cope with these obstacles.