Director of the Language Testing Centre: ‘As before, St Petersburg University is in the vanguard of promoting the Russian language and culture across the globe’

Could you please tell us about last’s year results? What were your goals and tasks for 2022? Did you manage to accomplish everything that you set out to do?

The events of 2022, once again, fundamentally changed the reality in which we live by and operate in. Due to the challenging international environment, the position and attitude towards the Russian language changed in many countries. However, first, this enabled us to enter new markets, and second, we were able to restructure our work so that we do not suffer tangible losses. For example, our experts expanded their commitments and the scope of their work. In addition to working on projects in the field of Russian as a foreign language, they also created a reading literacy test for the Autonomous Non-profit Organisation "Russia is a Land of Opportunity". Importantly, it is a test that aims to assess the Russian language skills of native speakers of Russian. Furthermore, the book series "I am learning Russian" by St Petersburg University Publishing House now has new additions. This is an up-to-date and comprehensive textbook "We are learning Russian" in three versions: for speakers of Dari; Arabic; and English. So far, only a textbook for beginners has been published, allowing foreigners to achieve the A1 level of Russian language skills. The Language Testing Centre is already receiving questions about when the textbook for level A2 will be released.

These examples show that our expertise and competencies are relevant not only to the field of test development in Russian as a foreign language, which is, indeed, a very narrow field. They can be applied to vast areas of activity. Not only do we gain methodological experience ourselves, but we also share it through academic cooperation and in-service professional development courses.

As for teaching and testing Russian as a foreign language, our goal was not just to hold our positions, but to increase the number of test takers and language learners as much as possible in the current challenging situation. It is safe to say that all these goals were accomplished.

Could you please share last year’s statistics? How many people took your courses in 2022? How many test sessions were conducted and what was the number of test takers? Who are the Centre’s new international partners?

Since last year, about 7,000 people have been tested in Russian as a foreign language overseas. New Russian language testing centres have been opened in countries where there were none before. Previously, we could not have imagined that we would be testing in Malaysia, Indonesia or Cameroon. I think it is worth noting that despite political tensions, new testing centres were opened in European countries as well, including: Italy; Spain; the UK; Germany; and Estonia to mention but a few. In Asia, our partner network has expanded significantly, particularly, in Uzbekistan and China, where the number of authorised St Petersburg University Language Testing Centres for Russian as a Foreign Language has multiplied.

To achieve these results, we had to learn how to solve all sorts of new challenges. Firstly, we had to find new ways to receive international money transfers — payments for test sessions from our partners abroad. Secondly, we had to find new ways to deliver certificates to test takers living abroad. After the departure of some international companies from Russia, the logistics became more complicated. Nonetheless, the test takers receive the original certificates.

In addition, the Language Testing Centre at St Petersburg University launched new distance learning courses, for which borders and distance are not barriers. Previously, we taught Russian from zero level, free of charge, in Greece and Zimbabwe. In 2022, we opened distance Russian language courses for residents of: South Africa; Mongolia; Nicaragua; and Venezuela. More recently, in early 2023, we opened similar courses in Kenya. Currently (as of April 2023), a total number of about 2,000 people are enrolled in these courses. These are some significant results that we achieved through our coordinated, consistent and sustained efforts in 2022 and prior years.

Also, at the end of 2022, we launched the online course "Preparation for a Test of Russian as a Foreign Language (TORFL-II/ B2)", hosted on the national Open Education platform. Earlier, also on the OpenEdu platform, we released a preparatory course for the exam in Russian as a foreign language TORFL-I/ B1, taught in English. Indeed, levels B1 and B2 are most sought-after among test-takers. In the near future, educational products to prepare for levels A1 and A2 exams will be released. Courses hosted on the Russian national Open Education platform are free-access.

In 2022, we also designed and delivered new distance professional development programmes for teachers of Russian as a foreign language. These include the course "Testing in Russian as a foreign language for schoolchildren at St Petersburg University: from oral communication skills to C1", focused on working with children whose parents are non-native speakers. In many international systems of language assessment, there are separate tests for assessing the language skills of young language learners. The TORFL certification system, however, does not have a test specifically designed for children. We try to address this issue. The assessment system "Everyday Russian for schoolchildren", developed at St Petersburg University, is an attempt to find the best way to spark a love for the Russian language not only in adults, but also in children, making the testing system for Russian as a foreign language more inclusive.

Another area of the Centre’s activities is the socio-cultural adaptation of migrant children who study in Russian comprehensive schools. The Centre collaborates with the "Odinakovo raznie" ("Equally Different") programme. This is a project initiated by the Charitable foundation for the support and development of education "Novyi uchitel" ("New Teacher"). In the course of joint work, experts from the Language Testing Centre at St Petersburg University developed and implemented a diagnostic test to assess the Russian language skills of children from migrant families. Additionally, we designed a course of study "Russian as a non-native language" tailored for migrant children. The course materials include teaching and learning materials, as well as tests for the mid-course and end-of-the course assessments. Also, we cooperate with the autonomous non-profit organisation of socio-cultural programmes and projects "Deti Peterburga" ("Children of St Petersburg"). For this collaboration, we conducted placement testing to evaluate children’s pre-existing knowledge of Russian.

For Russian-speaking children living abroad, the St Petersburg University Online School remains a magnificent ongoing project. The Online School offers an opportunity for school students from overseas to study 11 subjects from the Russian school curriculum under the guidance of the leading teachers from St Petersburg University. In the academic year 2022/23, the number of students reached a record figure of 2,700 people. Additionally, regardless of the restrictions, the enrolment in the Preparatory Course for international citizens at St Petersburg University also increased this academic year.

I cannot fail to mention the long-awaited 3rd International Online Olympiad in Russian as a Foreign Language held by St Petersburg University in the autumn of 2022. Over 5,000 people aged 12 to 35 from 132 countries across the globe participated in the competition. Due to the geopolitical tensions, the event was not widely covered by the media; yet, the geography of participants was still impressive.

What would you say are the Centre’s most significant accomplishments for 2022?

I would say that in the challenging times, the Centre endured the pressures, maintained its pace of development and did not lose its international partners. Obviously, our international agreements were very much in jeopardy. Academic cooperation between universities, joint research projects, internship opportunities and student mobility programmes were negatively affected by the tense international situation. Language testing, however, was less influenced by the geopolitical factors associated with the restrictions imposed on interactions with Russia. Language skills certification is a practical and pragmatic application of linguistics. It is a necessity that transcends the limitations of theoretical reasoning. It is organised to satisfy the demands for proof of language proficiency required in different situations.

How much has the demand for learning Russian changed?

There is no reduction in demand for learning Russian; yet, the Russian language learning market has changed. With regard to European countries, we see no signs of significant changes in the situation. Indeed, the market for Russian language skills continues to slow down in places where this process began a long time ago. For example, the number of test-takers from France has been gradually decreasing for years, with 2022 continuing in the trend.

There are other trends as well. The Russian language learning market is changing in line with the demand for Russian language skills in the labour market. For example, in Türkiye and China, the demand for Russian language skills in the tourism industry has increased, while in Greece and Cyprus it has diminished. The changes in the geography of tourism and logistics in general led to a redistribution in the Russian language learning market.

In 2022, St Petersburg University opened Russian language courses in South Africa. How successful is this project? What are the prospects for further cooperation in 2023?

I would like to point out that this project is being implemented in collaboration with the Embassy of the Russian Federation in South Africa. The first stream of students started in September 2022, with 50 students enrolled. In February 2023, we opened admission to the second stream and received over 900 applications. The second stream started in March 2023. We are able to meet such a high demand with the support of the Russkiy Mir Foundation, and we are committed to continuing this work.

The Russkiy Mir Foundation was established by decree of the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin on 21 June 2007. The goals of the foundation are: to promote the Russian language as Russia’s national heritage and a significant aspect of Russian and world culture and to support Russian language teaching programmes overseas.

We can state that in the relatively short period of time that we have been working in Africa, the interest in learning Russian has increased exponentially. At the beginning of 2022, when we first offered to open a course in South Africa, there were not enough applications to form a group. This is an excellent illustration of how quickly and dramatically the situation in the field of Russian as a foreign language can change.

Much work has been done by St Petersburg University in terms of promoting the Russian language in Asia and Africa. What countries in these regions are you planning to establish or enhance cooperation with in 2023?

In addition to the ongoing projects in Africa and Asia, we are seeking to develop the recently launched programme of Russian as a foreign language in Kenya and to launch similar projects in Mali, Niger, Rwanda and Tanzania. We also plan to hold professional development courses for teachers, again in conjunction with the Russkiy Mir Foundation. At present, St Petersburg University offers a course of Conversational Russian for non-native teachers of the Russian language who live abroad. The course is attended by colleagues from: Saudi Arabia; Sudan; Madagascar; Kenya; Zambia; Zimbabwe; Congo; and Egypt, who want to maintain their Russian speaking skills at a high level.

We are planning to continue educational activities in Africa and are open to cooperation with everyone who is interested in working with us. Furthermore, we believe that Russian language projects have great potential in the Asian market — not only in Central Asia, in the former Soviet republics, such as Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, but also in Southeast Asia — in the ASEAN countries.

Are there plans to launch a project in, say, South America?

Currently, the Language Testing Centre at St Petersburg University conducts TORFL exams in Brazil, where we have about a dozen partners, and also in Argentina. We are going to open Russian language distance-learning courses in Paraguay in the near future. We have trained a teacher from this country, and soon, in-person classes will be held in Paraguay. Since 2022, courses in the Russian language have been conducted for Nicaraguans and Venezuelans. In 2023, we plan not only to increase the number of students, but also to introduce a professionally-oriented course of Russian for specific purposes. Most of our students from Venezuela work in the tourism or airline industries. They need to learn Russian at an elementary level in order to interact with Russian speakers who come to Venezuela for business and as tourists. Learning the Russian language is therefore a practical necessity and a tool that would help them reach their career goals. Taking this into account, we are creating a course tailored for their needs. I can state that the activities of St Petersburg University in this area not only promote the Russian language abroad, but also contribute to the establishment of business contacts and the expansion of economic ties between countries.

Could you please tell us how the relationships with European countries are developing at this stage?

In March 2023, I was at the TORFL certificates presentation ceremony at the Representative Office of St Petersburg University in Thessaloniki, Greece. Also, at this ceremony, the winners and prize-winners of the 3rd International Online Olympiad in Russian as a Foreign Language, from among the citizens of the Hellenic Republic, received their awards. During the event, a number of upcoming projects, prepared by St Petersburg University for Greece, were announced. These include the second set of full-time free Russian language courses from beginner level upwards in Thessaloniki and a series of online lectures on contemporary Russia, which will continue two previous lecture series on the history of Russia up to the 20th century. This time, the programme will focus on contemporary art, technological advances and the economy of Russia.

The meeting results do not suggest that initial enthusiasm has waned. People are still interested and motivated to learn more about the Russian language and culture. Test sessions are held regularly. If we talk about interactions with government agencies overseas, then yes, there are difficulties. Yet, we have many partner centres abroad that continue to operate normally.

In the spring of 2022, we held professional development courses to support teachers from Serbia, the Czech Republic and Romania. We received 140 applications and a lot of positive, sincere feedback.

In other words, we still have good working relationships with our partners in European countries. Sooner or later, the circumstances leading to international tensions will come to an end. From my standpoint, we should do our best to safeguard what we have achieved so far. Wherever possible, we must progress as far as the situation allows. Instead of terminating or suspending the agreements and contracts, it is better to maintain them. Then, after the sanctions are lifted, we will not have to start from square one. We will return to the international arena and prove Russophobic ideas wrong. As before, St Petersburg University is in the vanguard of promoting the Russian language and culture across the globe.

What are other focus areas of the Language Testing Centre this year? Are there any global goals?

Every year, when I am considering plans for the year ahead, I set an ambitious goal hoping to impress the professional community with a huge new project. And usually it works. In 2023, apart from new courses for those who study and teach Russian as a foreign language, new additions to the book series "I am learning Russian" and signing new contracts for administering Russian language testing, we have held the round-table session "Updating the lexical minimums for the Test in Russian as a Foreign Language". It is a noteworthy event. On 18 March 2023, we gathered colleagues from leading Russian universities at an in-person meeting. Experts from these universities created the TORFL system as we know it back in the 1990s. Now, they raised the issue of its renovation, which received a great response among Russian language specialists. We seek to implement this initiative by forming a working group on improving the state system of testing in Russian as a foreign language. The objectives are to gradually update not only lexical minimums, but also state standards and sample tests. Also, I would like to note that in 2024, the Verbitskaya International Philological Conference, held annually by the Faculty of Philology at St Petersburg University, will finally include a separate conference track on language testing studies. Experts from the Language Testing Centre are looking forward to taking part in this event.

As for the global goals, our main mission is to stimulate interest in the Russian language and Russian culture worldwide. Equally as important is creating such an opportunity for everyone interested, no matter where they are in the world. We do our best to make the Russian language immersion exciting, teaching effective and accessible, and the knowledge assessment objective so that St Petersburg University will remain the leading organisation in the field of Russian as a foreign language.