A Chinese student Gu Aiying: "Once again it was right decision to study at St Petersburg University"

St Petersburg University is one of the most popular universities among Chinese students, and an increasing number of students wish to study in it.

A Chinese student Gu Aiying (born in Jiangsu province) study at the “Theory and methods of teaching (Russian as a foreign language)” aspirantura programme of St Petersburg University. During the interview, Gu Aiying shared with us her experience of learning the Russian language, told us why she chose St Petersburg University to continue her education and spoke about difficulties she faced during her studies.

Why did you choose Russian to study?

First of all, when I was an undergraduate student, there was a Russian language programme provided an opportunity to study abroad for free. Secondly, I wanted to choose a new specialisation to learn it from scratch. Many of my fellow students have already studied foreign languages before entering the University. Usually they studied French, German, Spanish, Japanese, Korean, but not Russian, because it is rarely taught in language schools. I wanted to be at the same level as other students, so I decided not to choose widely used languages. Furthermore, I took into account good relations between Russia and China, providing better employment opportunities. Lastly, training, accommodation and food is cheaper in Russia than in other European countries.

While studying in China, which subject did you enjoy the most and why?

My favourite subject was Russian listening class because I was falling behind in it. During listening exam, it was necessary to listen Channel One Russia news, but I could not understand spoken Russian and did not study on my own. That is why I needed listening class to improve my Russian language skills. Also, I liked listening exercises in political topics.

Based on your learning experience, how is the educational system of Russia different from the Chinese system?

As for the Russian language studying, I can say that Russian teachers focus on practice and development of listening and speaking skills, while Chinese teachers pay more attention to theoretical aspects and grammar. I have not noticed any other differences between Russian and Chinese educational systems.

What were your wishes and dreams when you were applying for the aspirantura programme? Are your dreams and wishes remained the same today?

Above all, I wanted to master methods of teaching and become an outstanding Russian language teacher, receive PhD degree because it is essential condition to get a teaching position. At the same time, if I become a self-employed teacher, the PhD degree will distinguish me from other teachers and make my CV more attractive. When I started studying at aspirantura programme, I dreamed about participating in various university activities, publishing articles and becoming a teacher at an university. Now I am working as a Chinese teacher, and dreaming about improving Chinese as a foreign language teaching system and publishing a book on this subject.

Why did you choose St Petersburg University to study?

It is generally recognized that St Petersburg University is one of the top universities in Russia, and I always dreamed to study in it. While studying for a master degree I also talked to SPbU aspirantura students of that time to learn more about teachers in “Theory and methods of teaching (Russian as a foreign language)” programme. They provided me a lot of information about teachers, and once again, I felt good about my decision to study at St Petersburg University.

Learning environment here is incredibly good, and I want to thank one of my teachers, Leonid Moskovkin. He taught me a lot. Also, he is very polite, patient with all our questions.

Could you please tell us about the advantages of studying at St Petersburg University?

St Petersburg University holds many extracurricular activities for students, provides access to specialised databases and has a high-calibre teaching staff.

What challenges do you face during your aspirantura studies and how do you overcome them?

The challenge I am facing now is writing a thesis because it is very time consuming. While writing a doctoral thesis I often find parts of the thesis that are not perfect enough, rewrite it, analyse and think it over. As for overcoming of these challenges, first of all, you should actively contact with your PhD supervisor, devote much time for writing the thesis, because, after all, it is not a matter of one or two days.

What are you going to do after graduation?

After graduating from SPbU, I plan to continue teaching Chinese. Also, I would like to try to work in a company to acquire experience of working in group.