SAINT PETERSBURG STATE UNIVERSITY
School of Journalism and Mass Communications
Global Communication and International Journalism
Manuscript
Yulia Shimf
Multimedia Edutainment Projects in Global Media
Master Thesis
Research Supervisor: Yulia V. Kurysheva,
Associate Professor, PhD in Political Studies
2
Saint Petersburg
2017
Table of contents
Introduction............................................................................................................3
Chapter 1. Global media and edutainment.............................................................7
1.1. Media globalization.........................................................................................7
1.2. Educational entertainment: origins and key concepts....................................12
1.3. Multilingual media practices and trends in foreign language mediation.......23
Chapter 2. Case studies of Deutsche Welle and Russia Beyond The Headlines..39
2.1. From cross-border news providers to language learning mediators..............39
2.2. Deutsche Welle and Russia Beyond The Headlines in the field of social
forces.....................................................................................................................42
Chapter 3. Empirical study....................................................................................56
3.1. Research methodology...................................................................................57
3.2. Preliminary study...........................................................................................60
3.3. Main stage......................................................................................................65
Conclusion.............................................................................................................77
Bibliography..........................................................................................................84
Appendices..........................................................................................................101
Appendix 1. Online interfaces of DW.com and RBTH.com...............................101
Appendix 2. German courses portfolio of Deutsche Welle – Deutsch Lernen...102
Appendix 3. Web-analytics and social media data – RBTH Education section.104
Appendix 4. Expert interviews data (April 7-24, 2017)......................................106
Appendix 5. Demographics of RBTH.com users................................................109
Appendix 6. Data from the preliminary online survey (October 15-17, 2016)...110
Appendix 7. Data from the extended online survey (April 7-26, 2017).............112
3
Appendix 8. Question for the surveys.................................................................118
Appendix 9. Interview scripts.............................................................................125
Introduction
In the last 10 years demand for different perspectives on news and current
affairs has increased 1. Availability of technology and mobility of people are
driving the international news consumption further. While big state-sponsored
organizations keep fighting for their influence worldwide, commercial news
outlets are stitching holes in their business models, and public service media are
trying to integrate innovation in news.
But even in the homogeneous global media market content still matters and
has not taken a backseat to technology and communications. Both mature media
markets with the strong public broadcasting services like Britain and Germany
and emerging markets like Russia face the audience fragmentation, overflow of
information and digital disruption. In the densely saturated media environment,
foreign-oriented media – multilingual television and radio broadcasters, print
publications and online projects – feel the urge to develop a sound content
strategy aimed at getting as many people as possible to spend as much time as
possible with their journalism.
Relevance of the topic is explained by the following observation: longterm strategic reports of the well-established media show that playing the moral
card is not a magic pill anymore, and a more personalized and customizable
1
PricewaterhouseCoopers. (2016). The Rise of Cross-Border News: An Independent Research study by
PwC UK, Commissioned by RT. URL: http://www.pwc.com/gx/en/entertainment-media/publications/
assets/cross-border-news.pdf
4
approach is needed to create value for media consumers. For international media
with a global outreach, strong national identification, multilingual and multimedia
sources, edutainment can be one of the targeted media experiences that will help
to differentiate the news provider among other media and turn a non-user into a
loyal consumer.
Novelty of the research: edutainment and especially language media
didactics have been actively embraced by educators as a strategy that facilitates
learning experience. In the media and communication studies, however,
edutainment seems to have been taken for granted as a combination of two media
functions – education and entertainment. Presented from a cross disciplinary and
practice-driven perspective, the current work aims to fills a void in the research
field and rethink ‘edutainment’ as a media experience that can be addressed to
engage media audiences and boost their loyalty.
Another novation concerns Russia’s cross-border news providers as a
newly emerged subject of media scientific enquiry and understudied subject of
the Russian language media didactics. In the globalization era, international
media still exist within the national media systems and follow their guidelines.
With multilingualism on the one hand, and English as a lingua franca on the other
hand, promotion of other national languages via media is essential.
Object: foreign-oriented international media with the strong national
identification, multilingual and multimedia content, present in the mature media
markets (Germany’s public broadcaster Deutsche Welle and its online version as a
successful model), and in the emerging media markets (Russia’s print publication
and multimedia online project Russia Beyond the Headlines – hereinafter RBTH and as a case study).
Aspect: language-learning component in a content strategy aimed at
providing edutainment experience for international audience - German as a
5
foreign language in the case of Deutsche Welle, and Russian as a foreign
language 2 – hereinafter RFL - for Russia Beyond The Headlines.
Aim of the research is to analyze language-learning initiatives taken by
globally oriented media abroad and in Russia - from the Soviet times to the
present day, in order to test Russia Beyond The Headlines as a potential provider
of Russian as a foreign language.
Tasks:
1.
To particularize edutainment as a media experience with the focus on
foreign language didactics;
2.
To study premises, challenges and opportunities for integrating Russian as
a foreign language component into the newly emerged international media
based on the experiences of mature media players abroad;
3.
To assess the potential of Russia Beyond The Headlines as an online
communicator and as a media organization to provide Russian language
learning;
4.
To propose recommendations for Russia Beyond The Headlines in
developing their content strategy for a better audience’s engagement.
Chronological framework: the period of testing RBTH.com as a platform
for RFL learning started in the fall 2016 with the preliminary survey of twenty
one non-Russian speakers and the subsequent launch of the video series
‘Russian2Go’ on rbth.com/education. The final stage of the research falls on the
spring 2017 with interviewing experts and surveying users’ preferences related to
producing and consuming RFL content.
Literature review. For the purpose of unveiling possible ramifications of
media globalization, books and journal articles by McChesney (2001), Robertson
2
Russian studies include three main fields of research - Russian as a state language (spoken by native
Russians), Russian as a non-native language (commonly spoken by CIS citizens), and Russian as a
foreign language (spoken by foreigners and expatriates).
6
and White (2007), Kellner and Pierce (2007) to name a few were examined.
Independent analytical outlook on global media by PwC consulting company
(2016) along with the strategic media plans of The New York Times (2014),
Deutsche Welle (2014), and The BBC (2015) helped to bring theoretical concepts
into practical issues. In the empirical part of the case studies, public reports of
Deutsche Welle (2013) and media kits of Russia Beyond the Headlines (2016)
allowed to discover their key strengths and weaknesses. Academic foundation of
the research regarding media functions is based on the major works by Wright
(1959), McLuhan (1967), and McQuail (2010), while national media systems
with the focus on Germany and Russia were discussed within comparative media
studies by Hallin and Manchini (2004), Kleinsteuber (2004), and Vartanova
(2012). Publications by Corona and Cozzarelli (2013), Haber (2014), Tummons
and Powell (2014) largely contributed to understanding of edutainment as a
learning experience. In the context of edutainment for media engagement,
however, studies by Youngman (2010), Calder and Malthouse (2008) with the
content strategy insights from Lavine (2015) proved to be more significant.
Books and articles by Kelly-Holmes (2013), Proshina and Eddy (2016) conveyed
about how media uses multilingualism as media content and/or employs a foreign
language for communicating to a broader audience. Theoretical aspects of
computer mediated language learning are borrowed from the works by Hoven
(1997) and Warschauer (2000), while Onkovich (2013), Bogomolov (2008),
Nummikoski (2005), and Arefiev (2012) provided detailed accounts on RFL
learning in general and RFL media didactics in particular. Laws and regulations
of the Russian Federation – federal laws, presidential decrees, targeted programs helped to understand the legal framework behind some foreign-oriented media in
Russia and explain inconsistencies within the national language policy.
7
Methodological foundation: the empirical part of the study uses a mixedmethods approach that combines quantitative methods with qualitative methods.
Quantitative methods of web-analysis and social media monitoring – Google
Analytics and Facebook - were used to measure the actual and potential
audience’s demand for learning Russian as a foreign language via online media.
Qualitative method of expert interviews were used to understand the challenges
and opportunities of Russian media in the field of social forces to produce
edutainment content with an emphasis on learning Russian as a foreign language.
Probation of the work: the abstracts ‘Multimedia edutainment projects in
global media: cases of BBC, Deutsche Welle, Russia Beyond The Headlines’
were presented at the table talks of the III Scientific and Practical Student
Conference ‘Studying Media and Communications: Theory, Practice and
Research Perspectives’, February 17 - 18, 2017, at the Faculty of
Communications, Media and Design, NRU HSE, Moscow3. The pilot project
‘Russian2Go’ was successfully implemented in cooperation with the central desk
for education at Russia Beyond The Headlines.
Structure of the work: the master thesis includes introduction, three
chapters, conclusion, bibliography and appendices.
Chapter 1. Global media and edutainment
1.1. Media Globalization
Growth of the Internet use and shifting media consumption patterns have
made traditional media more concerned with developing customizable modes of
interaction. Radio, television and print press’s monopoly on news is loosening
3 The
abstract is available at https://www.hse.ru/mediaresearch/conferenceprogram2017
8
due to the changing standards of verification and the viral nature of social media4.
That forces globally oriented media to take their online presence more seriously
than ever, cutting costs on physical production and investing more efforts into the
web development and social media. In parallel, low distribution costs have given
a rise to the supply of, and demand for cross-border news. According to an
independent study by PwC, where the ten countries were covered, including
mature markets like UK, US, Germany, and emerging markets like India,
Argentina, and Russia, people’s demand for different perspectives on news has
increased over the past 10 years5. Although US and UK sources dominate among
cross-border news consumers, which can be explained by the maturity of the
media markets and their natural reporting in English, it is emerging news
providers that have shown the biggest growth – with Russian (225%), Asian
(258%), and Middle East sources (305%)6.
Trying to understand the reasons behind the trend, analytics from PwC
defined three primary drivers – availability (technology, number of sources),
curiosity (global events, outside perspectives), and mobility (travel, expats and
emigrants)7. The three perfectly fit the broader concept of globalization, offered
by International Monetary Fund in 2000, - a historical process with four general
aspects: trade, capital movements, movement of people and spread of knowledge
(technology). The term globalization has been a mainstreaming buzzword since
the 1980s, and in the last twenty years extensive research has been done on media
globalization that varies in positions - from enthusiastic and globophilitsic
4
Chadwick, A. (2013). The Hybrid Media System: Politics and Power. New York: Oxford University
Press, p. 54
5
Ibid., p.5
6
PricewaterhouseCoopers. (2016). The Rise of Cross-Border News, p.7.
7
Ibid., p.10-17.
9
Friedman’s ‘The World is Flat’8 to critical and socialistic McChesney’s ‘The
Global Media: The New Missionaries of Corporate Capitalism’9. Cultural
globalization manifested itself in standardization of cultural experiences around
the world, including food, clothing and entertainment10. Different patterns of
standardization led to a myriad of sociological concepts - from Cocacolonization11 and McDonaldization12 to Disneyfication13 and CNNization14. The
latter two are often used as an illustrative example of globalization in media
business. In the current study, media globalization is regarded as a framework, in
which cross-border media play a key, but controversial role.
Before entering upon the controversy, it is crucial to distinguish between
cross-border, foreign-oriented, international and global media and then to provide
insights into the key trends of media globalization. Cross-border is the news that
media consumers read or watch on a regular basis that is produced outside the
country in which they currently live15. Foreign-oriented media are usually local,
8
Friedman, T.L. (2005). The World is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-First Century. New York:
Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
9
Herman, E., McChesney, R. W. (2001). Global Media: The New Missionaries of Global Capitalism.
London: Continuum.
10
Watson, J.L. (2007). Cultural Globalization. Encyclopedia Britannica. Last Updated August 1, 2016.
URL: https://global.britannica.com/science/cultural-globalization
11
Pendergrast, M. (1993, August 15). Viewpoints: A Brief History of Coca-Colonization. The New
York Times. URL: http://www.nytimes.com/1993/08/15/business/viewpoints-a-brief-history-of-cocacolonization.html
12
Ritzer, G. (2014). The McDonaldization of Society. SAGE Publications.
13
Kehoe, A. (1991). Christian Contradictions and the World Revolution. Dublin: Glendale.
14
Thussu, D. K. (2003). Live TV and Bloodless Deaths: War, Infotainment and 24/7 News. In D. K.
Thussu & D. Freedman (Eds.), War and The Media: Reporting conflict 24/7 (pp. 117-132). London:
SAGE.
15
PricewaterhouseCoopers. (2016). The Rise of Cross-Border News: An Independent Research study
by PwC UK, Commissioned by RT. URL: http://www.pwc.com/gx/en/entertainment-media/
publications/assets/cross-border-news.pdf, p. 3
10
but cater to English-speaking expats, e.g. The Moscow Times, Moscow-based
daily English-language newspaper. ‘International’ refers to affairs of two or more
countries, while the term ‘global’ deals with issues of the entire world. As for the
audience, it is hard to draw a dividing line between cross-border, foreignoriented, international and global, because the mass media have an inherent
potential to be ‘global’16. With regards to media organizations, however, the
notions ‘international’ and ‘global’ undergo the most conceptual confusions.
Media became globalized due to the market exploitation of digital
technology and the process of media conglomeration. Today global media
exemplify a few transnational corporations such as Disney, Sony, AOL-Time
Warner, News Corporation, and Bertelsmann that are highly commercialized and
wield media power to dominate the global market17. International media usually
refer to the media – radio, television, and the Internet, - that communicate to the
global audience, are often state-affiliated, serve the public and represent the
national prestige. When it comes to the media coverage and target audience, the
media under study – Deutsche Welle and Russia Beyond The Headlines, - all
claim to be global. They report on global issues in multiple languages and use
their online presence to reach out to the people worldwide. However, as long as
the media operate within their respective national media systems, their role in the
global media system remains debatable.
In the early half of the twentieth century, the BBC, Voice of America,
Deutsche Welle and a few other broadcasting services pioneered in using external
services for reporting across the borders 18. Today, however, the global market
16
McQuail, D. (2010). McQuail’s Mass Communication Theory (6th ed.). SAGE, p. 60
17
McChesney, R.W. (2001). Global Media, Neoliberalism, and Imperialism. Monthly Review. Vol. 52,
10. URL: http://monthlyreview.org/2001/03/01/global-media-neoliberalism-and-imperialism/
18
Herman, E., McChesney, R. W. (2001). Global Media: The New Missionaries of Global Capitalism.
London: Continuum.
11
situation has changed for the benefit of multinational media giants. The shift in
media influence from international to global entities can be explained, on the one
hand, by the developments in the nation-states, including extensive immigration
and multiculturalism 19, and on the other hand, by digital revolution, that peaked
as the dot-com boom in the late 1990s20. Along with the stunning level of
commercialization and media conglomeration, international media outlets – even
the most established ones - have been suffering from digital disruption. The New
York Times in its Innovation Report (2014) defined ‘digital disruption’ as a
competitive landscape in which news start-ups use innovative technology to
create cheaper alternatives to products sold by strong incumbents. According to
the ‘Timesian’ executives, the disruptors like BuzzFeed, Vox Media, Yahoo News,
and Huffington Post come from outside, target new markets and advance their
content by an enabling technology21. Sandwiched in between big corporations
and digital platforms, established media feel the urge to grow their audience and
upgrade theirs newsrooms to the digital-first level. For international broadcasters
like Deutsche Welle and print publications like Russia Beyond The Headlines, it
has been an advantage, to develop their international presence by multimedia use
and their national agenda setting. But even hereupon they risk loosing their value
in the face of information overload.
In a rapidly growing amount of information, people still have only 1440
minutes in their day. Competition for this precious time is fierce, unless media
find a way to get through the clutter and communicate their stories. While global
19
Robertson, R., White, K.E. (2007). What is Globalization? In G. Ritzer (Ed.), The Blackwell
Companion to Globalization (pp. 54-66). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley-Blackwell.
20
Hargreaves, I. (2014). Journalism: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford: Oxford University Press, p.
108
21
The New York Times. (2014). Innovation Report, pp. 16-20. URL: http://www.presscouncil.org.au/
uploads/52321/ufiles/The_New_York_Times_Innovation_Report_-_March_2014.pdf
12
media are getting more innovative and crowded, nation-states ceased to act as a
singlehanded dominant force in distributing their cultural narratives across the
world22. The BBC’s director of news, James Harding (2015), claims that
disruptive technology created the ever-humming environment, in which there is
more noise, than news23. In order to survive in the digital landscape and carry out
‘to inform, educate and entertain’, the BBC aims to go beyond broadcasting and
rethink the way it keeps people informed nationally and globally. For the BBC
World Service - the world’s largest international broadcaster, - it means opening
new language services ‘with an eye to audiences of need’ and taking advantage of
reporting in English as a global language 24.
Deutsche Welle in its Task Plan for 2014-2017 aimed at enhancing the
relevance of its programs among global decision makers, increasing the reach of
its audience from 101 million up to 150 million people, and becoming a top
international broadcaster in the world25. Among the tasks that Deutsche Welle
pursued in this four-years period, has been making its English language content
the ‘flagship’ for TV, online and social media, as well as keeping its German
online courses a main source for promoting German language26. This kind of
strategic planning has become a common practice for established media,
especially public service broadcasters, whose primary function has been recently
22
Kellner, D., Pierce, C. (2007). Media and Globalization. In G. Ritzer (Ed.), The Blackwell
Companion to Globalization, pp. 383-395.
23Harding,
J. (2015). The Future of News. The BBC. URL: http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/bsp/hi/
pdfs/29_01_15future_of_news.pdf, p. 6.
24
Harding, J. (2015). The Future of News. The BBC, p. 45.
25
Hoffmann, J. (2014, August 15). Die Aufgabenplanung. Deutsche Welle. URL: http://www.dw.com/
de/die-aufgabenplanung/a-15680839, S. 5.
26
ibid., p. 7.
13
questioned. It shows that even the most acknowledged media have to rethink their
content strategy for audience’s engagement to oppose the global oligopoly.
Being essentially multilingual, international broadcasters have been
reaching out to global audiences since their nascent stage - long before the
Internet began its expansion in the late 1990s. Because to their exclusive control
of the short wave radio transmitters and immense state support, the early
broadcasters - the BBC, Radio Moscow, and the Voice of America - could afford a
passive approach in gaining popularity with their audiences. In the global media
system, however, with the cluttered Internet and distracted mobile world,
international media need to adopt an active approach, which is not limited to
constant supply of content, online presence and digital innovations. The current
research explores, how the inherent traits of the international media, i.e.
multilingualism, national representation, and multimedia assets, can be used as a
strategy for a better audience’s engagement. Hence, the international media need
to be explored more from experiential rather than functionalistic perspective,
where the key functions of media such as education and entertainment cease to be
taken for granted and start to be regarded as valuable experiences.
1.2. Educational entertainment: origins and key concepts
In the twentieth century, communication theory focused mainly on three
concepts of mass media: power agent, social integrator, and public enlightener. As
broadcasting services facilitated the spreading of information across the world in
the early 1920s, television and radio programs have become recognized as a
valuable contributor to popular education27. Major international broadcasters –
the BBC, Voice of America, Deutsche Welle and Radio France Internationale - set
27
McQuail, D. (2010). McQuail’s Mass Communication Theory (6th ed.). SAGE, p. 50.
14
a goal, not only to provide news and information, but also to promote a national
language - British and American English, German and French respectively. Using
radio and television programming, the broadcasters offered their listeners
educational content aimed at a foreign language acquisition. The technical
advancements opened new possibilities for cooperation between emerging media
entities and national governments, keen on ensuring a public education mission
for the broadcast field they were regulating28.
Traditionally, education denotes getting knowledge and skills either under
the guidance of educators or by learners themselves. In a broader sense, education
refers to any experience that has a developmental effect on the way one feels,
thinks, and acts. In journalism and media studies, however, education is often
regarded as a directly or indirectly exercised media function. Former US Vice
President Albert Gore Jr. interpreted the education function of the media as their
responsibility to tell people, what is happening and why, explaining the meaning
of the event for the future29. Sociologist Charles Wright (1959) drew a distinction
between the intended purpose of the media activity and its consequences, and
deduced four media functions - information, correlation, continuity and
entertainment30. Wright, it bears noting, let the education function lay between the
lines, allocating its formative effect to the first three functions and intentionally
adding the new one – entertainment.
According to Wright (1959), entertainment is a function of the media that
serves to people’s amusement, diversion, and social tension reduction. But the
28
Haber, J. (2014). MOOCs. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, p. 25.
29 Alter,
J., Gore A. Jr., & Henry III, W.A. (1997). Journalism as an Act of Education. In E. E. Dennis,
R. W. Snyder (Eds.), Media and Public Life (pp. 3-4). New Brunswick and London: Transaction
Publishers, p. 3.
30 Wright,
C.R. (1959). Mass Communication: A Sociological Perspective. (3rd ed.). New York:
Random House, p. 16.
15
quantity and quality of entertaining content has been often perceived as
problematic31. Media critics blame the excessiveness of entertainment on the
media commercialization side effects, such as tabloidization of newspapers 32 and
dramatization of television news33. In the pursuit of broader audience, cost
effectiveness and advertisers, media let entertainment invade other facets, like
information, politics and education, generating new media types, - infotainment,
politainment and most notably edutainment.
'Edutainment' is a hybrid term, coined from educational entertainment,
which describes the use of entertainment media, e.g. television and radio
programs, computer software and Internet, in order to exhilarate people for
educational purposes34. Although the first known use of the word ‘edutainment’
occurred in 1973 by Robert Heyman while producing documentaries for the
National Geographic Society, the most shared concept of marrying education and
entertainment appeared earlier. In the late 1960s, Marshall McLuhan, a
sociologist of communication, prophesied edutainment as a form of
communication, saying that education must be playful and entertainment must
concurrently be educational35. In 1969, American television launched the
children’s TV series called ‘Sesame Street’, that used video and music to teach
kids math, history, and science, causing ‘dumbing down’ debates on edutainment.
Some scholars suggested that the core idea of education had been demolished for
31
Hargreaves, I. (2014). Journalism: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
32
Picard, R.G. (2004). Commercialism and Newspaper Quality. Newspaper Research Journal, 25 (1),
54–65.
33
Bird, S.E. (1998). An Audience Perspective on the Tabloidization of News. The Public, 5 (3), 33–
50.
34
Tummons, J., Powell, S. (2014). A-Z of Lifelong Learning. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Education,
p. 40.
35
McLuhan, M., Fiore, Q., & Agel, J. (2001) (first published in 1967). The Medium is the Message.
(9th ed.). Gingko Press, p. 8
16
the sake of ratings, and the way one learns was more important than what the
lesson was about36. Others tended to look on the bright side of edutainment,
praising its communicative, educative and mass coverage role in the society37 38.
The media capacity to excite audiences with edutainment content has found
its use far beyond the children’s programming. In the United States, The
Discovery Channel, The History Channel, and The National Geographic Channel
have been producing shows for adults with a considerable degree of historical
information, framing it in an entertaining way 39. In Mexico, India, Peru, Kenya,
and China, edutainment formats, like soap operas, have been widely used to
tackle serious social issues 40 and promote health, human rights and social
justice 41. When in 1971, the BBC started broadcasting telecourses for students of
the Open University - a public distance learning university in the UK - the border
between education and entertainment became eventually erased 42. From now on
edutainment media have secured its place both in households and classrooms,
facilitating two types of learning experiences - hybrid learning for students and
lifelong learning for virtually everyone.
36
Postman, N. (2009). Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business.
20th Anniversary Edition. New York, NY: Penguin Books, p. 144.
37
Gladwell, M. (2000). The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference. New York:
Little, Brown, and Company, p.100
38
Hartley, J. (2011). Communication, Cultural and Media Studies: The Key Concepts. London:
Routledge, p. 80.
39 Wang, Y.,
Zuo M. & Li X. (2007). Edutainment Technology - A New Starting Point for Educational
Development of China. 37th ASEE/IEEE Frontiers in Education Conference.
40
Perlman, H. (Ed.). (2013). Edutainment: Using Stories and Media for Social Action and Behaviour
Change. Soul City Institute. Health and Development Communication.
41
Rosin, H. (2006). Life Lessons: How Soap Operas Can Change the World. The New Yorker, June 5,
40 – 45.
42
Haber, J. (2014). MOOCs. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, p. 26.
17
Edutainment as a learning experience
Up until recently, edutainment has been slightly touched upon ether as a
media function (education) or as a side effect of media commercialization
(entertainment). Even after Marshall McLuhan’s prophesy, the earth didn’t move,
and media scholars continued taking edutainment for granted. Meanwhile, other
fields of study, such as pedagogics, social psychology, and computer science,
have actively embraced the concept of edutainment that originated from the
media. Bearing in mind the interdisciplinary nature of edutainment, it is essential
to narrow down the subject to edutainment performed by the media, i.e. in
informal settings and for the general audience. In order to avoid further
conceptual confusion, one must differentiate edutainment as media experience
from other technology-enhanced experiences, such as lifelong learning and elearning.
New technologies change the way people interact with the media and gain
knowledge. American educational theorist, David A. Kolb (1984) labeled
knowledge as ‘the combination of grasping experience and transforming it’ 43,
applying experiential learning to the whole lifespan of a human being – from
cradle to grave. The idea of lifelong learning is premised on two interrelated
actualities: as technologies change rapidly, individuals learn, how to use it; at the
same time, they use technology in order to enhance their learning.
Lifelong learning involves all learning activity aimed at knowledge and
skills improvement and undertaken throughout life. The term ‘lifelong learning’ is
widely used in the contexts beyond traditional schooling, e.g. home schooling,
adult education, continuing education, knowledge work, and personal learning
43
Kolb, D. A. (1984). Experiential Learning: Experience as the Source of Learning and Development.
Prentice-Hall, p. 41.
18
environments. Blaschke (2012) explains lifelong learning as ‘individually driven’
type of learning (andragogical) as opposed to ‘instructor-driven’ learning
(pedagogical)44. This andragogical, or self-determined, approach to learning has
become possible largely due to the advancement of digital technologies. One of
the prime examples is ‘The Great Courses’ - audio and video lecture series
produced by The Teaching Company (USA) on topics ranging from science and
mathematics to literature and foreign languages45. The programs are designed to
give lifelong learners a continuing education with no exams, homework
assignments, and prerequisites46. In order to provide users with an engaging and
immersive learning experience, ‘The Great Courses’ use multimedia and
multiplatform, which defines the program as by all means edutaining. However,
in this context, edutainment relates to the media experience in the lifelong
learning, rather than to its ongoing, voluntary, and self-motivated essence.
‘E-learning’ (or electronic learning) originally refers to the use of digital
technology in educational setting, which is frequently embedded in the
curriculum and reinforced by a government policy47
48.
In a broader sense,
however, e-learning implies any learning that uses information and computer
44
Blaschke, L. M. (2012). Heutagogy and Lifelong Learning: A Review of Heutagogical Practice and
Self-Determined Learning. The International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning.
Volume 13, No 1. Athabasca University. URL: http://www.irrodl.org/index.php/irrodl/article/view/
1076/2087
45 The
Great Courses. URL: http://www.thegreatcourses.com/
46
Martell, N. (2015, August 31). Before YouTube and Online Classes, There Were the Great Courses.
Washington Post. URL: https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/magazine/before-youtube-ando n l i n e - c l a s s e s - t h e r e - w e r e - t h e - g r e a t - c o u r s e s /
2015/08/31/30947f08-353d-11e5-8e66-07b4603ec92a_story.html
47
Corona, F., & Cozzarelli, C. (2013). Information Technology and Edutainment: Education and
Entertainment in the Age of Interactivity. International Journal of Digital Literacy and Digital
Competence, 4(1), 12-18.
48
Tummons, J., Powell, S. (2014). A-Z of Lifelong Learning. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Education,
p. 39.
19
technology as a delivery tool49 and as a specific pedagogy around the use of
technology to augment education50. It follows that, although e-learning is
inherently technology-enhanced learning, it is not necessarily include an
entertaining component (fun, game, interaction etc.). Rather on the contrary,
edutainment can be explored as a branch of e-learning that promotes leaning
through multimedia in a playful and motivating way.
Interdisciplinarity of edutainment makes it difficult to deconstruct. Most
scholars classify edutainment by the ‘education-to-entertainment’ ratio: the
content with primarily education intentions, with a high degree of both education
and entertainment, and with incidental or occasional educational value 51
52.
In
relation to a mediator’s type, edutainment may arise from personal interaction
with an educator, transmitted by TV and radio broadcasters, or occur in computer
and robotic environment53. Feuerstacke, Pilz, and Hoffmann (2005) categorize
edutainment into five modes by its ultimate learning goal: teach-tale-tainment,
tooltainment, skilltainment, simtainment, and infotainment54.
49
Higher Education Funding Council for England. (2005). HEFCE Strategy for e-Learning. URL:
http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20100202100434/http://www.hefce.ac.uk/pubs/hefce/
2005/05_12/
50
Quinsee, S. (2012). E-learning (m-learning). In P. Jarvis, Mary H. Watts (Eds.), The Routledge
International Handbook of Learning (pp. 246-255). Routledge.
51 Argan
M., Sever N. S. & Argan Tokay M. (2009). Edutainment in Marketing Courses: Findings
from Focus Group Studies in Turkey. Business Research Yearbook: Global Business Perspectives
Volume XVI, 2, 542-548.
52 Wang, Y.,
Zuo M. & Li X. (2007). Edutainment Technology - A New Starting Point for Educational
Development of China. 37th ASEE/IEEE Frontiers in Education Conference.
53 Aksakal,
N. (2015). Theoretical View to The Approach of the Edutainment. 5th World Conference on
Learning, Teaching and Educational Leadership, WCLTA 2014. Procedia – Social and Behavioral
Sciences, 186, 1232-1239.
54
Feuerstacke, T., Pilz, N., Hoffmann, D. (2005). Computerlernspiele für Kinder – Pädagogisch
wertvoll? München: GRIN Verlag.
20
Within the current research, edutainment is being organized into three
sections - content, medium, and formats that jointly deliver an edutainment
experience. Content refers to the educational information and experience directed
towards an audience55. Media embrace different types of old, new, and social
media, capable of delivering information in an entertaining way, while formats
imply the forms, designs, and arrangements of the content56. Drawing from these
three definitions, the edutainment media product can look as follows (Table 1):
Table 1
Deconstruction of edutainment
Edutainment content
E d u t a i n m e n t Edutainment formats
media
Subjects: history, geography, TV
and
radio Documentaries, soap operas, game
math, science, economics
broadcasting
shows, reality shows, puppet shows,
storytelling events
General interest: cooking,
gardening, sport, music, art
Examples:
Discovery
Channel
programs, Sesame Street, Galileo TVseries, BBC documentaries
Information
and Computer
software,
CD/DVDs,
c o m p u t e r simulators, games
technology
Examples: Great Courses DVD-series,
Die Zeit Akademie video seminars,
Languages:
speaking,
Professor Higgins multimedia courses
spelling, grammar, listening,
pronunciation
Internet and mobile Massive online open courses, mobile
technology
applications, social networks
Skills:
critical
thinking,
strategy, computer literacy,
Examples:
Coursera,
edX,
Codecademy, TED-videos, Duolingo
55
Odden, L. (2013). What is Content? Learn from 40+ Definitions. TopRank Marketing. URL: http://
www.toprankblog.com/2013/03/what-is-content/
56
Penn, C. S. (2016). What’s the difference between social media and new media?
Christopherspenn.com.
URL:
http://www.christopherspenn.com/2016/10/whats-the-differencebetween-social-media-new-media/
21
Skills:
critical
thinking,
strategy, computer literacy, Print
coding, job skills
Popular fiction magazines,
editions and supplements
special
Examples: Die Zeit Wissen, National
Geographic, GEO, Discovery
Edutainment occurs when educational content is being presented in an
entertaining way. But is it appropriate to regard media platforms and formats as
“edutaintive”? The blended concept of edutainment along with its broad
applicability triggered many speculations on this issue. Is edutainment a media
content or a medium itself? Marshall McLuhan in his chapter on education in
‘Medium is the Message’ (1967) argues that it’s not so much content, that matters
with mass media, but how people are transfixed by the medium itself 57. Following
McLuhan’s logic, it is communication technology that took up educational
matters, put it into an entertaining format and made it accessible for a broader
audience. Along with the conceptual duality of edutainment, there are other
aspects that make the classification of edutainment media and their comparative
analysis even more problematic.
•
Diverse media systems. The above-proposed table is vastly simplified
and based upon the examples drawn from the Western countries, mainly
from the US, UK and Germany. It can be explained, on the one hand, by
the early development of media systems in those countries, and, on the
other hand, by affordances of the national media systems to provide
edutainment. For example, Britain and Germany have always had strong
public-service broadcasters with an active educational role, whereas
57
McLuhan, M., Fiore, Q., & Agel, J. (2001) (first published in 1967). The Medium is the Message.
(9th ed.). Gingko Press, p. 8
22
American media are mostly market-oriented and place stronger emphasis
on entertainment58 .
•
Various media landscapes. Along with the commonly used media
typology (old, new and social media), edutainment media may also vary in
ownership (state, public, commercial), target audience (demographic,
psychographic, behavioral, geographic characteristics), coverage (local,
national, international, and global), and media regulation (authorities,
laws)59.
•
Diffusion. Many innovative ideas originate in the West, and, due to
their success, go beyond national borders60 . Thus, numerous entertainment
formats originated in the Unites States and then become glocalized in other
regions. The BBC, the world’s oldest national broadcasting organization,
undertook its mission to ‘inform, educate and entertain’ in 1922 and
became a trendsetter in edutainment policy for other international
broadcasters.
•
Multi-mediation. Combining different forms of content such as text,
video, audio, images, and interactivity, blurs the line between old and new
media. Multimedia is the future61 , and both emerging and well-established
media, be it television, radio or print, regard it as a duty to go digital and
58
Hallin, D. C., Mancini, P. (2004). Comparing Media Systems: Three Models of Media and Politics.
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp. 119-142.
59
European Journalism Centre. (2017). Media Landscapes. URL: http://ejc.net/media_landscapes
60
Kleinsteuber, H. J. (2004). Comparing Mass Communication Systems: Media Formats, Media
Contents and Media Processes. In B. Pfetsch, F. Esser (Eds.), Comparing Political Communication:
Theories, Cases, Challenges (pp. 64-86). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, p. 71.
61
Tillmann, P. (2015). 10 Trends für Journalisten von Heute. Hamburg: NextMedia. URL: http://
www.nextmedia-hamburg.de/fileadmin/user_upload/PDFs/10_Trends_fuer_Journalisten_von_heute__Pauline_Tillmann.pdf
23
enhance their online representation with video- and audio streaming,
interactive images, social media widgets etc.
Although the above-proposed classification of edutainment appears too
general, it suggests a wide range of combinations and enables to narrow down the
subject matter to a particular type of content and medium, i.e. foreign language
didactics via online media. In order to understand the specificity of this kind of
media projects, the key aspects of global media system, national media
landscapes, multilingualism and multi-mediation should be addressed further.
Edutainment as a media experience
Edutainment goes hand in hand with electronic and lifelong learning; what
began as a fun way to teach children science (‘Sesame Street’) has evolved into a
combination of media, technology, and academics. What is worth special
attention here is that while educators actively embrace media and technology to
enhance their teaching experience, media and communication studies have little
or no room for edutainment as a subject matter. Presented from a practice driven
perspective, the current work aims to fills the void in the research field and
rethink ‘edutainment’ as a media experience that can be addressed to engage the
media audiences.
Media experiences suggest how people feel, think and act when they
consume media content. The collection of experiences creates the audience’s
engagement with a particular medium, while the media themselves are able to
shape those experiences. John Lavine from the Northwestern University’s Medill
School of Journalism, denotes the three levels at which the process for creating
experiences is implemented: message (content), distribution (media, platform),
24
and strategy 62. The latter element - media strategy - is common for integrated
marketing communications that use multimedia and stay concerned with how to
better understand audiences to enhance the impact and value of the media. This
interposes content strategy between journalism and marketing, which nowadays is
exactly the case, since both commercial and non-profit media organizations have
become more than before concerned with expanding their audience 63. Another
interesting case is that media strategy has been actively used by proponents of
edutainment programming, especially when it came to producing social change in
the areas like literacy, nutrition, family planning, etc.64. It states that the
categories of motivation, such as learning and self-education, can help fuel
individual intentions to use media.
Both online and offline media provide their users with knowledge through
stories, advices, and opinions. However, keeping readers and viewers informed in
an entertaining way can engage them more effectively and enhance their
understanding of things more deeply. In 2000 – 2010, Peck, Malthouse et al.
(2010) from the Media Management Center (Northwestern University, USA)
examined multiple audience experiences of print, broadcast, and online media 65.
The Medill studies identified about thirty media experiences, including ‘civic’,
‘inspiration’,
‘high-quality
content’,
‘killing
time’,
and
‘entertainment’
experiences. The results showed that the ‘Makes Me Smarter’ experience is one
62
Lavine, J. (2015). The Content Strategy Take Back to Work Toolkit. Online Course: Content
Strategy for Professionals: Engaging Audiences. Northwestern University. Coursera. URL: https://
www.coursera.org/learn/engagement-strategy
63
The New York Times. (2014). Innovation Report. URL: http://www.presscouncil.org.au/uploads/
52321/ufiles/The_New_York_Times_Innovation_Report_-_March_2014.pdf, p. 25.
64
Brown, W. J., Singhal, A. (1999). Entertainment-Education Media Strategies for Social Change:
Promises and Problems. In D. P. Demers, K. Viswanath (Eds.). Mass Media, Social Control, and
Social Change: A Macrosocial Perspective (pp. 263-280). Ames: Iowa Stare University Press.
65
Malthouse, E. C. and A. Peck (2010). Medill on Media Engagement: Introduction. In A. Peck and E.
C. Malthouse (Eds.), Medill on Media Engagement (pp.3-19). New York: Hampton Press.
25
to the most important dimensions of media engagement and one of the most
effective categories in media-and-user relationship. The scholars identified the
‘Makes Me Smarter’ experience with the audience’s statements, such as “I look at
it as educational. I am gaining knowledge”, “It updates me on things I try to keep
up with”, “It addresses issues or topics of special concern to me” etc.66. This
aspect prompts an interesting view of educational entertainment as a targeted
experience for a better engagement, but requires further clarification. The
empirical part of the research is devoted to finding reliable statements among the
potential audiences of the international media to validate the edutainment
experience.
Studying international media, it is essential to set the engagement fueled by
news companies aside from the engagement directed by advertisers, because
while the latter concentrate on brand placement, the former focus on news
content. According to the PwC report ‘Global Entertainment and Media Outlook
2016-2020’ with 54 countries covered, by 2020 content will still matter for media
differentiation and international expansion, despite the homogenization of the
global media market67. For news organizations, engagement is an important
concept. Calder and Malthouse (2008) define media engagement as the collective
experiences that the audience have with a medium. Experience, as they put it, is a
certain pool of believes that readers, viewers, and users have about how the
medium fits into their lives68. It goes without saying, that people can have many
different experiences with a medium. But in order to successfully develop a
66
Youngman, O. (2010). The Makes Me Smarter Experience. Chapter 3. In A. Peck and E. C.
Malthouse (Eds.), Medill on Media Engagement, pp. 33-46. New York: Hampton Press.
67
Lederer, C., Brownlow, M. (2016). A World of Differences. Strategy + Business. Special Report:
Global Entertainment and Media Outlook 2016-2020: A World of Differences, 6-19. New York City:
PwC, Strategy&.
68
Calder, B. J., Malthouse, E. C. (2008). Media Engagement and Advertising Effectiveness. In B. J.
Calder (Ed.), Kellogg on Media and Advertising (pp. 1-36). New York: Wiley.
26
media brand, a news organization should understand, which experiences it intends
to create. We contend that such an experiential approach to a media strategy is
more active and effective, that referring to the moral media functions, i.e.
information, education, entertainment, and persuasion. The purpose of this
research is to show that understanding edutainment as a language learning
experience enables the global media to create value for their audiences and
differentiate their content from others.
1.3. Multilingual media practices and trends in foreign language mediation
Stirring times of the twentieth century, notably World War I, World War II
and its aftermath in the Cold War era, ushered the emergence of international
broadcasters that were dominated by nation-states and aimed at spreading
national culture to other countries69. Among the oldest notable networks
headquartered in the Western world are Radio Moscow (1929), replaced by the
Voice of Russia (1993) and reorganized into Sputnik (2014), BBC World Service
(1932), Voice of America (1942), Radio Exterior de España, (1942), Deutsche
Welle (1953), and Radio France Internationale (1975). Long before the Internet
exploded, the international broadcasters operated to advance a nation’s political
agenda, keep in touch with emigrants and promote the national prestige. One of
the key features that made broadcasting services accessible on a global scale was
multilingualism.
Multilingualism generally refers to the use of two or more languages.
However, the relations between multilingualism and the media are more complex:
the media manage multilingualism and act as discursive sites for debates on
language-related issues. But most importantly, media presents and uses
69
Kellner, D. (1990). Television and The Crisis of Democracy. Boulder, CO: Westview Press.
27
multilingualism as media content70. The oldest international broadcaster, Radio
Moscow (USSR), was broadcasting in over 70 languages using transmitters in the
Soviet Union, Eastern Europe, and Cuba71. The BBC World Service launched its
first foreign-language services in Arabic and German in 1938. By the end of
1942, the network broadcasted in all major European languages. In November
2016, the BBC announced its biggest expansion since the 1940s with launching
new services in 11 languages (spoken in Nigeria, Ethiopia and Eritrea, India and
Korea). This reform will make the BBC World Service available in 40 languages,
including English, and increase its global outreach72. Germany’s international
broadcaster Deutsche Welle began its radio transmission in English, French,
Spanish and Portuguese, a year after the first German-speaking broadcast in 1953.
As of March 2017, the DW service is available in 30 languages with global news
channels in German, Spanish, Arabic, and English73.
Due to the easy access to information facilitated by the media, individuals
get exposed to multiple languages more frequently and feel a need to acquire
additional languages. Being multilingual, international public broadcasters do not
only insure wider access to news and information, but also maintain a national
language. Kelly-Holmes and Pietikäinen (2013) argue that media often function
as ‘informal language learning contexts’ - when people have limited opportunities
to learn a foreign language in everyday life or through formal education, media
70
Kelly-Holmes, H., Milani, T. M. (2013). Introduction: Thematising Multilingualism in the Media. In
H. Kelly-Holmes, T. M. Milani, (Eds.), Thematising Multilingualism in the Media (pp. 1-22).
Amsterdam: John Benjamins Publishing Company.
71
Wood, J. (2000). History of International Broadcasting, Volume 2. London: The Institution of
Electrical Engineers, p. 109-112.
72
Morgan, C., Rogers, K. (2016, November 16). BBC World Service Announces Biggest Expansion
Since 1940s. The BBC. URL: http://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/latestnews/2016/world-serviceexpansion
73Krieger,
J. (2015, June 22). Deutsche Welle Launches Global News Channel. Broadbandtvnews.com.
URL: http://www.broadbandtvnews.com/2015/06/22/deutsche-welle-launches-global-news-channel/
28
can support them via attractive programming74. In the global environment, where
English has taken on the role of lingua franca, the didactical aim of media in
constructing the ‘proper’ way of speaking a language is vitally important.
Major broadcasters, as early as their nascent stage, augmented their
programming with educational content and integrated national language didactics
into their goals. BBC Learning English, as part of the BBC World Service, has
been teaching English to global audiences since 1942, offering free audio, video
and text materials75. Voice of America launched Special English newscasts and
features in 1959. Recently its repertoire was expanded to include more English
teaching materials; the service was renamed as Learning English in 2014 76.
German broadcaster, Deutsche Welle developed its first language course ‘Lernt
Deutsch bei der Deutsche Welle’ in 1956, followed by the successful cooperation
with Goethe Institut - Radio series ‘Familie Baumann’ in the 1970s and ‘Deutsch
- warum nicht?’ in the 1990s77. Radio French Internationale has been teaching
French language on the air, offering bilingual series for beginners and radio
shows for dedicated francophones - ‘Les mots de l’actualité’ and ‘la Danse des
mots’, as well as digital materials ‘Learn and teach French’ on the Rfi Savoirs
website78. Radio Exterior de España promotes Spanish language and Spanish
literature along with Castilian and Latin American cultures via its online
programming ‘Un idioma sin fronteras’ with grammar and vocabulary
74
Kelly-Holmes, H. and Pietikäinen, S. (2013). Multilingualism and Media. In C. Chapelle (Ed.) The
Encyclopedia of Applied Linguistics (pp. 3926 – 3933). London: Wiley.
75
BBC Learning English. About BBC Learning English. URL: http://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/
english/hygiene
76 VOA Learning
English. About Us. URL: http://learningenglish.voanews.com/p/5373.html
77
Deutsche Welle. Kleine Geschichte der DW-Sprachkurse. URL: http://www.dw.com/de/kleinegeschichte-der-dw-sprachkurse/a-1633231
78
Rfi Savoirs. URL: https://savoirs.rfi.fr/en
29
materials79. The overview of the aforementioned media projects shows that
despite offering different languages, they have several features in common:
•
Use of quality journalism as the context for language acquisition
•
Culturally specific content drawn from national and world newscasts and
features
•
Wide range of topics: business, politics, science, lifestyle, culture, sports
etc.
•
Common level range: beginner, lower intermediate, intermediate, advanced
•
Skillset: listening and reading comprehension, grammar, vocabulary, and
pronunciation
•
Didactical materials: script, subtitles, glossary, quizzes, gap-fill exercises
•
Multimedia toolkit: video, audio, podcasts, texts
•
Responsive design, adaptive interface for desktop computers, mobiles, and
tablets
•
Expertise of language teaching specialists and/or educational bodies
•
Affiliation with non-profit organizations that promote the study of a
national language abroad, e.g. Goethe-Institut, Instituto Cervantes,
Organisation international de la Francophonie.
As the world has become more global, international public broadcasters
started to lose their ground not only in the news reporting, but also in the informal
language teaching. First of all, people took advantage from their newfound
mobility and went abroad for the full foreign language immersion. Secondly,
media and technological evolution deprived TV and radio services of their
dominant position and made public service broadcasters look to their World Wide
Web presence. And finally, educational domain saw the rapid explosion of other
79
Radio Exterior de España. Un Idioma sin Fronteras. URL: http://www.rtve.es/alacarta/audios/unidioma-sin-fronteras/
30
CALL sources. CALL - computer-assisted language learning - refers to the use of
computer technologies that promote educational learning, including guided
practice,
drill,
simulation,
game,
multimedia
CD-ROM
and
Internet
applications80. Warschauer (2000) identified three historical types of the CALL:
•
Structural CALL: 1970s to 1980s, based on behaviorist theory of learning,
marked by the advent of the microcomputer and focus on reinforcement,
habit-formation and imitation.
•
Communication CALL: 1980s to 1990s, marked by the introduction of
Personal Computer and focused on interactive learning and using the
language in context.
•
Integrative CALL: 2000 onwards, enhanced by development of the Internet
applications, such as podcasting, video sharing, audio tools, blogs, social
networking, and focused on communication and reflective participation81 .
Modern online courses offered by the international broadcasters are
attributable to the integrative CALL, which, on the one hand, opened new
possibilities for media to diversify their content, and on the other hand, made
them to compete. Since the late 1990s, hybridization of the media and the dotcom bubble has been saturating the market with unlimited recourses for language
learning: educational institutions started to offer online courses together with
training simulators and multimedia CDs. Major publishers, like Oxford
University Press, Macmillan Publisher and Hueber Verlag, made their textbooks
and audios available online to buy or download for free.
80
Torut, B. (2000). Computer Assisted Language Learning: An Overview. In Computer-Assisted
Language Learning: A guide for English language teachers. Bangkok: TASEAP. URL: https://
web.warwick.ac.uk/CELTE/tr/ovCALL/taseapCALL.pdf
81
Warschauer M. (2000). CALL for the 21st Century. IATEFL and ESADE Conference, 2 July 2000,
Barcelona, Spain.
31
Numerous social networks for learning languages materialized, e.g. Busuu,
English, baby!, Livemocha, Italki, along with learning software, e-learning
platforms, and mobile applications, like Babbel, Duolingo, Smigin, and
LinguaLeo. Concurrently, digital media conglomerates - Google, Apple,
Facebook, YouTube, and Amazon - started to experiment with language learning
services, offering their platforms to generate blogs, podcasts, subtitled videos,
dictionaries, and social communities. In such a competitive market, public
broadcasters
were
constrained
to
reconsider
their
advantages,
and
contextualization turned out to be their strongest suit in terms of the foreign
language mediation.
Designers of any CALL software, be it social network like Busuu or public
broadcaster’s web-site like Deutsche Welle – Deutsch Lernen, have been
constantly struggling with the same question: how to create an effective
environment for a learner, when computer is a machine, while language is an
essentially human means of communication. Hoven (1997) argues that ideal
model for language-learning software should consider two principles: 1) language
occurs in actual context and 2) is intertwined with communication and culture 82.
In short, putting national language items into a real context makes language
learning more meaningful and culturally valid. The principles of contextualization
and acculturation are well defined in the statements of the major public service
broadcasters.
BBC World Service:
82
Hoven, D. (1997). Instructional Design for Multimedia: Towards a Learner-Centred CELL
(Computer-Enhanced Language Learning) Model. In: Murphy-Judy, K. & Sanders, R. (Eds.) NEXUS
Monograph, 98-111. Nth. Carolina: CALICO. URL: http://hdl.handle.net/2149/1681
32
Exploiting a wealth of BBC material, our content is media rich and focuses on
presenting authentic, up-to-date, real English needed by learners to progress in their
English studies.83
Voice of America:
VOA Learning English maintains a loyal following among learners, teachers and
educational
publishers
worldwide
by
using
journalism
to
engage
people's
interests. Learners absorb American English through content drawn from world news,
business, science, U.S. life, popular culture and other topics.84
Deutsche Welle:
Teachers and advanced learners appreciate the opportunity to follow the hard news right
during the course of studying. The value is easily revealed to them; besides the content
is way more interesting and diverse than many artificially contrived learning
situations.85
Radio France Internationale:
For people keen to improve their French or get to grips with current events, the ‘Journal
en français facile’ is a real news bulletin that uses simple vocabulary to explain the
latest news. For those who want to familiarize themselves with French, RFI produces
bilingual series in its foreign language programs designed to raise awareness of and
perfect the French language. All of these series are based on original concepts that
skillfully combine teaching with the constraints of radio.86
Contextualization of media content with regard to location and culture has
always been a critical task for news organizations. But for the media users who
intend to learn foreign language via media, the journalism content needs to be not
just contextualized, but also didacticised. Didacticising means choosing and
83
BBC Learning English. About BBC Learning English. URL: http://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/
english/hygiene
84 VOA Learning
English. About Us. URL: http://learningenglish.voanews.com/p/5373.html
85
Deutsche Welle. (2013). Deutsche Welle Evaluationsbericht 2010-2013. URL: http://www.dw.com/
de/der-evaluationsbericht/a-16910881, p. 134-143.
86
Rfi Savoirs. Our Mission: To Promote French Learning and Teaching. URL: https://savoirs.rfi.fr/en/
our-mission-to-promote-french-learning-and-teaching
33
preparing material, arranging the information to make it accessible, applicable
and useful. Didactics helps to turn passive media consumers into active language
learners. Due to the elements of self-checking, like quizzes and multiple choice
questions, didactics assures that educational objectives are fulfilled. On top of
that, tailoring and didacticising journalism content in a target language allows an
international broadcaster to mediate its agenda to global audience. This factor not
only makes the media stand out among other providers, but also gives them the
edge over the emerging media conglomerates.
It is worth noting, however, that the media didactics has never been a
prerogative of news organizations. Foreign language teachers have used authentic
media materials in their classrooms independently from the international
broadcasters long before the online courses emerged87. Here, the case of the
Russian media is especially relevant, since the Russian media system has no
public service broadcasters as such or any media entitled to the mission of
promoting the Russian language abroad. Nevertheless, the journalistic methodical
approach to teaching Russian as a foreign language has its history, dating back to
the Soviet times. Onkovich (2013) links the emergence of the Russian media
didactics to the use of the Soviet press in the 1960-70s, when journalistic
materials from the newspapers like ‘Pravda’ were employed for developing local
knowledge, expanding vocabulary, enhancing verbal and grammar skills88. In the
1970-80s, the educational technology of teledidactics emerged as a brand new
87
Wolgast, K. (2007). Authenticity and New Media in Foreign Language Teaching: Chances,
Problems, and Perspectives. Munich, Ravensburg: GRIN Verlag, pp. 3-5.
88
Onkovich, A. V. (2013). Media didactics and Teaching Russian as a Foreign Language: History and
Contemporaneity. In: Verbickaja, L.A., Ljumin', L., Yurkov, E.E. (Eds.). XII Congress of International
Association of Teachers of Russian Language and Literature ‘Russian Language and Literature in
Time and Space’, Vol. 3. Shanghai: Shanghai Foreign Language Education Press, pp. 562-568.
34
method for improving visual and listening comprehension of the Russian
language 89.
As the electronic media advanced, new practices of teaching Russian as a
foreign language arose, - from occasional use of online media materials in a
classroom to creating a proper virtual environment such as the website ‘eLearning Russian through Media Materials’, authored by Andrei Bogomolov,
PhD, Lomonosov Moscow State University90. One should not believe, however,
that the Russian language didactics has never had a place in the Russian
broadcasting history. In fact, the earliest edutainment programs were broadcasted
for the foreign audience before the BBC and Deutsche Welle created their
offerings.
Russian language didactics in Soviet and Russian media
Russian foreign service broadcasting went on air on October 29, 1929 with
Radio Moscow, also known as Radio Moscow International, first in German, then
in English and French. In 1930, Radio Moscow enriched its agenda with literary
programs, led by famous Soviet artists with a good command of foreign
languages. The soviet authorities quickly realized the importance of broadcasting
in other languages - nearly a decade before Britain and the USA. By 1941, when
propaganda broadcasting in Europe had become a fact of life with Britain,
Germany, Italy and the USSR as the four stakeholders, the latter was broadcasting
89
Krylova, N. Y. (2006). Peculiarities of Using Videorecords of The ‘News’ TV Programs in Teaching
The Language of Mass Media At Stage 1. In: V. P. Sinyachkin (Ed.). Bulletin of People’s Friendship
University of Russia. Series: Problems of Education: Languages and Specialty. Issue 1. (pp. 126 –
130). Moscow: People’s Friendship University of Russia (RUDN).
90
Bogomolov, A. N. (2008). Virtual Language Learning Environment 'E-Learning Russian Through
Mass Media': Structure and Content. In V. P. Sinyachkin (Ed.). Bulletin of People’s Friendship
University of Russia. Series: Problems of Education: Languages and Specialty, 4. (pp. 28 – 31).
Moscow: People’s Friendship University of Russia (RUDN).
35
to the world in 21 languages. During the World War II, Radio Moscow got to
grips with Nazis’ propaganda and unleashed an active ideological campaign
targeted at the Russian speaking community leaving beyond the USSR. After the
war, Radio Moscow was sustained by the government as a tool for propaganda
against Western imperialism in the cold war91. Shortly after the collapse of
communism, in 1993, Radio Moscow was reorganized by the presidential decree
with a new name – The Voice of Russia92.
The Voice of Russia covers national and international news in multimedia
formats and presents itself as ‘a convenient and democratic channel to obtain
information about Russia’93. The VOR network broadcasts to 160 countries in 38
languages and provides online multimedia content in 33 languages. According to
a survey led by International Media Help (Switzerland), the Voice of Russia is
one of the top-five most listened to international radio stations in the world, along
with the BBC World Service, Voice of America, Deutsche Welle, and Radio
France Internationale94. Despite its international availability, multilingual and
multimedia content, the Voice of Russia does not have a strongly pronounced
mission of promoting Russian language - its primary focus is on ‘shaping
Russia’s image worldwide, introducing Russia to the world and highlighting its
opinions on global events’95.
91
Proshina, Z. G., Eddy, A. A. (2016). Russian English: History, Functions, and Features, p. 165.
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
92
The President of Russia. (1993). Decree of the President of Russia as of December, 22, 1993,
№2258 ‘On Creating The Holding Company ‘Russian State Television and Radio broadcasting Center
‘Efir’ and The Russian State Radio Broadcasting Company ‘Voice of Russia’. URL: http://
www.kremlin.ru/acts/bank/5119
93 The Voice
94
95
of Russia. About Us. URL: https://sputniknews.com/voiceofrussia/about/
Ibid.
Proshina, Z. G., Eddy, A. A. (2016). Russian English: History, Functions, and Features. Cambridge:
Cambridge University Press, p. 165.
36
Nevertheless, some steps in the field of teaching Russian to native and nonnative radio listeners were taken in 2007, when the Voice of Russia launched its
project Russkij ustnyj (‘Spoken Russian’) on its subsidiary radio station Russian
International Radio. Yulia Safonova, author and the host of the radio show,
reveals the idea behind the project – ‘to present the Russian world, its people and
the language environment they are living in, via culturally relevant content’ 96.
Along with the linguistic elements of the show, Safonova emphasizes its cultural
value and historical meaning, e.g. the episodes featuring hallmark phrases used by
Vladimir Putin, Michael Gorbachev, and Boris Yeltsin97. But for all that, the
project produced content independently from the VOR agenda, out of media
context and with no didactical support such as online exercises. Since the
program started in 2007, the project Russkij ustnyj has been available online and
as an archived audio dictionary98.
In 2014, The Voice of Russia was replaced by Sputnik, a news agency,
radio service broadcaster and multimedia platform, established by the
international news agency ‘Rossiya Segonya’, which is wholly owned by the
Government of Russia as a unitary enterprise99. Although ‘Rossiya Segodnya’
directly translates from Russian into English as ‘Russia Today’, the news agency
should not be confused with the TV network RT (formerly Russia Today). RT
operates television channels in English, Spanish, Arabic, and multimedia online
platforms in English, Russian, German, French, Arabic, and Spanish. The RT
96
Safonova, Y. A. (2008). The Russian Voice of Russia. Russian Language on the Radio Station ‘The
Voice of Russia’. Moscow: Center for International Education MSU.
97
Ibid.
98
Gramota.Ru. Audio dictionary ‘Spoken Russian’. URL: http://www.gramota.ru/slovari/
radiosafonova/
99 The Voice
of Russia. About Us. URL: https://sputniknews.com/voiceofrussia/about/
37
international network is owned by ‘TV-Novosti’, an autonomous non-profit
organization, and funded by the budget of Russia100.
The trend of constant reorganizations – from Radio Moscow International
to the Voice of Russia to Sputnik – and mergers, but always with the state as the
main owner, invites two valuable assumptions: first, the role of the Russian state
in the international broadcasting services has been and remained dominant;
second, the lifetime cycle of emerging media projects is by default relatively
short. For example, in March 2012, the RT network launched the online
multimedia project ‘Learn Russian’ that included lessons with interactive
exercises, short videos on YouTube, podcasts, and social media campaigns on
Facebook, Twitter, and GooglePlus101. The project operated no journalism
materials of the RT and contained mostly conversational topics (greetings,
numbers, telling the time) and general grammar for daily life situations at the
beginner’s, elementary and pre-intermediate levels 102. Despite more than 250 000
users visited the website learnrussianrt.com in six months, the project ceased to
exist in October 2012, leaving its website archived and no longer updated103.
A brief overview of the on-and-off attempts, made by the leading Russia’s
international broadcasters in promoting RFL, demonstrates a lack of clear media
policy in this field. In order to understand potential reasons for such a detached
attitude towards RFL media didactics, the following questions should be
addressed: what function the global media (analog as well as digital platforms)
100
RT.com. About Us. URL: https://www.rt.com/about-us/
101
Learn Russian. RT. URL: http://learnrussian.rt.com/
102
Rubleva, E.V. (2012). About Multimedia Project ‘LearnRussian’. Bulletin of Centre for
International Education, Lomonosov State University, 2, 50-54. Moscow: CIE MSU.
103
Learn Russian. RT. (2012, October 1). Hello and Привет! Post on Facebook. URL: https://
www.facebook.com/LearnRussian.RT/posts/418159038244247
38
exercise within the Russian media system; how the national government
prioritizes the promotion of RFL both legislatively and executively, and last but
not least, what premises and opportunities the Russia-based media have to offer
RFL services.
Although Russia’s international broadcasters have been ranking among the
most popular networks in the world – along with the BBC, Deutsche Welle, and
the Voice of America, - they still operate in a very peculiar, different from the
Anglo-Saxon and European tradition, way. Russia inherited many of its media
operation practices from the past, i.e. the international broadcasting rooted in
traditions of the Soviet Union 104. On the other hand, completely new formats and
routines have been adopted from the Western counterparts. Vartanova (2012)
names this mixture of the old and the new a distinctive feature of the Russian
media105. Within the framework of globalization, post-Soviet media system has
been remodeled into the developing media industry, but still experienced
increasing nationalism 106.
After the first stage of privatization of the media market in the early 1990s,
and the second stage of struggle between political and business elites over the
media in the mid 1990s, the third stage of evolution of the Russian media system
began with Vladimir Putin’s presidency in the 2000s107. At that time several state
agencies took control over a large proportion of the press and electronic media
104
Rantanen, T. (2002). The Global and the National. Media and Communications in Post-Communist
Russia. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield.
105
Vartanova, E. (2012). The Russian Media Model in the Context of Post-Soviet Dynamics. In
Hallin, D., Manchini, P. (Eds.). Comparing Media Systems Beyond the Western World (pp. 119-142).
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
106
Rantanen, T., Vartanova, E. (2004). Empire and Communications: Centrifugal and Centripetal
Media in Contemporary Russia. In Couldry, N., Curran, J. (Eds.). Contesting Media Power. Alternative
Media in a Networked World (pp. 147–162). Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield.
107
Khvostunova, O. (2013, December 6). A Brief History of the Russian Media. The Interpreter. URL:
http://www.interpretermag.com/a-brief-history-of-the-russian-media/
39
outlets. Simultaneously, a series of new English-language media emerged in
Russia with the purpose of creating an adequate image of the country, debunking
the mythos about Russians and providing international readers with timely
coverage. The list includes the RT television network (2005), multimedia project
Russia Beyond The Headlines (2007) – the web site and newspaper formerly
sponsored by Rossiyskaya Gazeta and currently owned by ANO TV-Novosti;
Moscow’s first 24-hour English radio station, Moscow FM 105.2 (2012), and
radio broadcaster Sputnik, reorganized from the Voice of Russia (2014)108. ‘The
Moscow Times’ newspaper has been enjoying its popularity among Englishspeaking readers since 1993, while its counterpart ‘The St. Petersburg Times’ was
shut down in 2014 due to the economic crisis 109. Another English-speaking
publication ‘Russia Direct’ focused on Russian foreign policy and U.S.-Russia
relations stopped getting financial support from Rossiyskaya Gazeta in March
2017110.
Altschull’s ‘second law of journalism’ (1984) states: ‘the contents of the
media always reflect the interests of those who finance them’111. In 2013, as the
Russian government reformed a news agency RIA Novosti into a brand new
international agency Rossiya Segonya, Sergei Ivanov, the Kremlin chief of staff,
commented on the mission of the latter: ‘It is important to tell the world, that
Russia pursues its interdependent policy and strongly defends its national
108
Proshina, Z. G., Eddy, A. A. (2016). Russian English: History, Functions, and Features.
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp. 165-166.
109
Interfax. (2014, December 22). St. Pete’s Main English-language Newspaper Suspends Operation.
Russia Beyond The Headlines. URL: http://rbth.com/news/2014/12/22/st_petes_main_englishlanguage_newspaper_suspends_operation_42461.html
110
Koshkin, P. (2017, March 26). Editor’s Note: Russia Direct Stops Updating Its Website. Russia
Direct. URL: http://www.russia-direct.org/company-news/editors-note-russia-direct-stops-updating-itswebsite
111 Altschull
192.
cited in McQuail, D. (2010). McQuail’s Mass Communication Theory (6th ed.). SAGE, p.
40
interests. We need to tell the truth and make it available to as many people as
possible’ 112. It seems, though, that the authorities and state-controlled
international media hardly considered the Russian language promotion as a
priority for editorial policy. But is it the case for the national policy?
According to the Article 4 of the Federal Law about the state language of
the Russian Federation, the federal government contributes - among other things
and within the limits of its competence - to studying Russian outside the country
for the purpose of preserving and supporting the state language of the Russian
Federation113. For example, in 2007, the President of the Russian Federation,
Vladimir Putin signed a decree on establishing the Russkiy Mir Foundation as a
nonprofit organization, aimed at promoting the Russian language and supporting
Russian language teaching programs abroad 114. The Foundation boasts of its own
Russian language magazine, online TV channel and Internet-radio channel,
accompanied by a list of online learning programs115. The Russkiy Mir media are
first and foremost oriented towards ethnic Russians, native Russian speakers,
living across the globe and wishing to reconnect themselves with their homeland
through cultural programs. However, Russian language learners worldwide also
comprise a substantial part of the Russian world.
The ultimate expansion of the Russian language abroad occurred in the
second half of the twentieth century. After the 1917 revolution and the World War
112
Echo of Moscow. (2013, December 9). Kremlin Announced the Dissolution of One of the Biggest
and Oldest Mass Media. URL: http://echo.msk.ru/news/1214427-echo.html
113
Federal Law of the Russian Federation of June 1, 2005 No. 53-FZ. About The State Language of
The
Russian
Federation.
ConsultantPlus.
URL:
http://www.consultant.ru/document/
cons_doc_LAW_53749/
114
Deсree of The President of The Russian Federation on The Establishment of the Russkiy Mir
Foundation as of June 21, 2007, No 796. Russkiy Mir Foundation. URL: http://www.russkiymir.ru/en/
fund/decree.php
115
Russkiy Mir Foundation. URL: http://www.russkiymir.ru/en/
41
II, the wave of emigration, technological advances and celebrated educational
system became a mark of pride for the Soviets and largely contributed to the
popularity of the Russian language beyond the country116. In 1960-1991, various
Russian speaking universities, schools, and language study centers were opened
in the soviet allied countries. In 1967, International Association of Teachers of
Russian Language and Literature, also known as MAPRYAL, was established at
Sorbonne University in Paris (currently headquartered in Saint Petersburg,
Russia)117. In 1973, Pushkin State Russian Language Institute was established in
Moscow as a leading tertiary institution for teachers specialized in Russian as a
foreign language 118.
After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Russia lost her former economic,
technological and geopolitical dominance in the world. As a result, Russian has
become the only language out of the 10-12 leading world languages that has lost
its ground in every single region of the world including the former Soviet Union
states119. In comparison with 1990, when Russian was the forth most spoken
language in the world by total number of speakers (312 million), in 2017, the
language moved down to the eighth position with circa 268 million people120.
Between 1990 and 2004, number of secondary school, college and university
students speaking Russian as a language of study or as a foreign language
116 Arefiev, A.L.
(2012). Russian Language Between 20th and 21th Centuries, p. 225 [Арефьев, А. Л.
Русский язык на рубеже XX и XXI веков.] Moscow: Center for Sociological Research of the
Russian Ministry of Education and Science.
117
International Association of Teachers of Russian Language and Literature (MAPRYAL). URL:
http://ru.mapryal.org/international-association-of-teachers-of-russian-language-and-literature-mapryal/
118
Pushkin State Russian Language Institute. URL: http://www.pushkin.institute/en/
119
Arefiev, A.L. (2012). Russian Language Between 20th and 21th Centuries. Moscow: Center for
Sociological Research of the Russian Ministry of Education and Science, p. 6.
120
Simons, G. F., Fennig, C. D. (Eds). (2017). Ethnologue: Languages of the World, Twentieth
Edition. Dallas, Texas: SIL International. URL: https://www.ethnologue.com.
42
dropped by 34 million worldwide121. Today only 3% students in general upper
secondary education in EU Member States study Russian as a foreign language
(cf. English - 94%, French – 23%, Spanish and German – 19% each)122.
Even with all negative things considered, Russian remains to be one of the
six official languages of the United Nations and the second most widespread
language on the Internet after English (6.5% of all the websites are in Russian)123.
Moreover, in 2017, Russia was ranked sixth in the Study.EU Country Ranking by
attractiveness to international students124. Those are a few out of many other
reasons to study Russian as a foreign language. Speculating on the question, what
Russia and Russian language can offer to people from different countries, Arefiev
states that the position of Russia as a key supplier of oil products and weapons
can not contribute to the rise of the Russian language125. Along with promotion of
Russian study tours, development of professional training for RFL teachers, and
opening new Russian Centers for Science and Culture abroad, an important part
of the government policy in the language campaign still falls on the shoulders of
the mass media and the Internet.
According to the 2016-2020 Federal Targeted Program for the Russian
language, active information policy and media promotion of Russian as a foreign
121 Arefiev, A.L.
(2012). Russian Language Between 20th and 21th Centuries, p. 395
122
Eurostat. (2016). Foreign Language Learning Statistics. URL: http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/
statistics-explained/index.php/Foreign_language_learning_statistics
123
W3Techs. (2017). Usage of Content Languages for Websites. URL: https://w3techs.com/
technologies/overview/content_language/all
124
Study.EU. (2017). The Study.EU Country Ranking 2017 for International Students. URL: http://
www.study.eu/article/the-study-eu-country-ranking-2017-for-international-students
125 Arefiev, A.L.
(2012). Russian Language Between 20th and 21th Centuries, p. 411
43
language is planned126. That costs 415 million rubles (355 million from the state
budget and 60 million raised from non-government sources), and implies creating
content for television and radio programs as well as modernizing content for
online learning. However, the program does not specify the type of media
organizations (regional, national, or international) that can be eligible for the state
subsidies. It hints at the visible discrepancies between the government policy in
promoting Russian studies and the media policy of the staff-affiliated media to
represent Russia as a world power without referring to its language and culture.
Potential reason for that is the perception of Russia’s foreign-oriented media as a
source for information and persuasion, or even ‘soft power’ and ‘propaganda
machine’127, rather than an agent for public education and cultural entertainment.
How this situation differs from other European practices, what makes Russian
language challenging as didacticised media content and how edutainment
approach can be used for audience’s engagement are the questions to be looked
further in the empirical part of the research.
126
The 2016-2020 Federal Targeted Program ‘Russian language’. (2015). Approved by the RF
Government
on
May
20,
2015.
URL:
http://government.ru/media/files/
UdArRuNmg2Hdm3MwRUwmdE9N3ohepzpQ.pdf
127
Van Herpen, M. H. (2015). Putin’s Propaganda Machine: Soft Power and Russian Foreign Policy.
Lanham, Boulder: Rowman & Littlefield, pp. 27-29.
44
Chapter 2. Case studies of Deutsche Welle and Russia Beyond the Headlines
2.1. From cross-border news providers to language learning mediators
In order to assess the potential of a Russia-based foreign-oriented media to
offer the Russian language didactics, it is vital to rationalize the choice of
Deutsche Welle and Russia Beyond The Headlines as the two objects of
comparison - with DW online section ‘Learn German’ as a media, successful and
experienced enough to provide a set of categories for the comparative analysis,
and RBTH ‘Education’ section as a potential language learning mediator under
study.
Deutsche Welle (DW) has been Germany’s public international broadcaster
since 1953, headquartered in Bonn/Berlin and owned by ARD. DW’s television
service includes channels in German, English, Spanish, and Arabic, with radio
and online content available in 30 languages128. According to the Deutsche Welle
Act, the broadcaster’s stated goals are ‘to convey the image of Germany as a
cultural state in the European tradition and as a free democratic constitutional
state, ...to provide a forum... for German (and other) points of view on important
topics... with the aim of promoting understanding and the exchange of ideas... In
128
Deutsche Welle. Über Uns. URL: http://www.dw.com/de/unternehmen/profil/s-30626
45
so doing Deutsche Welle shall, in particular, promote the German language’129.
This explicit requirement for German language promotion has been in effect since
as early as 1956, when the first language course ‘Lernt Deutsch bei der Deutschen
Welle’ came out on the radio.
In 1994, Deutsche Welle became the first public service broadcaster in
Germany with an online presence. Today ‘DW - Learn German’ is the most
popular section in the whole Deutsche Welle online environment. The web-site
dw.com/deutschlernen has over 7 million page views per month130 and provides
German language courses in 30 languages for different levels of German
proficiency – from A1 to C2 according to the Common European Framework of
Reference for Languages131. At different times, the online courses of Deutsche
Welle have won various awards for its commitment to innovative use of media in
education, e.g. MEDEA Awards, D-ELINA – German E-Learning Innovation and
Young Academics Award, Comenius EduMedia Award and others132.
Russia Beyond The Headlines is an international multimedia and
publishing project about Russia, launched by Rossiyskaya Gazeta in 2007 and
since January 2017 run by Autonomous Nonprofit Organization ‘TV-Novosti’133.
The mission of this project is ‘to help understand Russia better in order to
129
Deutsche Welle. (2005). Deutsche Welle Act. URL: http://www.dw.com/downloads/36383966/
dwgesetzen.pdf
130
Bley, U. (2015, October 28). Interview mit André Moeller, Leiter der DW Bildungsprogramme.
EAZ Eifel-Zeitung. URL: http://www.eifelzeitung.de/redaktion/interviews/interview-mit-andremoeller-leiter-der-dw-bildungsprogramme-113395/
131
Council of Europe: Modern Languages Division, Strasbourg. (2001). Common European
Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, Teaching, Assessment. Cambridge: Cambridge
University Press, p. 23.
132
Deutsche Welle. German To Go: Learn German for Free with DW. URL: http://www.dw.com/
downloads/27605321/german-to-go-webversion.pdf
133
Papandina, A. (2017, January 9). Russia Beyond The Headlines Handed Over to The RT channel’s
Managing
Company.
RBC.
URL:
http://www.rbc.ru/technology_and_media/
09/01/2017/587399da9a7947c7cccd70f3
46
explain, educate and entertain its readers’ 134. The education part of RBTH has
been exercised via the ‘Education’ section both online and in print. The web-site
rbth.com/education is focused on Russian universities and studying Russian
language. In the case study, the ‘Education’ section is being assessed as a
potential platform for RFL online courses and compared to the section ‘Learn
German’ on dw.com.
The challenge for comparative analysis lies in the functional differences
between the analog media of Deutsche Welle and Russia Beyond The Headlines.
While the former is a television and radio broadcaster that communicates to its
global audience via satellite television and shortwave transmitters, the latter
distributes its print publications as supplements in the leading international media
outlets such as The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Daily
Telegraph, Handelsblatt, and Le Figaro135. In the Internet, however, Deutsche
Welle and Russia Beyond The Headlines do have a common ground – they use
the top-level domain .com as an open communication-information multimedia
space, where the process of foreign language acquisition can be facilitated by
multilingualism, multimedia, and multimodality.
Multilingualism provides an access to a wider range of users and enables
customization of the content in one click. Multimedia helps pushing back the
limits of a single medium, so that radio and television broadcasters would benefit
from posting texts and images, while formerly print and newly electronic
newspapers could promote their audiovisual content. And finally, multimodality
of online media allows using a number of different platforms (desktop, web,
mobile applications) to connect to their audience. Another important
134
Russia Beyond The Headlines (2016). Media Kit. URL: https://cdn.rbth.com/static/docs/
media_kit_12-2016.pdf
135 The
full list of RBTH partners is available at https://www.rbth.com/about_us/partners
47
commonalities include edutainment capacity to teach a national language
(German and Russian) that is different from the lingua franca – English, and clear
national identification within the media brand, i.e. Deutsche Welle and Russia
Beyond The Headlines.
The web site RBTH.com and its ‘Education’ section (rbth.com/education)
are similar to Deutsche Welle and its section ‘Deutsch Lernen’ (dw.com/
deutschlernen) in their structures, purposes, and formats. Both web sites have a
common navigation with the hot topics in the upper area (politics, business,
science, culture, sports), clear national identification with a articulated agenda and
educational mission, and multimedia formats (video, texts, audio), available via
different platforms – desktop, mobile, and tablets (Appendix 1).
Although Deutsche Welle and Russia Beyond The Headlines resemble from
a perspective of a media consumer, they have some major differences from the
communicators’ point of view that inevitably influence their capacity to promote
the national language. It would be shortsighted to simply adopt the programming
of Deutsche Welle for the online project of Russia Beyond The Headlines,
changing its language settings from German to Russian. The model of Deutsche
Welle-Deutsch Lernen is indeed being used as a successful case, but only for
establishing a set of categories – topics, levels, media, formats, and platforms –
that will be used further for a preliminary analysis of RBTH as an online
language learning media. For a more complex analysis, Deutsche Welle and
RBTH must be compared as two media organizations in a field of social forces
with the language-learning potential as a key variable.
2.2. Deutsche Welle and Russia Beyond The Headlines in the field of social
forces
48
No matter, how free, independent and limitless the Internet may seem,
when it comes to the online media – especially registered and state-affiliated
media – they all function within their national media systems. According to
Hallin and Manchini, a media system includes media markets, political parties,
state governments, regulatory bodies, media organizations and individual
journalists136. This conceptual framework developed in 2004, has been constantly
facing some criticism, mainly for their total exclusion of online media137 and
entertainment media138. Thus, in order to compare Deutsche Welle and Russia
Beyond The Headlines as online media, but with a brick-and-mortar
organizational environment, a model of competitive pressures were used.
Media live in a climate of intense internal and external power roles.
Gerbner139 classify these pressures as personal, social, institutional, and
situational. McQuail140 enhanced the system, and outlined the field of social
forces that influences the processes of content production and content
consumption. In the current study, the media organizations Deutsche Welle and
Russia Beyond The Headlines will be examined from the communicator’s point
of view and with regard to social, political, economic and other pressures (Figure
1).
136
Hallin, D. C., Mancini, P. (2004). Comparing Media Systems: Three Models of Media and Politics.
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp. 22-44.
137
Jakubowicz, K. (2010). Introduction: Media Systems Research – An Overview. In B. DobekOstrowska, M. Glowacki, K. Jakubowicz & M. Sükösd (Eds.). Comparative Media Systems: European
and Global Perspectives, pp. 1-21. Budapest: CEU Press, p. 10.
138
Hardy, J. (2008). Western Media Systems. London: Routledge, p. 20.
139
Gerbner, G. (1969). Institutional Pressures Upon Mass Communicators. In P. Halmos (Ed.). The
Sociology of Mass Media Communicators (pp. 205-248). Keele: University of Keele, p. 243.
140
McQuail, D. (2010). McQuail’s Mass Communication Theory (6th ed.). SAGE. p. 237.
49
Figure 1
Media organization in a field of social forces through the lens of a language
teaching
Events,
Topics, news agenda,
Language teaching trends
Economic
pressures
Budget
Competitors
Advertisers
Owners
Funding
Media
professionals
Language
experts
Media policy
Language
policy
NGOs
Educational
institutions
Social and
political
pressures
Audience demand,
Target and source language levels,
Formats, platforms,
Social and political environment
In the field of comparative media systems research, Germany and Russia
belong to downright different models of media and politics: Germany relates to
the Democratic Corporatist model141, and Russia to ‘statist commercialized’
model142. The differences between two models can be observed within each
dimension (newspaper industry, political parallelism, professionalization, and role
of the state), but for the purpose of this study, a special notice should be given to
the type of ownership. Major globally oriented media in Russia - RT television
network, Sputnik radio station, and Russia Beyond The Headlines - are based on
141
Hallin, D. C., Mancini, P. (2004). Comparing Media Systems: Three Models of Media and Politics.
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, p. 68.
142
Vartanova, E. (2012). The Russian Media Model in the Context of Post-Soviet Dynamics. In
Hallin, D., Manchini, P. (Eds.). Comparing Media Systems Beyond the Western World (pp. 119-142).
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, p. 142.
50
direct (state-funded) or indirect (commercial) state participation, where the
government acts both as media investor and agenda setter. In particular, Russia
Beyond The Headlines used to be a part of the state-funded newspaper
Rossiyskaya Gazeta, but early 2017 passed into the ownership of Autonomous
Nonprofit Organization ‘TV-Novosti’, which is in turn sponsored by the
government of Russia143. Germany’s public service broadcaster Deutsche Welle is
on the contrary financed through public fees and by definition aim at serving the
public interest144.
Deutsche Welle cooperates with non-profit organizations like the Goethe
Institute, Der Pädagogischer Austauschdienst (PAD) and Die Zentralstelle für das
Auslandsschulwesen (Zfa) to improve and distribute its language courses145. In
Russia, the similar function of promoting Russian language learning via media
could be performed by the recently emerged Pushkin Institute partnership with
representatives in the UK, US, the Netherlands, Poland, Turkey and other
countries146, by Rossotrudnichestvo (the Russian federal agency for CIS issues,
compatriots living abroad, and international humanitarian cooperation)147, and
The Russkiy Mir Foundation148. The prospects for such collaborations will be
explored further in the expert interviews, while here special attention is given to
the national language support policy in Germany and Russia after World War II.
143
Papandina, A. (2017, January 9). Russia Beyond The Headlines Handed Over to The RT channel’s
Managing
Company.
RBC.
URL:
http://www.rbc.ru/technology_and_media/
09/01/2017/587399da9a7947c7cccd70f3
144
Deutsche Welle. (2005). Deutsche Welle Act. URL: http://www.dw.com/downloads/36383966/
dwgesetzen.pdf
145
Hoffmann, J. (2014, August 15). Die Aufgabenplanung. Deutsche Welle. URL: http://www.dw.com/
de/die-aufgabenplanung/a-15680839, S.25.
146
Pushkin Institute Partnership. URL: https://partner.pushkininstitute.ru/
147
Rossotrudnichestvo. URL: http://rs.gov.ru/en
148
Russkiy Mir Foundation. URL: http://www.russkiymir.ru/en/
51
National migration and language policy
According to the United Nations International migration wallchart 2015,
Germany and the Russian Federation host the second and third largest numbers of
migrants worldwide (12 million each), after the United States of America with 47
million of international migrants149. Establishing the Goethe-Institute in 1951150
and launching the first German radio courses by Deutsche Welle in 1956 fell on
the beginning of the Germany’s post-World War II immigration history, when
providing a wider access to the German language became a crucial point for
cultural integration. The history of immigration to Germany embraces the period
after World War II until reunification (1945-1980), 1980-1993, 1993 until present.
Since 2012, the number of immigrants has increased due to Germany’s
implementation of the European Union’s Directive on Highly Qualified Workers
that eases immigration regulations for highly skilled workers from non-EU
countries151. The OECD report ‘Recruiting immigrant workers: Germany’
revealed that the lack of German language skills among the candidates from
abroad was one of the key reasons why German employers hesitated to hire
immigrant workers152. Interestingly enough, the Task Plan of Deutsche Welle for
149
United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. (2015).
International Migration Wallchart. URL: http://www.un.org/en/development/desa/population/
migration/publications/wallchart/docs/MigrationWallChart2015.pdf
150
Goethe-Institut. Zur Geschichte des Goethe-Instituts. URL: https://www.goethe.de/de/uun/org/
ges.html
151
Council of the European Union. (2009). Council Directive 2009/50/EC of 25 May 2009 on the
Conditions of Entry and Residence of Third-country Nationals for the Purposes of Highly Qualified
Employment. Official Journal of the European Union, L 155, Vol. 52. June 18, 2009. URL: http://eurlex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=OJ:L:2009:155:TOC
152
Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). (2013). Recruiting Immigrant
Workers: Germany. OECD Publishing. URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/9789264189034-en
52
2014-2017 seems to have addressed this need by proposing to increase the
proportion of videos and interactive elements on the web-site dw.com/
deutschlernen as well as to develop a brand new course ‘Business German’153.
However, the initiative had to be suspended when Germany and other European
countries faced the migrant crisis.
Oezcan (2004) indicates two parallel flows of immigrants to Germany:
ethnic Germans (‘Aussiedlers’) returning from abroad and foreigners with no
German ancestry154. Since more than a million refugees had arrived in Germany
in 2015, Deutsche Welle has significantly augmented its German language
portfolio with the multimedia courses tailored specifically to refugees’ needs155,
e.g. the project ‘Mach dein Herz auf’ (‘Open Your Heart’) that helps asylum
seekers make their first steps in Germany and advises volunteers on their efforts
to teach German156. This shift in the audience’s orientation reflects the connection
between the state integration policy and the media agenda of the leading public
service broadcaster.
In general, the public educational initiatives in Germany have been offering
their teaching services to all immigrant groups: those with no German
background can learn German as a foreign language at any level, while ethnic
Germans with a variety of German dialects can upgrade their knowledge of the
standard German (Hochdeutsch). Despite many regional varieties of the German
153
Hoffmann, J. (2014, August 15). Die Aufgabenplanung. Deutsche Welle. URL: http://www.dw.com/
de/die-aufgabenplanung/a-15680839, S. 25.
154
Oezcan, V. (2004, July 1). Germany: Immigration in Transition. Migration Information Source.
Washington, DC: Migration Policy Institute. URL: http://www.migrationpolicy.org/article/germanyimmigration-transition
155
Bley, U. (2017, April 12). Deutsch Lernen mit der Deutschen Welle. EAZ Eifel-Zeitung. URL:
http://www.eifelzeitung.de/allgemein/tagesthemen/deutsch-lernen-mit-der-deutschen-welle-113393/
156
Mach Dein Herz Auf. Deutsche Welle. URL: http://www.dw.com/de/deutsch-lernen/mach-deinherz-auf/s-32876
53
language (pluracentricity), Germany has always stuck to its single language,
while the Russian Federation has inherited its Soviet multilingual background
with Russian as lingua franca.
Today the number of ethnic Russians living outside the bounds of the
Russian Federation amounts to circa 30 million people with the largest
communities settled in the former Soviet Union, the United States, Israel and
Germany157. Emigration from the USSR began after the October Revolution of
1917 and Civil War of 1917-1922, followed by the second wave during World
War II, the third wave in the 1970s and the dramatic period of the 1990s, with an
upsurge of international migrants from the former Soviet republics and the
overwhelming number of Russian emigrants going abroad158. In 1990, when the
Soviets eased the emigration restrictions, the brain drain led hundreds of topflight Russian specialists to the US colleges and universities159. The phenomenon
happened again in 2013-2015, triggered by the Russia’s international isolation
over its actions in Ukraine and the country’s weakening economy hit by Western
sanctions over the annexation of Crimea160. The growing number of Russian
citizens relocating to the US, Canada, and Europe has made it a priority to
maintain Russian language knowledge among those who speak it as a native
language.
157
Oliker, O., Crane, K. et al. (2009). Russian Foreign Policy: Sources and Implications. Santa
Monica, CA: Rand Corporation, p. 38.
158
Iontsev, V., Ivakhnyuk, I., Soboleva, S. (2010). Russia: Immigration to Russia. In U.A. Segal, D.
Elliott, N.S. Mayadas (Eds.), Immigration Worldwide: Policies, Practices, and Trends (pp.47-62).
Oxford: Oxford University Press.
159
Barnathan, J. (1991, November 4). The Soviet Brain Drain is The U.S. Brain Gain. Bloomberg.
URL: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/1991-11-03/the-soviet-brain-drain-is-the-u-dot-s-dotbrain-gain
160
Panda, A. (2014, July 25). Russian Emigration Spikes in 2013-2014. The Diplomat. URL: http://
thediplomat.com/2014/07/russian-emigration-spikes-in-2013-2014/
54
In the meantime, the increasing flow of migrants from Ukraine,
Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Azerbaijan, Moldova, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Armenia,
and Belarus in the last twenty years has made teaching Russian as a non-native
language a crucial point for the successful integration of labor migrants and
refugees in the host country. Thus, maintaining the Russian language among
native speakers abroad and teaching Russian as a non-native language to migrants
has pushed back the task of promoting Russian as a foreign language worldwide.
The
non-profit
organizations
like
the
Russkiy
Mir
Foundation
and
Rossotrudnichestvo as well as the state-funded media like Radio Sputnik have
been actively promoting the Russian language to the native speakers abroad,
while educational institutions keep on teaching Russian as a foreign language.
However, the foreign-oriented media initiatives in this field are still miniscule.
Russia Beyond The Headlines has been promoting international activities of the
leading Russian universities (Saint Petersburg State University, People’s
Friendship University, Siberian Federal University and others) as a partnergenerated content within its Education section. But any cooperation projects with
non-profit or government organizations in the field of Russian language learning
have not yet been initiated.
Economic pressures
The annual budget for Deutsche Welle service comes from the tax revenues
and amounts to 270 Million Euro, about 1,5 million of which are invested into
developing German language courses161. Along with the state funding, Deutsche
Welle initiates various cooperation opportunities for its language partners in the
161
Bley, U. (2015, October 28). Interview mit André Moeller, Leiter der DW Bildungsprogramme.
EAZ Eifel-Zeitung. URL: http://www.eifelzeitung.de/redaktion/interviews/interview-mit-andremoeller-leiter-der-dw-bildungsprogramme-113395/
55
form of content feeds, newsletters, print and online projects, advertising
campaigns, banner- and link exchanges162. The list of long-term partners of
Deutsche Welle includes the Goethe-Institute, DaF WEBKOM (the webconference for German teachers), Internationaler Deutschlehrerverband (The
International
German
Teachers’
Association),
LingoFox,
Deutsche
Auslandsgesellschaft, and Universität Bonn163.
Russia Beyond The Headlines is currently sponsored by ANO ‘TVNovosti’, the state-funded organization that also sponsors the RT television
network. The budget allocated to the Education section of the website rbth.com
has not been disclosed, however, it is known, that apart from the indirect state
funds, RBTH raises its revenues from online and print advertising as well as from
sponsored content placements and special projects164. This circumstance opens a
wide range of opportunities for a potential cooperation between RBTH, language
schools and other educational projects.
As for the competitive landscape, Deutsche Welle holds an exceptional
position as the Germany’s leading international broadcaster. In the field of
German language teaching, however, DW does locate a few competitors, in
particular the Goethe-Institute, the world largest German language provider165,
the BBC aggregator of language sources 166 as well as the online language portals
162
Deutsche Welle. Deutsche Welle – Ein Starker Partner. Deutschkursangebote und
Kooperationsformen.
URL:
http://www.dw.com/downloads/26168634/deutsch-lernen-mit-derdeutschen-welle.pdf
163
Deutsche Welle. Unsere Partner. URL: http://www.dw.com/de/deutsch-lernen/unsere-partner/
s-31880
164
Russia Beyond The Headlines. (2016). Media Kit. URL: https://cdn.rbth.com/static/docs/
media_kit_12-2016.pdf
165
Goethe-Institut. Deutschkurse. URL: https://www.goethe.de/de/spr/kup/kur.html
166
BBC Languages. URL: http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/
56
like Bab.la, Busuu, Livemocha and Babbel167. The same multilingual online
sources can create competition to Russia Beyond The Headlines as a potential
Russian language mediator, while other English-language media such as RT
television network, Sputnik radio station, The Moscow Times newspaper, and the
Capital Moscow radio station act as competitors at the cross-border news media
market. These foreign-oriented media will be tested further in the online survey
regarding the consumers’ awareness of the media and their attitudes towards
learning Russian as a foreign language through the online media.
Media organization and language teaching expertise
The organization structure of Deutsche Welle is headed by the Director
General and includes programming department (with editorial desks for different
regions and topics), distribution, marketing and technology department,
administration department and DW Akademie with a special department
responsible for production and distribution of the online German courses168. The
education team creates German web-series, didacticises the original news content,
develops the multimedia products on different platforms and curates the online
community of German learners and teachers169. Russia Beyond The Headlines’
team consists of the central desk with editors for major departments (politics,
business, defense, culture etc.), global English and regional teams (Western
Europe, South America, Southern Europe, Asia) with a wide international
167
Deutsche Welle. (2013). Deutsche Welle Evaluationsbericht 2010-2013. URL: http://www.dw.com/
de/der-evaluationsbericht/a-16910881, S. 135.
168
Deutsche Welle. The Structure of DW. Organization Chart. URL: http://www.dw.com/downloads/
38218776/organigrammdw.pdf
169
Deutsche Welle. Das Team. URL: http://www.dw.com/de/das-team/a-1633210
57
network of representatives, plus multimedia and information department along
with special projects and social media group170.
Despite the similar organization structure, the major discrepancy between
the content management operations at DW and RBTH deals with the target
language: for Deutsche Welle, German has been one of the official languages,
while Russia Beyond The Headlines does not operate in Russian language and
focuses solely on the international audience (or Russian native speakers with a
good command of foreign languages). At RBTH, Russian is being used only as a
source language for creating domestic materials that will be selected by the
regional desks, translated into the 17 other languages and adapted in the relevant
target markets171. No Russian language materials are publicly available at the
RBTH web sites, which means that the approach of didacticising the journalistic
content for the purpose of language learning (like in the case with Deustche Welle
- Deutsch Lernen) cannot be simply applied for Russia Beyond the Headlines.
But as long as the media professionals and language experts at RBTH have an
access to the source materials in Russian, they can retrieve and recycle them
whenever the need arise.
Understanding the audience
Deutsche Welle reaches out to international audience, amounted to over
135 million people every week. The website dw.com/deutschlernen has more than
170
Russia Beyond The Headlines. Team. URL: https://www.rbth.com/team
171
Russia Beyond The Headlines. Products. URL: https://syndicate.rbth.com/products
58
7 million page views every month172. André Moeller, head of the DW educational
programming, describes the target audience of DW - Deutsch Lernen as ‘people,
who are interested in Germany, German language and culture; the community
amounts to 15,4 million German learners worldwide and roughly one million new
settlers in the FRG, who want to learn the language. Besides, German language
teachers use the DW materials in their classes across the globe’173.
The global audience of Russia Beyond The Headlines amounts to 10,2
million users. The audience is principally male (82%), 35+ years old (72%) with
above than average level of annual personal income (75%). Out of 21 web sites in
17 languages the biggest monthly traffic – 650 000 visits - goes to the English
versions at rbth.com and rbth.co.uk. Users geography encompasses Europe
(41%), USA (17%), Asia (25%) and other regions (17%)174. According to the
RBTH websites’ audience research (Google Analytics, Q2 2016), the section
‘Education’ (rbth.com/education) has only 8000 unique page views per month,
which is almost twice as little as ‘Literature’ and thrice as little as ‘Russian
Kitchen’ section175.
The example of Deutsche Welle – Deutsch Lernen demonstrates that the
language-learning component can positively affect the online users statistics and
increase the number of page views. This assumption will be tested in the
172
Tellmann, V. (2015, October 8). DW Increases Audience Reach. Deutsche Welle. URL: http://
www.dw.com/en/dw-increases-audience-reach-118-million-people-watch-listen-to-or-use-dwprograms-and-services-on-a-weekly-basis/a-18768576
173
Moeller cited in Bley, U. (2015, October 28). Interview mit André Moeller, Leiter der DW
Bildungsprogramme. EAZ Eifel-Zeitung. URL: http://www.eifelzeitung.de/redaktion/interviews/
interview-mit-andre-moeller-leiter-der-dw-bildungsprogramme-113395/
174
Russia Beyond The Headlines. (2016). Media Kit. URL: https://cdn.rbth.com/static/docs/
media_kit_12-2016.pdf
175
Russia Beyond The Headlines. (2016). Media Kit. URL: https://cdn.rbth.com/static/docs/
media_kit_12-2016.pdf
59
empirical part of the research by monitoring the edutainment video prototypes on
the website rbth.com/education.
Content
Deutsche Welle offers free online German courses for every skill levels –
from A1 to C2. Users can choose a course in their native language, at a particular
level of proficiency and with a set of desirable materials (audio, video,
worksheets) in the Course Finder section – dw.com/learngerman/coursefinder. In
order to find out, which courses would best suits them, the users can take
Placement Test on dw.com/learngerman/placementtest and check their grammar,
vocabulary, reading and listening comprehension176.
The modern repertoire of DW - Deutsch Lernen (www.dw.com/de/deutschlernen/) includes four sections177:
•
Self-contained curricular language courses for beginners (Deutschkurse)
•
Ongoing didactically prepared content for advanced learners (Deutsch
XXL)
•
Community and service, including newsletter, social media, podcasts
(Community D)
•
Materials for German language teachers (Deutsch Unterrichten)
The unit Deutsch XXL with tailored and didacticised content includes five
sections: Deutsch Aktuell, Deutsch im Focus, Telenovela, Bandtagebuch,
Landeskunde. The section Deutsch Aktuell is the one with didactically arranged
journalistic materials – Top-Thema, Video-Thema, Nachrichten, and Glossar 176
Deutsche Welle. Deutsch Lernen. Service. URL: http://www.dw.com/de/deutsch-lernen/service/
s-9032
177
Deutsche Welle. (2013). Deutsche Welle Evaluationsbericht 2010-2013. URL: http://www.dw.com/
de/der-evaluationsbericht/a-16910881, S. 136.
60
that allow advanced learners to both experience authentic German language and
catch on the current events. All the materials are accompanied by multimedia video or audio, downloadable script, quizzes, gap-fill exercises and printable pdf
sheets178 (Appendix 2).
RBTH Education online project currently includes three sections University rankings, Learn Russian and Study in Russia179. Until recently the
‘Learn Russian’ subsection featured only grammar tests for certificate levels; the
capacity of the web site, however, allows for more diverse content. The empirical
part of the research includes the development and production of the video series
‘Russian2Go’ on the web-site rbth.com/education as a pilot project for examining
the audience’s feedback.
Platforms and social media
As of April 1, 2017, the ‘DW – Learn German’ Facebook page has over
900 thousand followers180; its Twitter account has over 66 thousand followers181.
Although the most-used platform for learning German with Deutsche Welle is
desktop, the service constantly enhances its mobile presence182. For German
learners on every level, Deutsche Welle offers podcasts related to its main
programs. A portfolio of newsletters includes German courses with the answers to
178
Deutsche Welle. German To Go: Learn German for Free with DW. URL: http://www.dw.com/
downloads/27605321/german-to-go-webversion.pdf
179
180
181
182
Russia Beyond The Headlines. Education. URL: https://www.rbth.com/education
Deutsche Welle – Deutsch Lernen. Facebook. URL: https://www.facebook.com/dw.learngerman
Deutsche Welle – Deutsche Lernen. Twitter. URL: https://twitter.com/dw_learngerman
Moeller cited in Bley, U. (2015, October 28). Interview mit André Moeller, Leiter der DW
Bildungsprogramme. EAZ Eifel-Zeitung. URL: http://www.eifelzeitung.de/redaktion/interviews/
interview-mit-andre-moeller-leiter-der-dw-bildungsprogramme-113395/
61
the tasks of the week, German as a foreign language, German in Focus, and
newsletter for German teachers.
Russia Beyond The Headlines has totally over 1 300 million followers in
social media (each country’s web-site has its own local account in social
networks)183. As of April 1, 2017, RBTH.com has over 280 thousand followers on
Facebook 184, and over 16 thousand followers on Twitter185. Accounts allocated
exclusively to rbth.com/education are not available, and all the updates related to
‘Education’ are posted in the general accounts. Every RBTH website provides an
option to subscribe to the weekly newsletter in its language. According to Google
Analytics, in September-November, 2016, the audience of RBTH e-mail
newsletters amounted to 72 thousand subscribers. The web-site audience research
indicated that 50% users open RBTH websites on their desktops, while 44% go
mobile, and only 6% use tablets186. For mobile and tablet users RBTH suggest
RBTH Daily – mobile application with a digest of Top-10 RBTH articles in
English. RBTH application for iPad provides digital version of printed editions as
well as online materials.
The comparative analysis of Deutsche Welle and Russia Beyond The
Headlines as online communicators and media organizations led to the following
research enquiry.
183
Russia Beyond The Headlines. (2016). Media Kit. URL: https://cdn.rbth.com/static/docs/
media_kit_12-2016.pdf
184
Russia Beyond The Headlines. Facebook. URL: https://www.facebook.com/russiabeyond/
185
Russia Beyond The Headlines. Twitter. URL: https://twitter.com/russiabeyond
186
Russia Beyond The Headlines. (2016). Media Kit. URL: https://cdn.rbth.com/static/docs/
media_kit_12-2016.pdf
62
Research question: is it plausible for a Russia-based international media
to adopt an edutainment content strategy and become a language-learning content
provider?
Here plausibility concerns Russia’s international policy (whether the
promotion of Russian as a foreign language is actually a priority), Russian media
system (whether the media see the language promotion technically, financially,
ideologically and professionally viable), the current state of the Russian media
didactics (its complexity, popularity, and relevance) and the foreign-speaking
audience’s demand for such content.
Hypothesis 1: Russia’s global media can include a RFL learning section in
its functional set, provided the source is multilingual, multimedia, multiplatform
and culturally relevant, and its mission statement already implies an edutainment
component.
Hypothesis 2: Potential RFL learners would consider Russia-related media
– namely Russia Beyond the Headline (rbth.com) - as an alternative source for
informal language learning provided its content and technological relevance.
In order to answer the research question, Russia Beyond The Headlines as a
case will be studied closely in the empirical part of the research at the two levels:
1) Russia Beyond The Headlines as an online communicator:
•
Structure, purpose, formats of the web site: technical and conceptual
relevance of edutainment for rbth.com.
•
Content management: web and social media strategy - from creator, editor,
publisher, and administrator to consumer.
•
Pilot project production according to the categories deduced from the
successful case of Deutsche Welle - Deutsch Lernen: topics, levels, source
languages, formats, multimedia, and platforms.
63
2) Russia Beyond The Headlines as a media organization in the field of
social forces
•
Russia’s international outlook and RFL policy.
•
Russian media system: media concentration, degree of independence in the
editorial policy.
•
Current trends in the Russian language didactics: approaches to teaching
RFL via media and grading the language proficiency, professional
competencies.
•
Foreign-speaking audience’s demand for RFL online learning resources,
their preferences and media usage practices.
Chapter 3. Empirical study
Theoretical overview of the Russia-based international media and their onand-off attempts to provide language learning service indicates that the problem
of producing and consuming edutainment content has not been studied clearly in
the field of media research. Therefore, in the empirical part of the study,
exploratory research techniques such as pilot study, in-depth expert interviews
and online survey 187 were chosen to investigate the phenomenon of learning
Russian as a foreign language via online media at two different levels – online
media as a communicator via web-site and social media and media organization
in the field of social forces (policy, ownership, audience, events) through the lens
of teaching Russian as a foreign language.
187
Shields, P., Rangarjan, N. (2013). A Playbook for Research Methods: Integrating Conceptual
Frameworks and Project Management. Stillwater, OK: New Forums Press, p. 109.
64
The empirical research has been accomplished in two stages. The
preliminary stage includes the pilot study to test the feasibility of the web site
RBTH.com and its social media accounts to provide edutainment content. The
pilot study consists in 1) analyzing the popularity of the RFL-related content at
rbth.com/education and defining some key characteristics of the RBTH.com
audience; 2) identifying the needs of randomly selected non-Russian speakers in
learning RFL; 3) producing a RFL working prototype for Russia Beyond The
Headlines and examining its ratings.
The main stage of the empirical study includes 1) interviews with experts
in teaching RFL and managing edutainment projects and 2) the extended online
survey of the target audience - non-Russian speaking adults – about their
language competencies and media usage practices. The final part is devoted to the
discussion and further recommendations for Russia Beyond The Headlines in
communicating their edutainment to the target audience. Before embarking upon
the preliminary stage, a short overview of the used research methods is needed.
3.1. Research methodology
Online media are the prime focus of the research. In order to understand the
online users’ goals, attitudes, and behaviors, both quantitative and qualitative
methods can be used. As Mulder and Yaar (2006) put it, ‘quantitative research is
better at telling you what is happening, and qualitative research is better at telling
you why it’s happening’188. Website traffic metrics and online surveys are the
examples of the quantitative approach, when something is being tested with a
comparatively large sample size. Expert interviews fall into the category of the
188
Mulder, S., Yaar, Z. (2006). The User is Always Right: A Practical Guide to Creating and Using
Personas for the Web. Berkeley, CA: New Riders, p. 37.
65
qualitative research as they imply interacting with a small number of people to
reveal new insights. The current study uses a mixed-methods approach that
combines quantitative methods with qualitative methods.
In the pilot study, the quantitative techniques of web analytics, social media
monitoring and online surveys were employed to analyze the data behind the
actual and potential audience’s demand for edutainment in the media in general
and on RBTH.com in particular. Web analytics is one of the most popular
activities to obtain quantitative website data to gauge popularity trends for the
purpose of optimizing web usage. It reveals three types of metrics: visit count
(pageviews, number of visits and unique visitors), visit duration (time on site and
on page), exit rate and bounce rate189. There are many types of web analysis that
enables to relate web traffic to organizational goals. Zheng and Peltsverger (2015)
distinguish trend analysis, distribution analysis, user activity or behavior analysis
(engagement, clickstream, visitor attention), performance analysis and conversion
analysis190. For the purposes of the pilot study, trend analysis was chosen to
understand the total visits of the web-page rbth.com/education over the period of
February 1, 2016 to October 27, 2016, gauge the social media buttons reactions
and indicate the trending topics among the most viewed pages.
At the latter stage of the pilot study, a quantitative method of social media
monitoring has been used. The social network Facebook has been chosen as a
main source for monitoring the RBTH followers’ activity (as of April 1, 2017,
RBTH.com has over 280 thousand followers on Facebook, compared to over 16
thousand followers on Twitter). Khan (2015) emphasizes the seven layers of
189
Kaushik, A. (2009). Web Analytics 2.0: The Art of Online Accountability and Science of Customer
Centricity (1st ed.). Indianapolis, IN: John Wiley & Sons, p. 38.
190
Zheng, J.G., Peltsverger, S. (2015). Web Analytics Overview. In M. Khosrow-Pour (Ed.),
Encyclopedia of Information Science and Technology (3rd ed.) (pp. 7674 – 7683). Hershey PA: IGI
Global, p. 7680.
66
social media data – text, networks, actions, hyperlinks, apps, location and search
engines, - and encourages decision makers to convert the data into meaningful
business insights191. The RBTH Facebook page192 has been monitored at the level
of actions - likes, dislikes, shares, mentions, comments - performed by the social
media users. The quantitative method of social media analytics enables to
understand users’ sentiments and compare them to the results of other research
procedures, i.e. online surveys and expert interviews.
Online survey is an increasingly popular research method. According to
Couper and Miller (2008), online surveys have become a hot topic in the social
research right after Internet Explorer was released in 1995193. Although since then
many people have gained access to the Internet, the main objection to online
surveys remains to be representativeness. Not everyone can be reached via
Internet or be tech-savvy enough to participate in surveys – especially when it
comes to the poor and the elderly. Wilson (1999) argues that market research for
online companies should be conducted online194. This statement is especially
relevant for the current study since it concerns surveying online media consumers
and potential online learners.
There were two online surveys conducted in the study (Appendix 8). The
first form is a brief questionnaire for a small sample of non-Russian speakers (21
respondents), aimed at revealing their attitudes, competencies and individual
preferences in learning Russian as a foreign language. The survey was meant to
191
Khan, G. F. (2015). Seven Layers of Social Media Analytics: Mining Business Insights from Social
Media Text, Actions, Networks, Hyperlinks, Apps, Search Engine, and Location Data. Charleston,
South Carolina: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, pp. 6-7.
192
Russia Beyond The Headlines. Facebook. URL: https://www.facebook.com/russiabeyond/
193
Couper, M. P., Miller, P. V. (2008). Web Survey Methods: Introduction. Public Opinion Quarterly,
72 (5), 831-835.
194
Wilson cited in Babbie, E. (2013). The Practice of Social Research (13th ed.). China: Wadsworth,
Cengage Learning, p. 259.
67
provide initial quantitative data that would describe the potential audience and
help to develop a pilot edutainment project for Russia Beyond The Headlines.
The second survey represents a more extended inquiry with a bigger sample of
respondents (42), conducted to find out their individual attitudes towards learning
RFL, assess their language competencies and uncover their media awareness and
usage practices. Both surveys were constructed through the online software
Typeform and contained mostly closed-ended questions, including general
questions like gender, age, and place of origin, and more specific questions with
an optional field ‘Other’ to fill-in. Both forms required no ID number or a
password to be typed and were accessed at any platform - desktop, smartphone or
tablet. Both online questionnaires were available through the separate links and
shared via social media and online messengers. The obvious advantages of the
online survey are privacy, anonymity, economy and lack of interviewer bias.
At the main stage of the empirical study, Skype interviews were conducted
with five experts (Appendix 9). An expert interview is a qualitative research
method in which the interviewer directs the conversation and initiates the
discussion on a specific topic with an expert doing 95% of the talking195. A list of
interviewees was compiled based on their credibility and credentials, i.e.
educational and professional background in teaching Russian as a foreign
language, vocational experience in developing and managing edutainment media
projects, network recommendations and RFL-related publications. A general plan
of the interview is based on a set of topics to be discussed in depth, i.e. Russian
media landscape, trends in teaching RFL, approaches to selecting levels, topics,
formats and platforms suitable for online language learners. An average length of
each interview is 60 minutes. The method of expert interviews helped to discover
195
Babbie, E. (2013). The Practice of Social Research (13th ed.). China: Wadsworth, Cengage
Learning, p. 317.
68
some challenges and opportunities behind edutainment in the media and to scope
out a bigger picture of international media in the field of economic, political, and
social forces.
3.2. Preliminary stage
The pilot study took off in late October 2016, when Russia Beyond The
Headlines provided its Google Analysis data for the web site RBTH.com
covering the period of January 1, 2016 – October 27, 2016. According to the
metrics, the users’ demographic body represents mostly the age groups of 18-24
(18%), 25-34 (29%), and 35-44 (20%). The male-female ratio is 66,9%:33,1%.
Main locations of RBTH.com users are the US, Russia, UK, India, Canada,
Australia, Germany, France, Netherlands, Italy (Appendix 5). According to the
analysis of the pageviews at rbth.com/education in the same timespan, 4 out of 10
most viewed articles are devoted to non-native Russian speakers learning or
promoting Russian as foreign language (Appendix 3). An average rating of these
pages totals 2 684 pageviews within the measured time period. If one compares it
to the overall statistics of the ‘Education’ section (8000 unique views per month)
and to the viewership of the whole web-site RBTH.com (655 000 views per
month) 196, one can notice 1) a relatively low activity in the ‘Education’ section; 2)
a lack of RFL-related content at rbth.com/education, but 3) a relatively high
viewership of the RFL-related articles.
For the purpose of identifying potential audience’s preferences in learning
Russian as a foreign language, a brief online survey was conducted in October 15,
2016 – October 17, 2016 (Appendix 6). The survey was created through the
196
Russia Beyond The Headlines (2016). Media Kit. URL: https://cdn.rbth.com/static/docs/
media_kit_12-2016.pdf
69
online software Typeform and contained 11 questions with an average time to
complete - 4 min 43 sec. The survey was disseminated randomly via social media
to non-Russian speaking adults who have had or would like to have an experience
in learning Russian as a foreign language. The online form received 21 responses
within the random sampling and delivered the following results: the two major
age groups are 25-34 (57%) and 18-24 (43%). The male-female ratio is 29%:
71%. The main regions of the respondents’ origin include Europe and North
America with a small cohort originating from Middle East, Africa, and Asia. In
general, the sampling of the survey is comparable to the demographic
characteristics of the RBTH.com users and is therefore treated as a focus group
for developing a pilot project.
According to the brief survey, 3/4 respondents speak Russian as a foreign
language at the A1-B2 levels and rate their speaking, listening, reading and
writing skills at the average 3 out of 5 points. Majority of the respondents
reportedly learn RFL for career (67%) and/or academic purposes (62%); almost
half of the sample (48%) learn RFL for everyday life in Russia and/or out of
curiosity. When asked ‘Have you ever used Russian news media for learning
Russian’, 52% respondents answered ‘Yes’ and mentioned among others the
BBC, Bumaga (paperpaper.ru), Meduza, Russkiy Reporter, Pervyi Kanal
(Channel One Russia), TASS, and Radio Echo of Moscow.
It is worth noting, however, that none of the aforementioned media offer
Russian language courses or any RFL-related edutainment. Their media content is
produced for fluent Russian speakers and not didacticised for self-learning. The
respondents also chose video with subtitles as the most preferred media format
for RFL learning (81%), followed by interactive quiz (43%), podcasts (38%), and
news features in plain Russian (24%). The most interesting topics for RFL
learning, according to the survey, are politics, business, culture, literature, sport,
70
art, and history (57%), with some people interested in conversational topics
(24%) and Russian slang (19%).
The brief survey along with the web analytics proved that there is a certain
demand for RFL-related topics and a vacant market niche for the online learning
resources in the Russia’s foreign-oriented media. Based on the RBTH.com web
analysis and the survey outcome, subtitled video was chosen as a media format
for the pilot project aimed at testing the online platform rbth.com to assess its
potential as an edutainment media.
Pilot project
The content production started in November 2016 and resulted in the video
series called ‘Russian2Go’ co-authored by Yulia Shimf and Catherine Barney. The
video series includes three episodes – ‘Kakie ljudi’ 197, ‘Davai’ 198, and ‘What do
Russians mean when they say yes, no, maybe’ all at the same time?’199. Each
video episode was published on the website rbth.com/education on due date with
the link shared by RBTH.com in its social media accounts on Facebook and
Twitter.
The content strategy behind the video production implied creating short
video episodes in English as a source language to teach conversational phrases
from spoken Russian to non-Russian speakers at the levels from beginner to
197
Shimf, Y., Proshina, E., Inzhelevsky, P. (Producers). (2016, November 25). Russian2Go. Episode 1.
Kakie Ljudi. Russia Beyond The Headlines. URL: http://rbth.com/education/2016/11/25/russian2goepisode-1-kakie-ljudi_651163
198
Id. (2016, December 26). Russian2Go. Episode 2. Davai. Russia Beyond The Headlines. URL:
http://rbth.com/education/2016/12/23/russian2go-episode-2-davaj_667046
199
Id. (2017, March 16). What Do Russians Mean When They Say ‘Yes, No, Maybe’ All at the Same
Time? Russia Beyond The Headlines. URL: http://rbth.com/education/2017/03/14/what-do-russiansmean-when-they-say-yes-no-maybe-all-at-the-same-time_719488
71
intermediate. The production team consists of two freelance authors and hosts - a
native Russian speaker as a teacher (Shimf) and an American expat as an RFL
learner (Barney), not affiliated with Russia Beyond The Headlines, - and two
RBTH staff members - a central desk editor for Education (Elena Proshina) and a
video editor (Pavel Inzhelevsky). The content management team involves website
editors, multimedia editors and social media editors. It is worth noting, however,
that none of the team members have educational or vocational experience in
teaching Russian as a foreign language. All the topics, voice and presentation
style of the video series has been adopted randomly and based entirely on the
hosts’ personal experience with Russian and non-Russian speakers. The hosts
were not introduced to the code of conduct or the style guide at Russia Beyond
The Headlines. The video series ‘Russian2Go’ has not been formally influenced
by the editorial policy at Russia Beyond The Headlines, nor has it reflected the
agenda set by either RBTH print publication or the online multimedia project.
The distribution strategy of the project ‘Russian2Go’ included posting
videos on the website rbth.com and in its other language versions (with subtitles),
scalable for desktop and mobile devices, with the social media widgets. None of
the videos, however, made their way into the mobile digest ‘RBTH daily’ or the
iPad version ‘Experience The Real Russia’. Although both applications are free
and contain news, stories, and videos about Russia, they fail to provide an
educational component, be it ‘Russian2Go’ or any other RFL-related content.
In order to assess the feasibility of the pilot project ‘Russian2Go’, a
detailed analysis of the three specially produced videos was conducted (Appendix
3). The Google Analytics report shows that the latter episode ‘What do Russians
mean when they say ‘yes, no, maybe’ all at the same time?’ got more pageviews
(2889) and more Facebook widget reactions (619) than the two previous videos
combined (2677 pageviews and 204 Facebook button clicks) - even though it was
72
published most recently. Such a big difference in the pageviews and Facebook
reactions is likely to be explained by the different headlining. The central desk
editor for Education at Russia Beyond the Headlines acknowledged 200 that a
native English speaker was deliberately invited to the project for making up a
headline for the third episode in accordance with the native English reasoning and
the SEO strategy. As a result, the headline ‘What do Russians mean when they
say ‘yes, no, maybe’ all at the same time?’ contains the frequently searched
keyword phrase ‘What do Russians mean’ which makes the page relevant to a
wide variety of search queries and increases traffic. This observation makes it
clear that online edutainment - just as any other type of online media content, be
it hard news or soft features - should follow the common principles of the online
media logic, i.e. SEO-friendly headlines, link building, tagging, social sharing
buttons etc.
Another striking difference in the video viewership is that the second
episode ‘Davai’ got much fewer pageviews (878) and Facebook button reactions
(74) then the other two - even compared to the first episode, headlined by the
same logic – ‘Russian2Go. Episode #’. A closer look at the RBTH.com reveals
that the possible explanation is hidden in the publication date – December 26,
2016. According to the history of news publications on rbth.com, on the day
before that, December 25, 2016, the Tu-154 plane crashed in Sochi 201. The event
got an extensive coverage by Russia Beyond The Headlines and presumably drew
the most web traffic. The overlapping of the two contrasting publications points
out the importance of a smart publication schedule and coordinated teamwork
between content producers, content managers and editorial body of Russia
200
201
Proshina, E., personal communication, April 7, 2017.
Litovkin, N. (2016, December 25). No Survivors in the Military Plane Crash near Sochi. Russia
Beyond The Headlines. URL: http://rbth.com/politics_and_society/2016/12/25/tu-154-en-route-tosyria-crashes-into-black-sea_667781
73
Beyond The Headlines. Media management is an important aspect of any
international media organization. With only two video editors responsible for all
video productions on RBTH.com, the planning and operating processes are hard
to manage and coordinate. It means that the team structure and areas of
responsibility influence not only the quality of content, but also the media brand
awareness – including the web traffic and social media reactions, - and media
product perceptions – from totally inappropriate to timely and valuable.
Five months later after the pilot project ‘Russian2G0’ took off on the website rbth.com, central desk for Education at Russia Beyond the Headlines decided
to reformat the premier video episode ‘Kakie ljudi’ and post it in the video section
of the RBTH account on Facebook in a reduced size of a shortened length202. In
just a week, the Facebook video earned over 10 thousand views, 325 positive
reactions and 21 comments203. The decision to put the video into the Facebook
video section a few months later after the premiere has reportedly been made to
generate a separate organic traffic - independent from the RBTH web site - to the
Facebook video page, to measure the video viewership in order to understand,
how the episode contributes to the RBTH reach and engagement. Having
uploaded the video directly to its social media account, Russia Beyond The
Headlines has immediately taken advantage of the beneficial autoplay and view
counting. According to the Facebook media practices, videos start playing silently
as people scroll down their feed. On the one hand, the function takes a lot of
focus on catchy imagery from the first frame, but on the other hand, it
immediately generates viewership and makes the whole process more engaging
for a media consumer and more effective for a media producer. In the cross-media
202
Russia Beyond The Headlines. Facebook Videos. URL: https://www.facebook.com/pg/
russiabeyond/videos/
203
Russia Beyond The Headlines. Facebook Videos. Russian2Go – 1 episode. URL: https://
www.facebook.com/russiabeyond/videos/10155110935678529/
74
and cross-platform environment, the content management of RBTH needs to
develop separate video strategies with due regard to the web logic and social
media logic.
3.3. Main stage
In order to assess the potential of a media organization practicing
edutainment in the field of political, social and economic forces, a series of indepth qualitative interviews with RFL experts was conducted. The list of experts
includes Yulia Safonova, PhD, ‘Spoken Russian’ (Russkiy Ustniy) radio host on
radio Sputnik, Ekaternia Rubleva, PhD, author of the online project
‘LearnRussian’, RT television network, Natalia Brovchuk, ‘LearnRussian’ project
manager at RT, Marita Nummikoski (University of Texas at San Antonio), PhD,
co-author of the book ‘News from Russia: Language, Life, and the Russian
Media’, and Alexander Korotyshev, director of Headquarters at MAPRYAL
(International Association of Teachers of Russian Language and Literature)
(Appendix 4).
It is worth noting that all experts agreed that the main reason behind the
lack of Russian language edutainment in the media is a huge variety of online
learning sources (both professional and amateur) such as PushkinOnline204 and
‘Time to Speak Russian’205. Among other reasons, the experts give professional,
institutional and political explanations.
Professional reasons: due to a short history of edutainment in the Russiabased media, media professionals know little or nothing about RFL programs and
204
205
Pushkin Online [Образование на русском]. URL: https://pushkininstitute.ru/
Center for International Education (2007-2012). Time To Speak Russian. URL: http://speakrussian.cie.ru/time_new/
75
struggle to cooperate with RFL experts. RFL teachers, in turn, represent a very
closed community and are much less networked on a global scale than, for
example, English and German teachers.
Institutional reasons: after the information agency ‘RIA Novosti’ and the
radio Sputnik merged to organize the state-funded international media holding
‘Rossiya Segonya’ in 2013, and Russia Beyond The Headlines passed into the
hands of the state-funded ANO TV Novosti in 2017, which also sponsors RT
television network, the Russia’s globally-oriented media became highly
concentrated in state hands. The series of reorganizations and privatizations left
no media organization aside that would be self-sustainable and independent
enough to promote edutainment without the prior approval by the owner.
Political reasons: it has been jointly confirmed by the experts that the idea
of promoting Russian as a foreign language via media has not yet manifested
itself among the decision makers. There is a lack of discussion about why foreign
people actually need to learn Russian. The modern language policy in Russia’s
media is primarily focus on maintaining the language knowledge among those
with the Russian language background – native Russian speaking expatriates and
migrants from the former Soviet Union, speaking Russian as a second language.
A wider media audience of RFL speakers seems to stay on the sidelines with a
lower priority.
Some of the experts assume that education is not a trend in the media and
should be promoted separately by alternative bodies like businesses and nonprofit organizations because the government is not in a position to synthetize RFL
policy and media policy, since two separate authorities – Ministry of Education
and Federal Agency for Press and Mass Communications – have their own areas
of responsibility. The central question here is a degree of independence and
accountability of the editorial decision makers that allow media to initiate
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edutainment projects on their own account. The case of RT television network
and its project ‘LearnRussian’ clearly demonstrates that, on the one hand, much
depends on the political agenda, but on the other hand, the media management
aspects like ratings, viewership, and social media activity, cannot be dismissed.
The expertise in developing and managing edutainment projects in the
media have shown that time- and investment-consuming initiatives are soon to be
shut down due to the high ROI expectations (return on investment/innovation)
among the businesses and piles of paperwork in non-profit organizations, namely
NGOs and educational institutions. Therefore, the technical aspect of fundraising
can affect the quality of the final project and its viability. Nevertheless, the
experts put a lot of emphasis on the possible cooperation between media,
businesses and the government, especially when it comes to setting the agenda for
trigger events such as Olympic games, Victory Day Anniversary, and FIFA World
Cup.
Online language courses tend to lack face-to-face communication and
therefore cannot provide a truly comprehensive learning experience. But still, the
experts positively assess the potential of RFL-related online media projects.
Those
with
a
first-hand
experience
in
edutainment
projects
-
like
‘LearnRussian’ (RT) and ‘Spoken Russian’ (Sputnik) – give a lot of credit to
media organizations as content producers. The media have second-to-none
facilities, provide a full access to international staff of RFL speakers and
approach the process of content production professionally. In contrast with
amateur learning sources like blogs, YouTube videos and podcasts, media outlets
are more competent in structuring their content and delivering it in adequate
proportions. In terms of the language, media also have an upper hand. Even
though, the experts point out to the general grammatical decline among Russian
native speakers and Russian media, the language used by the media is still the
77
most updated. Relevant, timely and non-academic content is the key strengths of
the media with the RFL-related project in mind.
Edutainment content management is challenging not only from the media
perspective, but also from the viewpoint of Russian language didactics. The
Russian alphabet uses letters from the Cyrillic script, which complicates the
process of reading and writing. Russian grammar and vocabulary is very specific
by contrast with other modern languages and hard to be learned online without a
tutor’s help. High speaking rate is another hallmark of the Russian media, which
calls for the content adaptation and customization. According to the experts in
teaching RFL, the most challenging aspect in online learning is a huge variety of
learners’ individual needs, goals, native language backgrounds and target
language levels. Frequency of the media use, availability and flexibility of the
content providers can boost the learners’ motivation and make their edutainment
more effective.
Target audience’s preferences have a huge impact on the plausibility of a
potential media project. In order to find out, whether the RFL-related media
projects can be in demand, the extended online survey was conducted among
non-native Russian speakers and received 42 responses (Appendix 7). The
majority of the respondents (68%) relate to the age category of 25 – 34 years old.
There were also a few younger participants aged 18-24 years old (29%) and only
two respondents aged 35+. Half of the surveyed learn Russian for their career
prospects and daily life in Russia. Almost a third noted that their academic
purposes (29%) and linguistic inquisitiveness (26%) encourage them to learn
Russian. The age and learning objectives of the audience also explain, why
Email-newsletters (60%) and Facebook notifications (36%) were chosen as the
most-preferred channels for getting Russian learning updates. With 72 000
subscribers and over 280 000 Facebook followers, Russia Beyond The Headlines
78
can use these media as strategic social channels for updating its users on their
RFL learning activity.
By comparison, the experts described the target audience of a potential
RFL media source as business people or diplomats, aged 25 and older, with an
upper-scale income and a few minutes a day to surf the Internet. Interestingly
enough, these characteristics coincide with the survey results and align with the
demographics of the RBTH.com users. Besides, all the respondents reportedly
speak at least one of the 17 official RBTH languages – either as a native language
or as a source language (English and German are the most popular). It means that
Russia Beyond The Headlines is linguistically equipped for developing the RFLrelated content. Translation and editorial teams of Russia Beyond The Headlines
can be actively engaged for producing the content for all RBTH web sites. What
is even more important is that, according to the expertise, business people aged
25+ represent an unoccupied niche in the media market for the online RFL
learning sources – compared to an extensive supply of the web-sites and mobile
applications tailored for kids, teenagers, and students.
The RFL experts use the Common European Framework of Reference for
Languages as the standard for grading an individual’s Russian language
proficiency. According to the Common European Framework, basic user is graded
at the levels A1 (beginner) and A2 (elementary), followed by independent user
with the levels B1 (intermediate) and B2 (upper intermediate). The highest stage
of language proficiency is proficient user, graded at the levels C1 (advanced) and
C2 (proficiency). Teachers of Russian as a foreign language are at one in thinking
that for A1-B1 levels, prepared Russian materials and spoken Russian from daily
life situations are the best sources for online learning. Starting from the levels B1B2 and higher, authentic media reports on current events and social issues can be
introduced. The audience’s survey shows that the respondents speak Russian as a
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foreign language at the whole scale of language levels – mostly at A1-B1 (73%)
and some at B2-C2 (27%). It means that the content producers should consider
whole range of RFL competencies and decide, whether to customize the media
materials for a particular level – like RT did with its ‘LearnRussian’ for beginners
– or to provide a more inclusive portfolio of programs for each level – like the
BBC-Learning English and Deutsche Welle - Deutsch Lernen do.
A major competitive edge of the media that plan to initiate edutainment
projects is their facility to use their news content for educational purposes.
Indeed, 83% of the respondents with different language levels preferred actual
topics from the media agenda - politics, business, culture, sports etc. - to slang
(74%) and survivor’s guide - café, shops, travel, services etc. (40%). Despite the
common opinion that any topic can be adapted to a particular level, some of the
experts supported teaching Russian via the media agenda - including some
national peculiarities (holidays, localities), but excluding taboo topics like crime,
sex, and religion.
Due to the high concentration of the Russia’s international media in the
state hands (RT television network, radio Sputnik, Russia Beyond The Headlines
are directly or indirectly sponsored by the Russian government), ideology are at
the heart of the discussion about media production and editorial decision making.
The experts seem to split over the ideological implications in the media didactics.
Some say that, while didacticising authentic media reports, content developers
should avoid any ideological dimensions, keeping the bare facts, but using
political accounts as a hook. Others claim that any national language and culture
come laden with the national ideology, especially when it comes to Russian as
‘higher-context culture’206. Still others call for keeping the ideology for
206
Hall, E. T. (1976). Beyond Culture. New York, London: Anchor Books/Doubleday.
80
educational purposes, e.g. to fuel critical thinking of the audience, or for the sake
of keeping up with the editorial policy.
Every media outlet aims at turning a non-user into a local consumer. But is
it possible for a media to employ edutainment and transform a Russia-watcher
into a Russian language learner, and vice versa? Overview of different language
learning projects indicates that there are two possible approaches to creating an
edutainment online project – 1) to open a section on the official web site like
Deutsche Welle did; 2) to create a separate edutainment web-site with a media
logo and a link to the official web-site - like RT did with its project
‘LearnRussian’. The bare fact that Deutsche Welle has been more successful in its
language projects than RT does not mean that the second approach is doomed to
fail. The major issue here has to do with the web-site interface, click-through
traffic expectations and media targeting.
The experts differ in opinion, if media users and language learners can be a
united audience or they comprise two separate cohorts. In order to find this out,
the respondents of the online survey were asked about their awareness and
attitude toward the five Russia-based foreign-oriented media – RT television,
Russia Beyond The Headlines, Sputnik, The Moscow Times, and radio Capital
Moscow FM - as news providers and as potential RFL mediators. Among the
listed media, The Moscow Times, daily English-language newspaper, enjoys the
most popularity – 50% respondents use it (often or sometimes) and only 17%
reported they do not know about it. Another local media, Capital Moscow FM,
English-language radio station, on the contrary, is the most unknown media by
76% respondents.
Almost a half of the surveyed claimed that they do not use RT television
network (48%) and radio Sputnik (45%), even though they are fully aware of the
media. Yet still, over 30% respondents would consider using Sputnik and RT, if
81
those offered Russian language learning services. As for the audience’s attitudes
toward Russia Beyond The Headlines, the responses split almost in equal thirds –
33% do not know about it, 38% use it, and 29% know about RBTH, but do not
use it. However, if Russia Beyond The Headlines provided RFL learning
component, 57% respondents would consider using it. The data show quite a
mixed public attitude toward RBTH as a news provider, but denote its more
positive disposition to RBTH as a RFL mediator. The general willingness of the
surveyed (83%) to turn to the listed media for RFL learning indicates that, first,
there is a demand for language learning via media, and second, the foreignoriented online media can use edutainment to broaden its audience.
In the preliminary study, the respondents chose video as the most-preferred
media for learning Russian as a foreign language. The pilot project ‘Russian2Go’
was launched as a video series and resonated with the RBTH audience – both on
the web site and on Facebook. The extended survey confirmed this consideration
– 62% respondents preferred subtitled videos, followed by interactive games
(55%), news feature in plain Russian (52), and podcasts (48%). Despite a
common assumption, that balance is a key, the interviewed experts also opted for
subtitled video with pre-listening and post listening exercise as the most effective
media for language learning. In this sense, media can take an advantage and use
their own video reports for further didacticization – like Deutsche Welle did with
their program Video-Thema 207.
In the age of media fragmentation, developing scalable and adaptive online
interface for potential edutainment projects would be the proper solution.
However, the experts in teaching Russian as a foreign language argue that tablets
would better fit the learning practices of the business audience, while smartphone
207
Deutsche Welle – Deutsch Lernen. Video-Thema. URL: http://www.dw.com/de/deutsch-lernen/
video-thema/s-12165
82
are the user-friendliest for students and young adults – even though they are
awkward for reading long texts. According to the actual RBTH website audience
research (Google Analytics, 2016), 55% RBTH users reach the web-site on their
PC, 39% use mobile devices, and 6% use tablets. The data is comparable to the
online survey’s results, where more than a half of the respondents opted for PC
(67%) and mobile devices (60%), leaving behind tablets (29%) as the least
preferred platform. For the emerging market of Russia’s international media, the
multi-platform usage is still in the experimental stage. Thus, Russia Beyond The
Headlines has had a mobile version of its main web page for a long time, but
launched its iPad application only in June 2015, its mobile application – RBTH
Daily digest – as recently as October 2016. Although both apps give their users a
short overview of the latest news and serves as a digested version of the web site,
they do not provide an access to the pilot project ‘Russian2Go’. Should Russia
Beyond The Headlines augment its Education section with more RFL-related
programs, it has to develop a more comprehensive content strategy and consider
launching new applications specifically for RFL leaners.
Discussion and recommendations
The two-step empirical analysis shows that Russia Beyond The Headlines
is capable of providing RFL-related edutainment under certain conditions and
within certain limitations. As an online communicator, Russia Beyond The
Headlines use 21 web sites in 17 languages, with the most viewed page RBTH.com in English. The portal already includes ‘Education’ section, aimed at
promoting Russian studies, and enjoys high viewership for the pages with RFLrelated content.
83
According to the web analysis and online surveys, the actual audience of
RBTH.com resembles the potential audience of RFL sources in terms of
demographics, location and linguistic background. Those are adults 25+, speaking
English as a native or a source language, learning Russian for career prospects
and/or daily life in Russia. They speak Russian as a foreign language at the
beginner-intermediate level, feel interested in learning Russian via media agenda,
and prefer getting their course updates via e-mail newsletters and Facebook
notifications. Technical capacity of the RBTH online allows for a potential
edutainment project to be multimedia, with great deal of subtitled videos and
quizzes, available on various platforms (desktop, mobile, tablet) and operating
systems (iOS, Android).
Recommendations for RBTH in developing its online edutainment
content strategy include:
•
Following the principles of online media logic and social media logic
– such as tagging, SEO, headlining, social sharing buttons, link building –
in order to boost the page viewership,
•
Improving the content management system in terms of planning,
production and publication schedule,
•
Finding better cross-platform solutions for a potential edutainment
project, e.g. a customized mobile application for learning RFL.
Russia Beyond The Headlines is up-and-coming cross-border news
provider in Russia, and any edutainment projects would give it a big edge in the
national media market. Unlike other global media, like RT television channel and
Sputnik International, Russia Beyond The Headlines states its mission as ‘to help
understand Russian better in order to explain, educate and entertain our readers’,
which already implies an edutainment component. In contrast to some local
English-language media, like The Moscow Times and radio Capital Moscow,
84
RBTH is a truly global and multilingual project. In the market for RFL online
learning sources, RBTH can get an upper hand over multiple blogs, YouTube
videos, and amateur podcasts due to its media specifics - structured and wellproportioned supply of content, professional approach to content production, and
international team of non-native Russian speakers.
Opportunities for RBTH in providing Russian as a foreign language
courses include:
•
Serving the public by performing the media functions of education
and entertainment along with information and persuasion,
•
Engaging the audience by carrying an added value with the quality
content,
•
Constant supply of content, due to the relevance of didacticised
topics,
•
Getting acknowledged in other industries, especially in education
industry,
•
Diversification of product & branding: getting new advertisers,
starting new partnerships and special projects.
In the field of social forces, however, Russia Beyond The Headlines face
more challenges, then opportunities. As an indirectly state-funded media, RBTH
editorial policy is influenced to a certain extent by the state. As long as the
promotion of Russian as a foreign language is not a priority for the national
(media or language) policy, all the efforts in providing language learning fall on
the shoulders of the media itself. The key issue here is a degree of independence
that the RBTH central desk for Education has in developing and implementing its
content strategy. Another unavoidable question is financial viability of
edutainment projects and technical aspects of fund raising. Underdeveloped social
entrepreneurship in Russia, a series of reorganizations in the media industry, top-
85
heavy educational institutions and the overall lack of cooperation between media,
state authorities and NGOs make the media to look for sponsors and advertisers.
For Russia Beyond The Headlines, it often means making up for a shortage of
state by doing special projects with sponsored materials.
Human resources are an integral part of any project. Even though the pilot
video series ‘Russian2Go’, created by freelance and inexperienced content
producers, turned out to be successful, it does not mean that Russia Beyond The
Headlines can keep on doing it without any RFL expertise. Engaging professional
RFL teachers into the content management routine would increase the credibility
of the project and make it standout in the online environment. Another problem
here is a lack of tech-savvy RFL content developers with vocational experience in
edutainment, distant learning and online media didactics. Besides, many
intricacies of the Russian language, i.e. Cyrillic alphabet, high rate of speaking,
advanced grammar and vocabulary, make RFL teachers take a skeptical approach
to online language teaching. Andragogical (individually driven) type of RFL
learning is yet to be embraced by the experts, whose traditional methods to
teaching often contradict with the idea of learning a language without any face-toface communication. To avoid any possible misunderstandings between RFL
experts and the media, at least three key aspects of an edutainment project should
be defined: language level of the target audience (proficiency in native and source
language), its learning objectives and motivations. Besides, any type of
professional cooperation with the global media requires language experts to be
aware of the current international agenda, keep up with the editorial policy and be
familiar with the key journalistic principles of reporting facts and opinions.
In addition to the above, success and failure of any potential edutainment
project largely depends on what exactly the media intends when it creates an
edutainment experience – what feelings, thoughts and actions of the consumers
86
the media targets in order to engage the audience. Further recommendations for
Russia Beyond The Headlines would be to formulate the statements that would
describe Russian as a foreign language learning as a specific media product.
Conclusion
Media development in the age of globalization presents new challenges and
opportunities. As the use of computer technology and Internet exploded in the
1990s, cross-border news providers became, on the one hand, threatened by big
corporations, such as AOL-Time and Disney, and digital disruptors like Facebook
and Buzzfeed. On the other hand, they expanded their outreach within the World
Wide Web and enhanced their online presence in the dot-com domain.
87
While the amount of information is rapidly rising, and the media audience
is getting more and more fragmented, established media players develop their
long-term strategies and wrestle with a question – how to get as many people as
possible to spend as much time as possible with their journalism208. Negative
trends of media commercialization, homogenization and low advertising revenues
undermine the value of international broadcasters209. Yet, over the past 10 years,
mobility of people, availability of technology, and curiosity for outside
perspectives has driven up the audience’s demand for multiple views on the
global events210. This trend gives both mature media markets like Britain and
Germany, and emerging media players like Russia, a competitive edge over the
highly commercialized media giants.
In the densely saturated media environment, cross-border news providers
with the global outreach, strong national identification, and multilingual capacity,
have an upper hand in delivering their domestic viewpoints. Strategic reports of
the leading public service broadcasters – the BBC211 and Deutsche Welle212 –
distinctly reveal the importance of reporting in English as a lingua franca,
launching new world services in other languages, and promoting their national
language as an agent of cultural influence across the globe. Major international
208
The New York Times. (2014). Innovation Report, pp. 16-20. URL: http://www.presscouncil.org.au/
uploads/52321/ufiles/The_New_York_Times_Innovation_Report_-_March_2014.pdf
209
Kellner, D., Pierce, C. (2007). Media and Globalization. In G. Ritzer (Ed.), The Blackwell
Companion to Globalization, pp. 383-395.
210
PricewaterhouseCoopers. (2016). The Rise of Cross-Border News: An Independent Research study
by PwC UK, Commissioned by RT. URL: http://www.pwc.com/gx/en/entertainment-media/
publications/assets/cross-border-news.pdf
211
Harding, J. (2015). The Future of News. The BBC. URL: http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/bsp/
hi/pdfs/29_01_15future_of_news.pdf.
212
Hoffmann, J. (2014, August 15). Die Aufgabenplanung. Deutsche Welle. URL: http://www.dw.com/
de/die-aufgabenplanung/a-15680839.
88
broadcasters – the BBC, Deutsche Welle, Voice of America, Radio France
Internationale, and Radio Exterior de España - have been delivering their
language-learning programs since their very inception in 1950-1970s. Over the
years, formerly homogeneous educational programs have morphed into fullfledged edutainment content, equipped with interactive elements and foreign
language didactics. Public service broadcasters have become a substantial part in
the integrative CALL system (computer-assisted language learning)213, along with
mobile applications, social networks and e-learning software. In order to compete
with multilingual providers, they kept on using their own journalism content in a
national language as a dominant force. Thus, the edutainment content has become
a core element of the media agenda and an integral part of their mission.
Edutainment (or educational entertainment) refers to the use of media –
radio, television, print, ICT, Internet and mobile technology - for educational
purposes214, be it massive online open courses like Coursera, video seminars like
Die Zeit Akademie, or television programs like ‘Sesame Street’ and ‘Galileo’.
Despite the wide use of educational elements in the media, edutainment has rarely
been a subject of inquiry in the field of media research. While educators,
psychologists and computer scientists actively embraced the topic, media scholars
kept on taking edutainment for granted as a combination of key media functions –
education and entertainment, along with information and persuasion. The current
work was meant to rethink ‘edutainment’ as a media experience – a set of
213
Warschauer M. (2000). CALL for the 21st Century. IATEFL and ESADE Conference, 2 July 2000,
Barcelona, Spain.
214
Tummons, J., Powell, S. (2014). A-Z of Lifelong Learning. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill
Education, p. 40.
89
thoughts, actions, and believes that people have about a media brand215 - that can
be enhanced for a better audience’s engagement.
The aim of the research was to analyze various endeavors made by foreign
and Russia’s global media in supplying edutainment content with languagelearning didactics. Presented from a practice-driven perspective, the study is
focused on the cases of Deutsche Welle and its online section ‘Deutsch Lernen’216
as a successful example, and Russia Beyond The Headlines and its online section
‘Education’217 - as a pilot project. The practical implementation of the research
consists in assessing the potential of Russia Beyond The Headlines (RBTH) to
provide online courses for learning Russian as a foreign language (RFL).
The overview of multilingual practices in the earliest international
broadcasters – the BBC, Deutsche Welle, Voice of America – showed that 1) the
media integrated promotion of their national language (for English-language
media, it is popularization of the ‘proper’ English) into their mission statements,
and 2) the media used principles of contextualization and acculturation, putting
their national language into a real context, thus making edutainment experience
more meaningful. Even though Russian foreign service broadcasting – Radio
Moscow International - emerged earlier than all of the aforementioned
international broadcasters – in 1929, the history of RFL learning initiatives taken
by Soviet and Russian media is extremely short.
After a series of reorganizations – from Radio Moscow to The Voice of
Russia in 1993 and eventually to Sputnik International in 2014 – the major
Russia’s international broadcaster has had no RFL resource, except for the
215
Calder, B. J., Malthouse, E. C. (2008). Media Engagement and Advertising Effectiveness. In B. J.
Calder (Ed.), Kellogg on Media and Advertising (pp. 1-36). New York: Wiley.
216
Deutsche Welle – Deutsch Lernen. URL: http://www.dw.com/de/deutsch-lernen/s-2055
217
Russia Beyond The Headlines. URL: https://www.rbth.com/education
90
program ‘Russkiy ustnyi’218, launched in 2007 for the Russian speaking audience
living within the former Soviet Union and beyond. Another venture was made in
2012 by RT television network, when it launched its online project
‘LearnRussian’ with interactive exercises, social networks and YouTube videos.
In six months, however, the project got shut down and archived. The reasons
behind the failed edutainment practices in the Russia’s foreign-oriented media
may lie in the uniqueness of the post-Soviet media system and high concentration
of the major cross-border news providers in the state hands 219. Russia’s foreign
policy has also undermined several edutainment initiatives, authorizing media for
the exclusive function of political influence and protection of the national
interests.
For a better understanding of the challenges and opportunities that Russiabased global media face in providing RFL component, comparative analysis of
Deutsche Welle and Russia Beyond The Headlines was conducted. The
framework was developed at the two levels – online and offline. Despite initially
different analog forms - DW as a public service broadcaster, and RBTH as a print
publication - the media resemble from the viewpoint of an online media user.
They share the top-level domain .com, have a common structure of the web site,
report in multiple languages, use multimedia formats on different platforms
(desktop, mobile, tablets) and are active in the social media. Besides, both
Deutsche Welle and Russia Beyond The Headlines included the edutainment
component in their mission statements and allocated a separate section for the
218
Safonova, Y. A. (2008). The Russian Voice of Russia. Russian Language on the Radio Station ‘The
Voice of Russia’. Moscow: Center for International Education MSU.
219
Echo of Moscow. (2013, December 9). Kremlin Announced the Dissolution of One of the Biggest
and Oldest Mass Media. URL: http://echo.msk.ru/news/1214427-echo.html
91
language learning promotion on their web sites – ‘Deutsch Lernen’ on dw.com
and ‘Education’ on rbth.com.
At the same time, despite the structural, purposeful, and formal similarities
of their online representations, Deutsche Welle and Russia Beyond The Headlines
are very different media organizations within their respective national media
systems. In order to paint a bigger picture, a more comprehensive framework was
constructed to compare the media in the field of political, economic and social
forces220. In this context, DW and RBTH belong to downright different models of
media and politics in terms of ownership and role of the state. Being a public
service broadcaster, Deutsche Welle is funded from the tax revenues and very
active in cooperation with non-profit organizations, like Goethe-Institut and
Internationaler Deutschlehrerverband (The International German Teachers’
Association). Russia Beyond The Headlines is on the contrary indirectly
sponsored by the state and raises its revenues from sponsored content placements.
Migration policy as well as the language policy in Germany and Russia went their
separate ways after the World War II, making Germany focus on cultural
integration of the ethnic Germans and foreigners with no German ancestry, and
Russia – on its outreach to migrants from the former Soviet Union and ethnic
Russians living abroad.
Deutsche Welle – Deutsch Lernen cater for the vast audience – primarily
those interested in the German culture and language, as well as German language
teachers. The section ‘Learn German’ is the most clicked page on the web-site
dw.com with over 7 million pageviews per month. The section offers free online
German courses for A1-C2 levels, including self-contained language courses,
didactically prepared journalistic content, community sources and materials for
220
Gerbner, G. (1969). Institutional Pressures Upon Mass Communicators. In P. Halmos (Ed.). The
Sociology of Mass Media Communicators (pp. 205-248). Keele: University of Keele, p. 243.
92
German language teachers. In terms of content, Russia Beyond The Headlines is
way behind Deutsche Welle – its ‘Education’ section provides mostly university
rankings, FAQ about studying in Russia, Russian grammar tests for certificate
levels and promotion materials for learning Russian as a foreign language. For
now, it is one of the least popular sections on the web site, although the RFLrelated articles are among the top clicked pages in the ‘Education’ section. In
order to understand, if it is plausible for Russia Beyond The Headlines to provide
RFL learning content, its capacity as an online communicator and as a media
organization was assessed in the empirical part of the study.
The empirical research was conducted in two stages. The preliminary study
of Russia Beyond The Headlines as an online edutainment media proved that,
even though the RFL-related content is still rare on RBTH.com, its current and
potential audience actively embraces this type of content. For that purpose,
quantitative methods of research – web-analysis, social media monitoring, and
online survey – were used. The pilot project ‘Russian2Go’, designed for Russia
Beyond The Headlines, helped to understand that if managed the content (team,
publication schedule) and followed the online media logic properly (smart
headlining, SEO, tagging etc.), educational programs at RBTH.com can generate
competitive traffic and positive reactions.
The main stage of the empirical study was meant to give more insights into
the potential of RBTH as a media organization to deliver RFL-related content.
The study was based on the qualitative interview with the experts in teaching
Russian as a foreign language and included the extended online survey of the
potential RFL online learners. The experts agreed that the lack of Russian
language edutainment in the media could be explained by a huge supply of other
online learning sources and current political agenda in the country. The expertise
also stated that education is not such a newsworthy subject for the modern
93
Russia’s media and the idea of promoting RFL via media has not yet manifested
itself. Among other challenges that the Russia-based international media can face
are the professional gap in the RFL teachers’ community (age, digital literacy,
edutainment experience) and multiple intricacies of teaching Russian as a foreign
language online (Cyrillic alphabet, advanced grammar, vocabulary etc.).
The survey of the potential audience, i.e. non-Russian speaking adults, who
learn or wish to learn Russian as a foreign language, revealed that 1) the key
characteristics of the respondents (age, place of origin, native language) coincide
with the demographics of the current RBTH online users – English speaking
adults, aged 25-34; 2) learning objectives of the respondents (career prospects and
daily life in Russia) and their level of RFL proficiency (beginner-intermediate)
comprise a target audience – business-oriented people, 25+, - that represent an
unoccupied niche in the media market for the online RFL learning sources; and 3)
the most preferred topics for RFL learning are those from the actual media agenda
(politics, business, culture, sports) that can be fully covered by Russia Beyond
The Headlines, given that the RFL experts’ team can get an access to the
originally produced media content in Russian. Both qualitative interviews and
quantitative surveys proved that technical capacity of the media must enable
multimedia content (with videos as the most preferred media) scalable for
different platforms (desktop, mobile, tablets).
The research shows that the target audience of a potential RFL-related
content can become the actual audience of Russia Beyond The Headlines,
provided that the media remains to be multilingual, multimedia, and
multiplatform, while its online and social media logics are properly followed. In
general, Russia-based global media are capable of providing RFL-related
edutainment under certain limitations – such as the role of the state as a key
agenda setter and the language policy maker, a degree of independence in the
94
editorial decision-making, as well as technical, financial and professional assets
of the media organization and its audience’s needs. For a better audience’s
engagement, edutainment content strategy must be targeted in order to turn a nonuser into the loyal consumer of the media brand.
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Appendices
Appendix 1
Online interfaces of DW.com and RBTH.com
Picture 1. Screenshot of the main page – Deutsche Welle
Source: Deutsche Welle. (May 18, 2017). URL: http://www.dw.com/en/
Picture 2. Screenshot of the main page – Russia Beyond The Headlines
114
Source: Russia Beyond The Headlines. (May 18, 2017). URL: https://
www.rbth.com
115
Appendix 2
German courses portfolio of Deutsche Welle – Deutsch Lernen
Table 2. Overview of the German courses offered by Deutsche Welle at dw.com/
deutschlernen
Self-contained curricular
language courses (for
beginners)
Ongoing didactically
prepared content (for
advanced learners)
Materials for Community and
German
service
language
teachers
Deutsch Interactive
(online course)
Multimedia course with 30
lessons. Accompanying
material: interactive
exercises, dictionaries,
grammar aids, learning tips
and worksheets.
Level: A1-B1
Video-Thema (video)
Authentic DW videos.
Accompanying material:
written scripts, vocabulary aids,
exercises and a news glossary
Level: B2-C1
Deutschlehre
r-Info
Weekly
updates on
effective
strategies for
teaching
Facebook
Regular updates
with news,
vocabulary, brain
teasers and
competitions.
Level: A1-C2
Mission Europe (audio
course)
Mystery-adventure with 26
thrilling episodes.
Accompanying material:
radio scripts, printable
exercise book. Level: A1
Top-Thema (audio)
Reports on politics, culture,
science, and business.
Accompanying material:
written scripts, vocabulary aids,
exercises and a news glossary
Level: B1
Unterrichtsr
eihen
Fully
prepared
lesson plans
on different
topics for
German
language
teachers
Twitter
German question
and answers,
video links,
words of the
week, daily
vocabulary and
more.
Level: A1-C2
Radio D (audio course)
The exciting lives of radio
reporters. Two series of 26
episodes each.
Accompanying material:
written scripts and a
printable exercise book.
Level: A1-A2
Langsam gesprochene
Nachrichten (audio course)
Slowly-spoken news.
Accompanying material:
written scripts
Level: B2-C1
DW im
Unterricht
Worksheets
and lesson
tips for
teachers to
use in the DW
courses
YouTube
News reports, a
soap opera,
music videos
along with links
to exercises and
teaching
materials
Level: A1-C2
116
Deutsch – warum night?
(audio course)
The classic audio course in
multiple languages.
Accompanying material:
written scripts and a
printable exercise book.
Level: A1-B1
Wort der Woche (audio)
Colorful German words updated
every week.
Level: B2
Audiotrainer (audio
course)
100 audio lessons to build
your vocabulary.
Accompanying material:
worksheets and a
workbook.
Level: A1-A2
Sprachbar (audio)
Articles and audio programs for
German connoisseurs.
Level: C1-C2
Harry – gefangen in der
Zeit
A multimedia German
course for beginners with
100 episodes.
Accompanying material:
written scripts, worksheets
and lesson tips for teachers.
Level: A1-B1
Das sagt man so (audio)
German idioms and sayings
with explanations of the context
they are used.
Level: B1-B2
Das Deutschlandlabor
(video)
The video series is a
journey of discovery across
Germany.
Accompanying material:
interactive exercises,
written scripts with
vocabulary aids, worksheets
and lesson tips for teachers.
Level: A2
Alltagsdeutsch (audio)
Introduction into colloquial
speech and the German way of
life. Level: C1-C2
Jojo sucht das Glück (video)
The websoap for learning
German
Accompanying material:
interactive exercises, written
scripts with glossaries,
worksheets and lesson tips for
teachers. Level: B1-B2
Das Porträt
Spotlight on
German teachers
and students
around the world.
Level: A1-C2
117
Das Bandtagebuch mit
EINSHOCH6 (video)
Learn German with hip-hop
music.
Accompanying material:
interactive exercises, written
scripts with glossaries,
worksheets and lesson tips for
teachers. Level: B1-B2
Source: Deutsche Welle. (2013). Deutsche Welle Evaluationsbericht 2010-2013, S.
136.
118
Appendix 3
Web-analytics and social media data - RBTH ‘Education’ section
Table 3. Web-analytics of the web-page rbth.com/education
Title
URL
Pageviews
5 steps to enroll in a
Russian university for free
http://rbth.com/education/
2016/03/06/5-steps-to-enroll-in-arussian-university-for-free_573515
6 690
How Russian is taught as a
foreign language
http://rbth.com/education/
2016/04/13/how-russian-is-taughtas-a-foreign-language_584299
3 628
Italian polyglot: ‘To
understand Russians you
must speak Russian’
http://rbth.com/education/
2016/09/14/italian-polyglot-tounderstand-russians-you-mustspeak-russian_629889
3 624
Just 5 Russian Universities
make it to Europe top 200
rankings
http://rbth.com/education/
2016/03/11/just-5-russianuniversities-make-it-to-europetop-200-rankings_574667
2 287
7 key factors in choosing a
Russian university
http://rbth.com/education/
2016/03/14/7-key-factors-inchoosing-a-russianuniversity_575293
1 936
Want to learn Russian?
http://rbth.com/education/
Enroll in a university
2016/02/29/want-to-learn-russianoutside Moscow or St. Pete? enroll-in-a-university-outsidemoscow-or-st-pete_571565
1 866
How to become a student of http://rbth.com/education/
the St. Petersburg State
2016/06/14/how-to-become-aUniversity
student-of-the-st-petersburguniversity_601893
1 767
How-to coubs: 5 ways to
tell a girl you love her
1 619
http://rbth.com/education/
2016/03/03/how-to-coubs-5-waysto-tell-a-girl-you-love-her_572719
119
Siberian Federal University http://rbth.com/education/
1 609
seeks international PhD
study_in_russia/2016/06/03/siberianstudents
federal-university-seeksinternational-phd-students_599929
3 Russian universities make http://rbth.com/education/
it to THE’s World
2016/05/04/3-russian-universitiesReputation Rankings
make-it-to-thes-world-reputationrankings_590159
1 607
Source: Google Analytics, RBTH.com. February 1, 2016 – October 27, 2016.
120
Table 4. Pilot project ‘Russian2Go’ – video pageviews statistics and Facebook
reactions.
Pa
ges
Date of
vie
publicati
ws
on on
on
rbth.co
rbt
m
h.c
om
Fa
ceb
oo
k
wi
dge
t
rea
cti
ons
Video title
URL
Russian2Go.
Episode 1.
'Kakie ljudi'
http://
rbth.com/
education/
2016/11/2
5/
Novemb
russian2g er 25,
o2016
episode-1kakieljudi_651
163
Russian2Go.
Episode 2.
'Davai'
http://
rbth.com/
education/
2016/12/2
Decembe
3/
r 26,
878 74
russian2g
2016
oepisode-2davaj_667
046
Co
m
me
nts Link to the
on Facebook
the video
we
bp
age
179
130 1
9
0
Date of
public
ation
on
Facebo
ok
Video
Vie
ws
on
Fa
ceb
oo
k
Re
ac
tio
ns
C
o
m
m
en
ts
https://
www.facebo
ok.com/
April
russiabeyond 22,
/videos/
2016
1015511093
5678529/
10
000
(as
of
32
21
Apri 5
l 29,
201
7)
https://
www.facebo
ok.com/
April
russiabeyond 30,
/videos/
2016
1015511106
6688529/
840
0 (as
of
24
May
10
7
7,
201
7)
121
http://
rbth.com/
education/
2017/03/1
4/whatWhat do
doRussians mean russianswhen they say meanMarch
'yes, no,
when16, 2017
maybe' all at
they-saythe same time? yes-nomaybeall-at-thesametime_7194
88
288
619 1
9
https://
www.facebo
ok.com/
May
russiabeyond 14,
/videos/
2016
1015515405
5543529/
880
0 (as
of
16
May
22
1
20,
201
7)
Source: Google Analytics. RBTH.com. (November 25, 2016 – April 6, 2017),
Facebook Video (April 22, 2017-May 20, 2017).
122
Appendix 4
Expert interviews data (April 7-24, 2017)
Table 5. Qualitative data, broken down into topical categories
Categories
Reasons
behind the
lack of
Russian
language
edutainment
in the media
A lot of other RFL online learning sources
A
Е
M
Y
Distant language learning without face-to-face
communication is useless
A
N
A lack of discussion on why foreign people actually
need to learn Russian
A
Lack of RFL experience among media professionals they don't know what to do with RFL
E
The idea has not come yet
E
Y
Political agenda is different now
N
Education and culture is not a trend in the Russian
media
N
High media concentration (Rossiya Segonya is the only
international media holding)
N
Disconnectedness between the authorities in terms of
media policy and Russian language policy (Ministry of
Education and Federal Agency for Press and Mass
Communications)
Y
Cooperation with businesses, because the government
already does a lot
A
E
N
Motivation management (self-motivation, flexibility,
user-friendly interface and format)
A
Regularity
E
Different levels of RFL proficiency
E
M
Different goals in learning the language
E
Prerequisites
Trigger events can help (Olympic Games, Victory Day
for RFL in the
Anniversary, Football World Cup)
media
Government is the one to make the decision and set the
priority for RFL in the state-funded media
Challenges in
learning RFL
via online
media
Expert
identification
Statements
123
media
Approaches
to grading the
levels of RFL
proficiency
and
appropriate
topics for the
levels
Topics
selection,
their
relevance
In written form - grammar, vocabulary, Cyrillic
alphabet, in audio form - high speaking rate
M
N
Lack of face-to-face communication
A
N
A1-A2 - daily life situations, prepared materials, B1-B2
- media and authentic materials
A
E
Elementary to intermediate - daily life, tailored
materials, upper intermediate - advanced - current
events and social problems
M
Any topic can be adopted to the level
N
Modern Russia: migration, economic culture, cultural
expansion
A
No taboo, any topic can be interpreted correctly, in
simple language
A
A
Weather, local topics, holidays
E
Taboo: crime, religion, sex
E
Actual topics from the media agenda
A
E
A
E
N
Media consumer and language learner are initially two
different audiences (separate web-sites, separate traffic)
A
N
RFL learners as agents of influence, cross-border news
consumers can become Russian language learners,
language lovers can become Russia lovers
A
E
Y
Business people and diplomats
Audience
characteristic Anyone, but clear targeting and positioning is a key
s and demand
Adults, 25+
Non-media
user - loyal
media
consumer
transformatio
n, Russian
language
learnerRussia's news
consumer
Transformation is not necessary and not always
possible, when in comes to being loyal to just one media N
M
No need to negate the ideology
A
E
Y
M
N
Y
E
A
E
E
Y
N
It depends on how strict the editorial policy is
Ideological
implication in Keep ideology to fuel critical thinking
the content
Avoid ideology, use politics as a hook, but focus of the
language
Media content is updated, media language is relevant
and not academic
Strengths and Professional content developers, not amateurs from
opportunities blogs, YouTube, apps
of the
Second-to-none facilities and technology
international
media to
124
international
media to
provide RFL
International team of RFL speakers as a source of
inspiration and content probation
E
N
Well-structured content delivered in adequate
proportions
E
Challenges in
developing
the RFL
projects in the
media
High ROI expectations
A
N
E
Time- and investment-consuming projects
A
E
Red tape: bureaucracy in public and state-funded
contractors
N
Multimedia
formats,
effective for
RFL learning
Video with pre-listening and post-listening exercises,
subtitles, based on news reports
A
E
M
Balance is the key
N
Tablet is the best for business people, smartphone is not
good for reading
A
Smartphone and tables are the best for students
E
Desktop or tablet, no mobile phone
M
Scalable and adaptive version
A
N
RFL teachers community is isolated and less networked
(unlike global English and German teachers'
communities)
N
Y
Methodologists' generation gap, digital illiteracy
Y
E
Y
A
N
Y
A
Discrepancies between the RFL course books language
and the real life language
Y
E
Teaching Russian for expatriates and migrants (people
with Russian language background) is a priority
Y
A
It's up for an individual media to decide; government is
not supposed to promote RFL via media
E
Platforms
Trends in
No need to clean the language, it's a living system
teaching RFL
Chest-thumping, marketing of the Russian culture,
ideological clichés
Russian
language
policy and
media policy
Source: 5 expert interviews (April 7-24, 2017).
125
Appendix 5
Demographics of RBTH.com users
Figure 2. Gender
0,331
Male
Female
0,669
!
Figure 2.1. Age groups
29 %
18 %
20 %
13 %
18-24 25-34
!
11 %
35-44 45-54 55-64
Figure 2.2. Geography
9 %
65+
126
0,3176
0,3298
0,0818
0,0213
0,013 0,0158
0,0222
0,0434
0,032
Unites States
Russia
United Kingdom
India
Canada
Australia
Germany
France
Netherlands
Italy
Others
0,0723
0,0508
!
Source: Google Analytics. RBTH.com. January 1, 2016 – October 27, 2016.
Appendix 6
Data from the preliminary online survey (October 15 – 17, 2016)
Figure 3. Gender
Figure 3.1. Age groups.
Figure 3.2. Place of origin
0,05
0,05
0,1
!
0,19
0,62
Europe
North America
Middle East
Africa
Asia
127
Figure 3.3. Level of speaking Russian as a foreign language
29 %
24 %
24 %
14 %
10 %
0 %
A1
!
B1
B2
A2
C1
C2
Figure 3.4. Average rating of Russian language proficiency
Writing/reading in Cyrillic alphabet
3,7
Listening
3
Speaking
2,6
0
!
1,3
2,5
3,8
5
Figure 3.5. Russian as a foreign language learning objectives
!
for work and career
part of my education
for everyday life in Russia
just curious, polyglot
my girlfriend/boyfriend is Russian
67 %
62 %
48 %
48 %
5 %
Figure 3.6. Multimedia format for learning Russian as a foreign language
Video+subtitles+quiz
81 %
Interactive quiz, tests, quests
43 %
Podcast+transcript
!
News features in plain Russian (A2)
Other
38 %
24 %
10 %
128
Figure 3.7. Topics for learning Russian as a foreign language
Politics, business, culture, literature, sport, art, history etc.
Survivor's guide (café, shops, travel, services etc.)
Slang, idioms and jokes you never get
57 %
24 %
19 %
!
Appendix 7
Data from the extended online survey (April 7 – 26, 2017)
Figure 4. Gender
Female
Male
0,43
0,57
!
Figure 4.1. Age groups
67 %
29 %
25-34
!
18-24
2 %
2 %
0 %
0 %
35-44
55-64
45-54
65+
Figure 4.2. Place of origin
129
0,02
0,1
0,1
0,57
0,21
Europe
North America
Africa
Middle East
Asia
!
Figure 4.3. Native language
Figure 4.4. Source language
Figure 4.5. Level of speaking
Russian as a foreign language
Figure 4.6. Average rating of the Russian
language proficiency
Figure 4.7. Russian as a foreign language learning objectives
for my job and career prospects
52 %
for everyday use in Russia
50 %
for academic purposes
29 %
out of curiousity, polyglot
26 %
I have a native Russian speaking friend/partner
!
Other
14 %
2 %
130
Figure 4.8. Degree of media awareness – RT television network
0,14
0,02
0,5
Know it, but don't use it
Use it sometimes
Don't know it
Use it often
0,36
!
Figure 4.9. Degree of media awareness – Russia Beyond The Headlines
0,05
0,33
0,29
Don't know it
Use it sometimes
Know it, but don't use it
Use it often
0,33
!
Figure 4.10. Degree of media awareness – Sputnik International
0,02
0,24
0,45
Know it, but don't use it
Don't know it
Use it sometimes
Use it often
0,29
!
Figure 4.11. Degree of media awareness – The Moscow Times
131
0,17
0,33
0,17
Know it, but don't use it
Use it sometimes
Don't know it
Use it often
0,33
!
Figure 4.12. Degree of media awareness – Capital Moscow FM
0,1
0,14
Don't know it
Know it, but don't use it
Use it sometimes
Use it often
0,76
!
Figure 4.13. User preferences regarding learning RFL via media
The Moscow Times
62 %
Russia Beyond The Headlines
57 %
Sputnik International
33 %
RT television network
31 %
Capitl Moscow FM
!
None
29 %
17 %
Figure 4.14. Multimedia format for learning Russian as a foreign language
132
Video+subtitles+quiz
Interactive games, tests, quests
News features in plain Russian
Podcasts+transcripts
62 %
55 %
52 %
48 %
!
Figure 4.15. Topics for learning Russian as a foreign language
Politics, business, science, culture, sports, arts
83 %
Slang, idioms, conversational phrases and jokes
Survivor's guide (café, shops, travel services etc.)
74 %
40 %
!
Figure 4.16. Scope of the topics for learning Russian as a foreign language
National (made in Russia, Russian people, 'Russianness')
Local (urban life and communities)
International (Russia in the world)
!
Figure 4.17. Platform for learning Russian as a foreign language
71 %
57 %
50 %
133
Desktop
67 %
Mobile
60 %
29 %
Tablet
!
Figure 4.18. Social media channel for getting language-learning updates.
Email
60 %
Facebook
36 %
Other
Twitter
10 %
2 %
!
Appendix 8
134
Questions for the surveys
Questionnaire 1. Preliminary online survey (21 respondents)
1. Gender
Male
Female
2. Age
18-24
25-34
35-44
45-54
55-64
65+
3. Where are you from?
Africa
Asia
Central America
Europe
Middle East
North America
Oceania
South America
The Caribbean
4. Level of Russian language proficiency
A1
A2
B1
B2
C1
C2
5. Rate your speaking skills
1
2
3
4
5
3
4
5
6. Rate your listening skills
1
2
7. Rate your reading/writing skills (in Cyrillic alphabet)
1
2
3
8. Why do you learn Russian?
a)
Just curious, I’m a polyglot
4
5
135
b)
c)
d)
e)
f)
For everyday life in Russia
My girlfriend/boyfriend is Russian
Part of my education
For work and career
Other
9. Have you ever used Russian news media for learning Russian?
Yes
No
10. What media format would you choose for Russian language learning?
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
Video + subtitles + quiz
Interactive quiz, tests, quests
Podcast + transcript
News features in plain Russian (A2)
Other
11.Topics you are interested in for learning Russian as a foreign language
a)
b)
c)
Politics, business, culture, literature, sport, art, history etc.
Survivor’s guide (café, shops, travel, services etc.)
Slang, idioms and jokes you never get
Source: Typeform.com. October 15-17, 2016.
136
Questionnaire 2. Extended online survey (42 respondents)
1. Gender
Male
Female
2. Age
18-24
25-34
35-44
45-54
55-64
65+
3. Where are you from?
Africa
Asia
Central America
Europe
Middle East
North America
Oceania
South America
The Caribbean
4. Native language (pick one)
English
German
French
Italian
Spanish
Portuguese
Chinese
Japanese
Korean
Serbian
Croatian
Bulgarian
Indian
Slovenian
Other
Macedonia Indonesian
n
5. Source language (the language to learn other languages) (pick one)
137
English
German
French
Italian
Spanish
Portuguese
Chinese
Japanese
Korean
Serbian
Croatian
Bulgarian
Indian
Slovenian
Other
Macedonia Indonesian
n
6. Level of Russian language proficiency
A1
A2
B1
B2
C1
C2
7. Rate your speaking skills
1
2
3
4
5
3
4
5
8. Rate your listening skills
1
2
9. Rate your reading/writing skills (in Cyrillic alphabet)
1
2
3
4
5
10.Why do you learn Russian?
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
f)
For my job and career prospects
For academic purposes (part of my education)
For everyday use in Russia
Out of curiosity, I’m a polyglot
I have a native Russian speaking friend/partner
Other
11.Have you know or used any of these Russia-based foreign-oriented media?
138
a) RT television network
Don’t know it
Use it sometimes
Know it, but don’t use it
Use it often
b) Russia Beyond The Headlines (multimedia project, print publication)
Don’t know it
Use it sometimes
Know it, but don’t use it
Use it often
c) Sputnik International (radio broadcasting news agency)
Don’t know it
Use it sometimes
Know it, but don’t use it
Use it often
d) The Moscow Times (English-language daily newspaper, online)
Don’t know it
Use it sometimes
Know it, but don’t use it
Use it often
e) Capital Moscow FM (English-language radio station)
Don’t know it
Use it sometimes
Know it, but don’t use it
Use it often
12.Would you consider using any of these media if they offered Russian
language learning online? Choose as many as you like.
RT television network
Russia Beyond The Headlines
Sputnik International
The Moscow Times
Capital Moscow FM
None
Other
13. What media format would you prefer for learning Russian as a foreign
language?
a) Video + subtitles + quiz
b) Interactive quiz, tests, quests
139
c)
d)
a)
b)
c)
News features in plain Russian (A2-B1 levels)
Podcasts + transcripts
12.Topics you are interested in for learning Russian as a foreign language
Politics, business, science, culture, sports, arts
Slang, idioms, conversational phrases and jokes
Survivor’s guide (café, shops, travel, services etc.)
13. What Russia-related issues do you find the most interesting
a)
b)
c)
National (made in Russia, Russian people, ‘Russianness’)
Local (urban life and communities)
International (Russia in the world)
14. What platform would you preferably use for learning Russian online?
Desktop
Mobile
Table
15.How would you like to get your Russian learning updates?
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
Email
Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
Other
Source: Typeform.com. April 7-26, 2017.
140
Questionnaire 3. Expert interview
First name, last name:
Expertise for the current research:
Education: (scientific degree, university, research interest)
Professional background: (occupation, organization, project)
Date of the interview:
Length:
Mode of conversation:
1.
Why do Russian foreign-oriented news outlets (such as RT, Russia Beyond
The Headlines, The Moscow Times, Sputnik, Voice of Russia) lack
edutainment features like learning Russian as a foreign language? Some
have had it only for a short time.
2.
Your experience in working with Russian media in terms of media
didactics (what media have you used or collaborated with?).
3.
What is the main challenge in learning Russian as a foreign language via
media? What amount of didacticised content is appropriate for one-time
perception?
4.
Learning Russian via source language (native or foreign), through prepared
materials, and through authentic materials.
•
Which of these approaches are suitable for which level?
141
•
What approaches are there for grading levels of proficiency and
preparing materials for those levels?
5.
Russian phrasebook VS Russian in the cultural context – what are pros and
contras of each method?
6.
What topics in the media are more relevant for learning Russian as a
foreign language?
7.
How to prepare media content for RFL learners without ideological
implications? How to select topics and news? What competencies are
required for RFL experts?
8.
Which multimedia formats and for which purposes are preferable in the
online learning environment? How important are the interactive features?
9.
What modern trends in RFL is to be considered to develop quality and
likeable content for international media with a RFL component?
10.
Is it possible for edutainment feature to turn a non-user into a loyal media
consumer? How to make it possible?
11.
What media format is more suitable for learning Russian as a foreign
language?
12.
13.
•
Video + subtitles + quiz
•
Interactive games, tests, quests
•
Podcasts + transcripts
•
News features in plain Russian (texts for A2-B1 levels)
What topics are more suitable for learning Russian as a foreign language?
•
Politics, business, culture, sport, art, cuisine, literature, history
•
Survivor’s guide (café, shops, travel, services etc.)
•
Slang, idioms, conversational phrases and jokes
What Russia-related issues can RFL learners be interested in?
•
Local (urban life and communities)
142
14.
•
National (made in Russia, Russian people, Russianness)
•
International (Russia in the world)
What platform do you find the most usable for Russian learning online?
•
Desktop
•
Mobile
•
Tablet
Appendix 9
Interview scripts
Interview 1. Alexander Korotyshev
Director of Headquarters, MAPRYAL (International Association of Teachers of
Russian Language and Literature) (Saint Petersburg, Russia)
Education: specialist diploma in International Journalism, Saint Petersburg State
University; extended educational program ‘Russian as a foreign language’, Saint
Petersburg State University; currently - postgraduate philology student at Saint
Petersburg State University.
Professional background: teacher of Russian as a foreign language at the
Institute of Russian Language and Culture at Saint Petersburg State University.
Director of Headquarters, MAPRYAL (International Association of Teachers of
Russian Language and Literature)
Date of the interview: April 24, 2017.
Length: 52 min 04 sec.
Mode of conversation: Skype
Why do Russian foreign-oriented news outlets (such as RT, Russia Beyond The
Headlines, The Moscow Times, Sputnik, Voice of Russia) lack edutainment
features like learning Russian as a foreign language? Some have had it only
for a short time.
I think, this is because there are so many others distant learning resources in this
field. First of all, I’m talking about the websites of the leading Russian language
143
universities in the country – Lomonosov Moscow State University, Peoples'
Friendship University, and Pushkin State Russian Language Institute. Second of
all, in the area of Russian language teaching methodology, it is widely thought
that any distant learning course is useless unless it’s supported by face-to-face
language practice. It’s necessary to combine distant learning with the traditional
forms of studies. Distant learning courses are often used as a marketing ploy for
attracting individuals to the space where the language is taught - be it Russia or
elsewhere.
How to promote Russian language courses to those, who don’t study Russian
for academic purposes, but just want to comprehend the language in an
entertaining and informal way?
There must be a clear positioning with the focus on why people should learn the
language and what exactly they will achieve in the end. Currently we can see a
lack of discussion about why foreign people actually need to know Russian. It is
always good to say, that learning Russian will help you to read original books by
Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, Prilepin or Pelevin, but by saying this, we would narrow
down the profile of potential Russian language learners. Economic situation in
Russia is very interesting now, and if we say that learning Russian will help you
to bring your business to the new market, we will give the people a big
advantage. We at MAPRYAL cooperate with businesses on-and-off, because they
need it. The emergence of such a clearly targeted learning channel would deliver
its benefits.
What would encourage a media outlet to feel the need in RFL courses and
launch it?
In my personal opinion, the media should experiment more with the businesses.
Maybe they should come up with some sort of a proposal for RFL schools that
would offer them an online course with an access to the website, where users
could go and consume the content for a small fee. It is clear that everything that’s
free is always perceived as something more entertaining, rather than educating. If
the online course provided its content on the fee-paying basis and could
demonstrate some success stories, then it would work. Otherwise – Russia offers
a lot of government initiatives aimed at promoting Russian as a foreign language,
i.e. universities, Pushkin Institute Online, the Russkiy Mir Foundation,
Rossotrudnichestvo, embassies, where professional language teachers do their
job. But such a high diversity of channels needs to be coordinated by a united
center and here we need to work strategically with businesses.
What is the main challenge in learning Russian as a foreign language via
media?
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The main challenge is to make people use the materials on the regular basis.
Since the business people have an extremely packed schedule, unlike students,
they are more inclined to use the content that is user-friendly, be it a mobile
application or a highly flexible Skype tutor. Online forums don't work any more,
we need to have a live conversation.
Learning Russian via source language (native or foreign), through prepared
materials, and through authentic materials.
• Which of these approaches are suitable for which level?
• What approaches are there for grading levels of proficiency and
preparing materials for those levels?
Although Russian as a foreign language is being taught according to the Russiaproduced methodology, the system is highly integrated into the European
association of the linguistic testers. We use the same six-levels system – from A1
to C2 - with a set of tests developed for each level. All the information should be
introduced step by step – from prepared to authentic materials. It would be
bluffing to say, ‘let’s use authentic media content right now’, - nobody’s going to
do that. At the A1 level, everyday life situations work better than political and
social topics. From the A2 level, prepared materials can be introduced in the form
of separate phrases and word collocations. At the level between A2 and B1, we
can start working with the media-imitated texts, and at the B1-B2 levels we can
introduce authentic materials, but anyway we need to adapt them.
If you were offered to develop a RFL project for a media outlet, how would you
define your audience and how would you select topics?
It does make sense to work with entrepreneurs and diplomats. Talking about the
level, I’d start with giving the ropes at the A1-B1 levels. Then I’d complement the
range with higher competences, so the users would comprehend the learning
pathway – from their starting point to their final outcome. If we are talking about
the content, I’d like to use the information about the modern Russia, its social
reality. All the texts must be authentic and regularly updated.
Russian phrasebook VS Russian in the cultural context – what are pros and
contras of each method?
The first method is very much used - there are so many course books, online
applications - so it’s a beaten track. But from the viewpoint of motivation, it
needs some new attractive features. The second method is much more
complicated, and here the selection of topics and materials are very important, so
it would meet the expectations of an average educated individual.
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What topics in the media are more relevant for learning Russian as a foreign
language?
Migration, world economic crisis, cultural expansion. What language should the
country speak to the world in – the language of commerce, culture or defense
industry? History, cinema, eternal issues, - those are highly philosophical topics,
but they can be explained in a simple language whether it’s an everyday
conversation or an expert discussion.
Are there any taboo topics you wouldn’t take?
I wouldn’t say that any topics are taboo, but their interpretations should not cause
humiliation or propaganda. We must get rid of the propagandistic narratives.
How to prepare media content for RFL learners without ideological
implications? How to select topics and news? What competencies are required
for RFL experts?
The idea of getting away from ideological implications is contradictory in itself,
because the more we try to convince people that the media is independent, the
more we prove the negative. We need to focus on the final outcome, because
people who start learning Russian are disposed to Russia in the first place. It is
obvious that Russia-bashing critics would hardly start learning the language via
the Russia-based media. As for the competencies required for the RFL experts,
I’d highlight the linguistic and methodological competencies as well as the higher
awareness of social and political reality in the country. If we’re talking about the
media-based RFL course, we should focus on the media component, otherwise
it’ll be just another language course. The key word is motivation. One needs to
learn how to manage the audience’s motivation and how to let people feel their
progress. Any online course is primitive, unfortunately. With downloadable
mobile applications, you are very quick to hit the ceiling. A user must foresee the
whole pathway, that’s why any online course is investments-consuming.
Would the online media with a RFL component stand out among other online
sources?
Yes, the media would stand out due to its ability to get updated. If the media
updates its content regularly, it will offer something unique. Besides, the mediabased online course doesn’t have to be academic, but should aspire to attract an
interest group. Eventually, as the user completes the online course, he or she is
more likely to go to a brick-and-mortar institution, like a university or a language
center in Russia.
Is it possible for edutainment feature to turn a non-user into a loyal media
consumer? How to make it possible?
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I'm skeptical. I think the course would aim primarily at those who already
consume the media.
Would you divide the media audience into two groups – those who consume the
news and those who learn the language via the media?
Yes, I would.
What media format would you choose for Russian language learning?
• Video+subtitles+quiz
• Interactive games, tests, quests
• Podcasts + transcripts
• News features in plain Russian (texts for A2-B1 levels)
YouTube channels are very popular today. I would also add some downloadable
and reviewable presentations. For the lower levels of language proficiency, visual
media such as video with subtitles are very effective. The higher the level, the
more textual information can be, so a learner could practice different reading
strategies – scanning, analytical, critical reading etc.
What modern trends in RFL is to be considered to develop quality and likeable
content for international media with a RFL component?
The concept of student-centered education that came into use for teaching RFL in
the late 1980s – early 1990s is still in. Interconnected educational approach is also
relevant, since people develop their language skills (reading, listening, writing,
speaking) in reference to each other. It means that a reading exercise should
always lead to a better speaking while writing a letter shoud support video
comprehension. Motivation management is also important, just as the integration
of the learning content into the media agenda. If we’re talking about the trends in
the language itself, then the studies show that the Russian language doesn’t
appropriate as many incoming words as it used to do, back in the times of postperestroika. Yes, the Russian language gets highly Americanized, and the level of
speech culture in Russia is unfortunately going down. But the language is a living
system that takes and gets rid of the stuff. An advantage of a media-based online
course would be its language relevance.
What topics do you find the most effective for learning Russian as a foreign
language?
• Politics, business, culture, sport, art, cuisine, literature, history
• Survivor’s guide (café, shops, travel, services etc.)
• Slang, idioms, conversational phrases and jokes
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I think the media agenda would be interesting for both those who want to learn
Russian and those who consume the news via the media. A survivor’s guide
would attract only a tiny part of the audience, and the slang would appeal to even
fewer users. Anecdotes and idioms would be of interest for linguists and
professionals.
So, if the audience is more interested in the media topics, and they are more
complicated then, let’s say, survivor’s guide or slang, how to prepare them?
The key moment here is the right proportioning of the content and sparking the
interest among the media users. If we begin with teaching Russian slang, we’ll
just distract our audience. As I said, working with adult learners, we must
appreciate their time and focus their attention only on those things that really
matter. If you google ‘Russian slang’, you’ll face multimple web sites and social
media communities created by amateurs. But in order to get the idea about the
language system, you can just skip the slang part.
What Russia-related issues are Russian learners generally more interested
in?
• Local (urban life and communities)
• National (made in Russia, Russian people, Russianness)
• International (Russia in the world)
Some say that our society has rolled back to the Cold War stereotypes. We can
witness the bipolar world and the East-West divide, but the topics of an average
Joe’s everyday life - like how much the children’s education costs or what the
Russian food basket contains - is still relevant. Through these problems we can
see the international issues, like the sanctions and the economic recession. How
do Russian people feel about their country? Many Russians think that even
though the sanctions made their life more complicated, Russia has turned into a
more powerful player on the global stage. On the other hand, although the
President Putin’s foreign policy is seen positive, it has negatively affected the
economic situation. Some say that we should care more about our domestic
affairs and less about the situation in Ukraine and Syria. Those two viewpoints
can be very well juxtaposed. Another issue is how those viewpoints correspond
with the editorial policy of a medium and how courageous the course developers
are to go beyond the editorial policy. But I think that there’s a lot to be discussed
even within these frames. Russia is a country very much integrated into the
European space. There are many touch points, and we need to fight the
ideological clichés.
What platform do you find the most usable for Russian learning online?
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• Desktop
• Mobile
• Tablet
I’d pick tablet, because it’s more usable for business people who are steady on
business trips. I’m not so sure about smartphones, because they are not very good
for long reads. The better way to go would be to create an adaptive online version
that is scalable for both desktops and mobile devices. Mobile applications are also
great when there’s no Wi-Fi and one can use the downloaded content.
Would you define the target audience of the media-based online courses as
business adults, aged 35 and older, upscale market?
Yes, I would target the product for those people, because now I see no
applications or programs created specifically for them. There are many courses
for students and young professionals aged 25-30, but only a few sites for adults.
Would you agree that the state language policy in promoting Russian is
primarily directed towards the native speaking expatriates across the globe,
secondarily towards the migrants coming from the former Soviet Union, and at
the very end of the line comes the initiatives directed at a wider reach of
potential RFL learners?
Yes, today’s major discussions are devoted to the adaptation of people with the
Russian speaking background, i.e. expatriates and those living in the CIS. For
Russia’s language policy is also a priority. Would I get to change the policy if I
had a chance? I guess so, because we should fight for those foreigners who have
nothing to do with the Russian speaking background. And if we manage to
explain our outlook to other people, we will make ourselves clear and we’ll meet
them halfway.
Where would you go to raise funds?
I would go and cooperate with businesses, finding my way to motivate the
decision makers. There’s always a chance to combine the funds from both the
non-profit organizations like the Russkiy Mir Foundation (it has a very
transparent grant program) and the companies. Yes, the Russian businesses are
very impatient in terms of the ROI, however their social initiatives are not meant
to be for-profit, they generate the publicity capital. Here we don’t need to think
about the ROI, but about the company’s brand representation in the media.
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Interview 2. Ekaternia Rubleva
Author of the online project 'LearnRussian', RT television network
Education: Pushkin State Russian Language Institute (Moscow, Russia), PhD in
Philology.
Professional background: tester and coordinator of the distance learning
programs at the Center for training and testing of foreign citizens in the Russian
language at the Lomonosov Moscow State University. In December 2008 –
October 2012, author of the online project 'LearnRussian' at ANO 'TV Novosti'.
Date of the interview: April 19, 2017
Length: 1 hour 3 min 31 sec.
Mode of Conversation: Skype
How did you get to work on the project ‘LearnRussian’?
When I was working at the language school ‘Liden&Denz’, I got to know Natalia
Brovchuk, who went to work for the RT editorial office. She told me that RT
wanted to launch a foreign-oriented project that would promote Russian as a
foreign language. In 2008, we met, created a concept and drew a global project,
that would not only include the website learnrussian.rt.com, but also act as a
sound educational portal. We had had three years to develop and launch the
project, but then it was aborted for reasons beyond our control. Now, having
monitored different online media, I realize that back then, in 2012 we created
something unique, which is still second to none.
Why do Russian foreign-oriented news outlets (such as RT, Russia Beyond The
Headlines, The Moscow Times, Sputnik, Voice of Russia) lack edutainment
features like learning Russian as a foreign language? Some have had it only
for a short time.
RIA Novosti (the Russian News Agency) tried to make something like this in
2010, but it didn't work out. First, if we look at it professionally, the reason might
be the lack of experience in teaching RFL among content managers and media
producers. Usually, journalists rely on their own expertise or invite Russian
teachers, and this is a huge mistake, because Russian and RFL are two different
languages. Only a few people realize that. The good thing about RT is that our
duties within the team were clearly differentiated and even the biggest boss in the
office never told me my business, because he realized that he knew nothing about
RFL. I didn’t meddle in matters of the software, but we did work pretty closely
with the educational designers. Secondly, some media professionals have trouble
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picturing, what they could do with RFL. Everybody wants to make something
entertaining, but has no clue, how to do it. Usually, everything boils down to
some juicy facts about the Russian language or to transcription of ‘matryoshka’
and ‘balalaika’. Only a few people realize that they need to engage with
professionals. Besides, now many professions converge, and not every RFL
teacher knows the specifics of working with online content like hypertexts etc.
Here we face a problem of RFL teachers’ digital literacy. And last, but now least –
for any content to be successful, it should become regular, and regularity is not
the strongest suit of our media. Nobody is going to invest in a project with a oneyear period of getting a success. Educational projects, even the for-profit ones,
tend to get successful after a year or year and a half. Not to mention the return of
investments, I’m speaking of the brand awareness. In Russia, nobody wants to do
the work for the long run.
How did you define the audience of the project ‘LearnRussian’? Why did you
decide to create an interactive course for beginners without didacticising the
content of RT?
‘Learn Russian’ became successful without any extra promotion mainly because
we were very specific in defining our audience: an average American programmer
aged 27-35, who has a few minutes a day to serf the Net. We imagined a person
making a choice, to go on a website about let’s say fishing or to use the online
course. We also assumed that it must have been the content, easy enough to be
self-learned, without any tutor’s help, giving the ropes of the Russian language.
So, we picked English as a source language, because it’s a lingua franca, and the
materials that are different from the traditional basic dictionary. Our assumption
was that a user would be able to do something on ones own. Authentic media
materials are commonly used starting from the B1 level. We thought that if the
user do all the exercises on our website regularly, he or she will be able to achieve
this lexico-grammatical level in a long run. That’s why some authentic texts are
available only at the very end of the course (the lessons 80-90). They are social,
not journalism, but still. Anyway, journalism materials are very hard to use for
self-tuition.
Is the audience of ‘Learn Russian’ any different from the audience of RT
website?
They may overlap, but I would say that the audience of RT is the people with an
upper-secondary education, who think and read. We didn’t count on the highly
educated people. We assumed that our source would get users to know Russian
and help them realize that the language is not as terrible as it’s painted.
Why did RT feel the need in such kind of content at that moment?
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It was a target project, because we were also preparing a resource for the Olympic
games 2014, but it didn’t happen. Besides, at that time RT was actively
developing its educational online projects, and the English speaking editorial
office decided to put emphasis on the projects like Russiapedia
(Russiapedia.rt.com), Victory Day (9may.rt.com) and some others that eventually
got archived.
What is the main challenge in learning Russian as a foreign language via
online media?
The main challenge is the level of Russian proficiency. If a user speaks Russian at
a basic level, he won’t be able to use media for learning purposes, because every
word has to be translated. If we talk about self-learning, then the level must be
not lower than B1. Besides, the self-learning via media requires a great amount of
self-motivation, because there are so many idioms and participial phrases in the
media texts that are very hard to carve out by foreigners themselves.
Russian phrasebook VS Russian in the cultural context – what are pros and
contras of each method?
This is how we approached the project. Since we had a lost of expats working in
the RT editorial office, we could easily check, if they are interested in the topic or
not. We would usually come to the open space and talk to the guys in order to get
their feedback, whether the topic is relevant or artificial. It was a moment’s work.
Another important aspect is the goal of learning the language. I always appeal to
my students (aspiring RFL teachers) – you’ve got two things: the goal and the
level of your audience. If a person wants to comprehend what he or she is being
told in a street, in a store, in a salon, - all the basic spoken topics are more than
enough. But if the learner wants to read Chekhov without a dictionary, that is
another story.
In our business there is a dilemma – the course book ‘Let’s Go! Poekhali!’ (by S.
Chernyshov) versus the course book ‘Doroga v Rossiiu’ (‘Road to Russia’ by V.
Antonova). The course books that follow the relevant conversational topics and
contain everyday vocabulary are frowned upon by the conservative part of the
teachers’ community. It’s like physics VS lyrics, but in the RFL area, those who
aim to teach the language of Dostoevsky and Tolstoy opposed those who aim to
teach the spoken language. In the ‘LearnRussian’ we wanted to show that there
are two languages – from the everyday life and from the books, - but since the
language level of our audience was not high enough for reading the books, we
skipped this part.
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What topics in the media are more relevant for learning Russian as a foreign
language?
Weather. From the viewpoint of methodology, discussing the weather helps to
learn Russian numerals, adjectives, adverbs, and all the temporal constructions.
Nature and other neutral topics can generate positive emotions. If a person live
and study in the target language country, he or she might be interested in the local
topic, e.g. exhibition opening or a new restaurant opening in Saint Petersburg.
Among the taboo topics are crimes, political and religious conflicts, when it
concerns terror acts in a temple or a mosque. But when it has something to do
with the big religious and cultural celebrations, like Christmas, Easter, Kurban
Bayram or Chinese New Year, we can cover that in a lesson.
How to prepare media content for RFL learners without ideological
implications? How to select topics and news? What competencies are required
for RFL experts?
If we take Putin’s visit to another country, for example, it is OK to cover the
factual information of the event: the President Putin arrived, discussed, met with
someone, conclude some agreements, and went to the theatre. But we shouldn’t
cover the attitude of the host country’s media toward the event. If I worked for the
media and got assigned to didacticise an article with a clear pro-government
message, I would take the whole ideology out of it, live the bare facts and equip
the material with phrases according to the target language level. If I realized that
there was no way to avoid any judgments, I would try to introduce the phrases
that would indicate them, e.g. ‘in the author’s opinion’ or ‘the journalists claims’.
This way I would make the content perfect and make myself, a content developer,
safe from any accusations.
There is a great book called ‘Job description of an RFL teacher’ by V.
Molchanovsky. It contains a great deal of competences that an RFL teacher must
have, including his moral principles. But if we talk about ideology in general,
then any language course book contains the ideology of the language and its
culture. Teaching and learning Russian as a foreign language is a unique process,
because Russian is very different from other European languages, including
English, German, French, and Italian. Russian is highly culturalised, so it’s
impossible to teach Russian outside its cultural context. An RFL teacher can’t
help but communicating the ideology along with the language, and there’s
nothing wrong with it. If I worked for a media, I would follow the editorial
policy, because any media is agenda-driven. It’s a question to be addressed to a
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content developer: if you agree to work for the media, it means that you accept
your employer’s ideology.
Would you agree that if the state-run foreign-oriented media don’t offer the
RFL learning component, it means that the government is not interested in
promoting RFL via media?
I think that the Russian government has a clear view of the promotion of the
Russian language in the world. The ideas are reflected in the Federal target
program on the Russian language, represented by Rossotrudnichestvo, the
Russkiy Mir Foundation, MAPRYAL and others. But the media promotion of
RFL is a local issue and the preserve of the chief editors. Our government invests
a lot of money into the language programs, but I really doubt that the Minister of
Education is the one who outlines the concept of media activities in this field. I
think that the media should develop these kinds of projects by themselves, like
the RT television channel used to do it: when the English editorial office felt the
need, they found the money and launched the project. If RIA Novosti got to work
on the RFL project, they would succeed. Maybe the media people don’t have a
clear idea of how to do it.
When the Russian government realized that it would be useful to teach and
promote the Russian language online, the web-portal PushkinOnline
(pushkinginstitute.ru) emerged, but it’s educational, not the news media. So, the
idea of teaching RFL via cross-border news media has not yet been thought
through. If RT, RIA Novosti or Sputnik were assigned to the task, I think they
would complete it.
Can these projects serve as another way to attract users to the website and
generate the traffic?
I think that any theme-based content would work. We have the FIFA
Confederations Cup and the World Cup coming up, so why don’t we create
something like ‘Learning Russian through Football’ for tourists. It would attract
people, but it requires a clear concept and takes more than one month to create
something valuable.
Is it possible for edutainment feature to turn a non-user into a loyal media
consumer? How to make it possible?
It is possible, because a rule of thumb states that anyone who learned the Russian
alphabet becomes the agent of the Russian language, like it or not. That’s what we
call ‘the soft power’. It happens 99% of the time. Russian is a unique language
and people who get to learn it become its agents of influence. The Russian
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language leave nobody unmoved, usually it makes people positive and nonindifferent.
What modern trends in RFL is to be considered to develop quality and likeable
content for international media with a RFL component?
One of the trends is the shift toward the online activity, and everything that has
something to do with the Web 2.0 technology – podcasts, online presentations,
infographics. Users don’t read long texts anymore.
Would the online media with a RFL component stand out among other online
sources?
I think, with a sound targeting, positioning and professional team, the media
would stand out, because all these blogs and podcasts are not worth a professional
opinion. I personally can mention only a few online resources that deserve
attention of an RFL expert: the iconic web-site ‘Time to speak Russian’ (speakrussian.cie.ru), the highly professional ‘LearnRussian’ (learnrussian.rt.com), the
distance learning course ‘News From Russia’ by A.N. Bogomolov (dist-learn.ru),
and the online portal Pushkininstitute.ru, which by the way is now a registered
media outlet. And that’s it, because all those YouTube videos and audio podcasts
are made mostly by amateurs.
What media format would you choose for Russian language learning?
• Video+subtitles+quiz
• Interactive games, tests, quests
• Podcasts + transcripts
• News features in plain Russian (texts for A2-B1 levels)
I personally love podcasts. In 2012, my colleagues and I started the website http://
artdragon.ru/lr/videonews.html with video news podcasts, but as we made it on
our own budget, we had to put it on hold. Audio and video podcasts are perfect
for the language learning via media, because they are based on news reports.
Besides, for the young audience, podcasts would work better than hypertexts.
Being a content developer myself, I’d prefer video with subtitles and quiz.
Interactive games are too costly to create, and nobody is going to produce them
unless it’s a for-profit project. News reports would be better perceived as video
podcasts.
What topics are the most interesting for learning Russian as a foreign
language?
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• Politics, business, culture, sport, art, cuisine, literature, history
• Survivor’s guide (café, shops, travel, services etc.)
• Slang, idioms, conversational phrases and jokes
I’d pick out the culture, art, cuisine, and survivor’s guide. I’d never pick out the
slang, because I strongly believe, that you can’t start using slang until you speak
the language at the B1 level or higher. Idioms would work, but anecdotes – rather
no than yes.
What Russia-related issues are the learners generally more interested in?
• Local (urban life and communities)
• National (made in Russia, Russian people, Russianness)
• International (Russia in the world)
I’d take national and international issues.
What platform do you find the most usable for Russian learning online?
• Desktop
• Mobile
• Tablet
Smartphone and tablet are the best platforms. If I were a student, I’d hardly use
the desktop, but unfortunately teachers still prefer desktops. By the way, you
should take into account, that only a few teachers are tech savvy in terms of
mobile technology.
Interview 3. Marita Nummikoski
Author of the books ‘Troika: A Communicative Approach to Russian Language,
Life, and Culture’, ‘News from Russia: Language, Life, and the Russian Media’.
Education: M.A. in English Philology (Helsinki University), M.A. in Russian
Language and Literature (Helsinki University), Ph.D. in Foreign Language
Education (University of Texas at Austin)
Professional background: Associate Professor of Russian, Director of
Undergraduate Language Programs, University of Texas at San Antonio
Date of the interview: April 17, 2017.
Length: 40 min 20 sec.
Mode of conversation: Skype
Why do Russian foreign-oriented news outlets (such as RT, Russia Beyond The
Headlines, The Moscow Times, Sputnik, Voice of Russia) lack edutainment
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features like learning Russian as a foreign language? Some have had it only
for a short time.
I don't know, and it may not be necessary, even. It would really depend on the
kind of program. There are already so many ‘educational’ websites available.
Your experience in working with Russian media in terms of media didactics
(what media have you used or collaborated with?)
I use a number of websites, such as newspapers and TV stations, as well as news
agency websites, and hundreds of YouTube videos. There are so many to choose
from that it is sometimes hard to pick the most appropriate ones (snob.ru, lenta.ru,
kp.ru, 1tv.ru, tnt.ru, etc.).
What is the main challenge in learning Russian as a foreign language via
media? What amount of didacticised content is appropriate for one-time
perception?
As they always say, tailor the task, not the material. Therefore, Russian websites
can be introduced even in beginning levels, but if the goal is to understand more
than just the main points of a media clip, then we are talking about intermediate
level students minimum.
In written media content, the key difficulty is the level of vocabulary, which is
typically way beyond the students’ active vocabulary. The syntactic structure of
Russian is another serious problem, especially the word order (finding the
grammatical subject of the sentence when it is not at the beginning).
In video clips, the speed of speaking adds yet another element to the problem.
This is actually the only thing that needs some addressing. I wish there were news
broadcasters, for instance, that would not talk so fast that even for me it is
difficult to process the information even if I understand every word. But like I
said, it is the processing (comprehension, understanding) that is not taking place
when there is too much information at a high speed.
Learning Russian via source language (native or foreign), through prepared
materials, and through authentic materials. Which of these approaches are
suitable for which level?
Introductory and intermediate level students need material tailored specifically for
them.
What approaches are there for grading levels of proficiency and preparing
materials for those levels?
It is difficult, because for every task you create, there will be students in the same
class for whom the level is appropriate, and those for whom it is too difficult or
too easy.
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Russian phrasebook VS Russian in the cultural context – what are pros and
contras of each method?
Language can be learned using any method. Everything depends on the student’s
age, location, aptitude, and motivation.
What topics in the media are more relevant for learning Russian as a foreign
language?
Depends on the level of the student, starting from daily life topics (elementary) to
current events and social problems (advanced).
How to prepare media content for RFL learners without ideological
implications? How to select topics and news? What competencies are required
for RFL experts?
Why shouldn’t there be ideological implications? Any authentic material
inherently contains the opinion of the writer/publisher, etc. It is up to the teacher
to help students understand the underlying subtext. We stress critical thinking in
all classes. Students are taught to evaluate everything they hear and see with a
critical eye. It is part of teaching for cultural differences, intercultural
competence, and acceptance of different points of view. So, to answer your
question about ‘how’, my answer is that I specifically pick material that is full of
ideological implications. But, that’s why a ‘native Russian’ is not always the best
person to teach the language, because s/he may not see the ideological
markedness of a text.
Which multimedia formats and for which purposes are preferable in the online
learning environment? How important are the interactive features?
Videos are always good, because they can be viewed over and over. Interactive
features are not typically available in authentic news media. If you are asking
about specific learning material prepared by experts, then obviously any types of
pre-listening and post-listening exercises.
What modern trends in RFL is to be considered to develop quality and likeable
content for international media with a RFL component?
Hard to say. Anything of interest to the audience. I recently ‘marathon-viewed’
the entire first season of «Как я стал русским» and found that to be highly
relevant as far as cultural materials go. For students, though, the language is still a
bit too difficult, but it is highly entertaining. I understand that this is not really
your idea of media, but it beats the daily news as far as interest goes.
Is it possible for edutainment feature to turn a non-user into a loyal media
consumer? How to make it possible?
Loyal? If you mean loyal to one site, then probably no.
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What media format would you choose for Russian language learning?
• Video+subtitles+quiz
• Interactive games, tests, quests
• Podcasts + transcripts
• News features in plain Russian (texts for A2-B1 levels)
Absolutely all of them!
What topics you are interested in for learning Russian as a foreign language?
• Politics, business, culture, sport, art, cuisine, literature, history
• Survivor’s guide (café, shops, travel, services etc.)
• Slang, idioms, conversational phrases and jokes
All of the above.
What Russia-related issues are you generally more interested in?
• Local (urban life and communities)
• National (made in Russia, Russian people, Russianness)
• International (Russia in the world)
All of them.
What platform do you find the most usable for Russian learning online?
• Desktop
• Mobile
• Tablet
Desktop or tablet. No mobile phone.
Interview 4. Natalia Brovchuk
‘LearnRussian’ project manager, RT television network
Education: specialist degree in philosophy at Lomonosov Moscow State
University, professional training in teaching Russian as a foreign language at the
Institute of Russian language and culture, Lomonosov Moscow State University.
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Professional background: currently PR-manager at the ROSMAN publishing
house, previously – ‘LearnRussian’ online project manager at Russia Today.
Date of the interview: April 7, 2017.
Length: 1 hour 12 min 39 sec.
Mode of conversation: Skype
Why do Russian foreign-oriented news outlets (such as RT, Russia Beyond The
Headlines, The Moscow Times, Sputnik, Voice of Russia) lack edutainment
features like learning Russian as a foreign language? Some have had it only
for a short time.
The project ‘LearnRussian’ was launched in the spring 2012 to communicate the
Russia’s cultural agenda through educational initiatives to the foreign audience.
In the fall 2012, some political changes occurred in Russia and the project was
shut down. Although we did show pretty good ratings for a start, but the political
decision was to dissolve the team. We had been working actively for half of the
year, but the team was dismissed and the project was frozen. So to answer your
question, why Russia-based foreign-oriented media don’t have an edutainment
content like RFL – the political agenda is different now.
Why don’t the media have such a goal? Why does the function of information
and persuasion rank higher that education and entertainment?
This is a rhetorical question. It all depends on the political will. All foreignoriented media are progovernment one way of another, and it’s the government
who sets the agenda. If there’s a political decision to activate the cultural agenda,
it’ll be in abundance. Besides, in Russia there’s a whole new generation of techsavvy people who are aware of the modern educational technologies and capable
of creating such kind of edutainment content. Five years ago, the situation was
different.
What kind of value can edutainment give to the media?
It all depends on the media. I think the cultural component constitutes a minimal
part of the modern mass media. The media with a broad coverage are entirely
based on political and economic content, on communicating a particular
viewpoint, and there’s no time and space for culture. There’s a demand for
growing the audience, and journalists get evaluation based on their click-through
rates. The more clicks they generate, the more money they get. Culture and
education are not able to produce the headlines with such a high click-through
rate.
How would you explain the popularity of Deutsche Welle – Deutsch lernen?
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It's a brand, just like the BBC Learning English. But in general, the community of
English and German teachers are more active online. They are not afraid to share
their information, but we still have a different mentality. If a RFL teacher creates
a course, he or she will hold it and never give it away, to make sure that no other
teacher steals it. But the fact that any course costs nothing without an author’s
methodology is unclear to some people. However the situation is changing.
As far as I can see from the ‘LearnRussian’ social media accounts, there is a
public interest in learning Russian. It’s worth mentioning, though, that in 2012,
nobody believed that this interest would pick up. It’s all about the Russian
mentality - Russian investors are looking for the fastest ROI. We want to spend
one ruble and earn a thousand as soon as possible. We don’t want to wait. German
entrepreneurs and investors wait patiently. It’s like, why-autobahns-are-betterthan –Russian-highways all over again. This was determined by history. To keep
the interest high, people need to have a brand to get back to from time to time.
Russian language has the same perspectives as any other language. It just ought to
be employed.
After the project ‘LearnRussian’ got shut down, we were trying to find an investor
who would buy the project. But we failed. For a project to be for-profit, it must
get monetized sooner or later. Back then we didn't think about it as a nonprofit
initiative, but now I think it would be possible to raise some funds.
What features did the project ‘LearnRussian’ include?
Video episodes on YouTube, the website learnrussian.rt.com and social media.
The social media used a separate content, and YouTube videos were based on the
web search queries. Basically, they were SEO texts. For example, people
requested ‘how to say ‘happy birthday’ in Russian?’ So, we would compose a text
about it and make a video. It enabled not only to improve the traffic to the
website, but also to give users some added value.
We also had the idea of creating audio and video podcasts since there were a lot
of expats working for RT and we could have used them as much as we wanted.
We also had a film production and record studios at our disposal, which was very
handy.
What was a major goal of this project?
The goal was to produce some free online lessons for learning Russian as a
foreign language. In 2012, there were quite a few websites that would sell
Russian courses or Skype lessons with Russian native speakers. We wanted to
make something different - a course for beginners (up to A2 level), a website for
those, who want to get to know Russian. The mission was to teach people
Russian.
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Why didn't the project use a didacticised content from the RT?
We just didn't think about it. And besides, the website was launched for the
beginners. It offers very first lessons that explain grammar. Plus, at the time, the
RT didn't have a Russian version; it emerged later in 2012, right after we got shut.
So we couldn't use their texts. We could have written some special texts, but
anyway, media texts are being used for learning purposes at the A2 level and
higher. Russian learners first need to pass this elementary stage, when they are
trying to understand how to use cases and verbs of motion. First the ropes should
be learned, and then the users might get ready to read texts. We used
communicative approach that focuses on teaching basic phrases that people use in
their everyday life.
Is the audience of the project ‘LearnRussian’ any different from the audience
of RT?
I cannot say for sure, but the website has still been generating traffic. If people are
interested in the Russian language and Russia as a country, they might also be
interested in the news from Russia. The audience is mostly adults, 25+. My
colleagues, RFL teachers, are still using the website, because it contains dialogs,
alphabet, exercises and tests.
How many people were there in the team?
Ekaterina Rubleva and I were working exclusively on the project, but we also
engaged people who would create texts, assist in social media, proofread the
English part, designers, programmers, sound producers, an illustrator. It was quite
a strong team.
Have you used any sources as a role model for your project?
We had been monitoring the BBC Learning English, but at that moment it was
not yet interactive. It was vitally important for us to employ the methods of game
playing; we were the first who started edutainment. Now it is quite popular, but
back then it was pretty new.
What is the main challenge in learning Russian as a foreign language via
media? What amount of didacticised content is appropriate for one-time
perception?
The main challenging for learning any language is a lack of face-to-face
communication with a teacher. There is a huge amount of nonverbal information
that people get offline. Even Skype conversations cannot make up for it. Besides,
for any non-native Russian speaker, the Cyrillic alphabet is pain in the neck. I
used to work with German speaking students, and their awareness about cases
and verbs of motion that the two languages share, really helped them. But since
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we were trying to teach without any source language, it was all mimic and
gestures. Anyway, German students were very quick to grasp, while Chinese were
learning by rote.
Learning Russian via source language (native or foreign), through prepared
materials, and through authentic materials. Which of these approaches are
suitable for which level?
For beginners, customized content with carefully chosen words and phrases
works perfectly. As soon as a user learned the ropes, he or she can move on to the
easy prepared texts at the A2 level and higher. On learnrussian.rt.com, we used
English as a source language, because there was no teacher available online who
could have explained the words. The website is aimed first and foremost to teach
speaking and listening skills. However, for a better learning of every aspect of a
language, all communication media must be employed.
How to develop an online content?
An online project is not an end in itself. Even though the Internet offers multiple
opportunities, they are limited. In the long run, an online project is just an
advanced course book. It is more attractive and engaging than a printed book, but
still. We did understand that, and that’s why we went further and developed the
social media accounts, so the users could go beyond. With everything that
MOOCs (massive open online courses) have to offer, they are different from faceto-face interaction.
Russian phrasebook VS Russian in the cultural context – what are pros and
contras of each method?
There might be challenges. At some point, at the B1-B2 level, different styles of
written and oral Russian should be introduced. It helps differentiating spoken
language from academic.
What topics in the media are more relevant for learning Russian as a foreign
language?
Any. It all depends on individual interests. The language is really hard to frame.
It’s a living thing. When you aim to give some relevant information via adopting
it at a more accessible level, it’s absolutely doable.
How to prepare media content for RFL learners without ideological
implications? How to select topics and news? What competencies are required
for RFL experts?
There’s no way and no point in avoiding ideology. I think, an ideological context
is one of the most interesting aspects for advanced Russian learners. Especially
when it comes to adult learners who know what political and progovernment
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media stand for. There’s no need to try to avoid it. A teacher pursues a different
goal.
RT has had both critics and fans. But at the time, while our project was alive, I
could not find a single negative comment towards RT in the social media. I don’t
know, how repelling the RT logo on the learnrussian.rt.com looked for the RT
haters, but they remained curious. In our case, as we have had a separate website
– not a section on rt.com – we must have broaden the audience, which includes
by the RT critics. For me, the separation of the websites was definitely a plus. But
if I would have been an rt.com manager, I would be more interested in generating
the traffic to the main page.
Is it possible for edutainment feature to turn a non-user into a loyal media
consumer? How to make it possible?
The question is how much we need those consumers. We are not evangelists; we
just teach Russian to those who are interested in the language, and engage those
who can potentially become interested. By doing that, we want to show that
Russia is not about saber-rattling and iron curtain, it’s also about people doing
good stuff. So there was no such a goal as turning non-user into a loyal consumer.
I think, in the beginning, it might have been meant to use our project to channel
users to the main website, but since we didn’t reach the planned figures, the
decision was made to close the project. On the other hand, why Russian learners
would go to the website with bloody dead bodies on the main page. I see no
point. At some point we just split over the ideology and that’s it. The audiences
were completely different.
How independent those two (a news website and an online learning project)
should be within a single media?
I believe that in today’s world, educational projects should stay aside as
independent non-profit initiatives. Back than, in 2008-2010, 2012, it was a logical
step to launch a RFL learning website within the major media aimed at
communicating positive image of Russia and Russians during the reset period.
But then two projects have gone their separate ways. Today I cannot imagine any
media that could serve as a foundation for the ‘LearnRussian’ project. They are
just worlds apart.
When we were trying to find an investor for our project, we were more inclined to
apply to some big IT-corporations, like Yandex, Google or Facebook, then to
some media, because today media are completely disinterested in edutainment.
Besides, as all the major media had emerged into a single news agency – Rossiya
Segonya, there’s not a single big foreign-oriented media left.
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Even if there are some left, like Russia Beyond the Headlines, the question
remains, how they would approach such kind of projects. When we were at the
initial stage, we started to look for a contractor who could have developed the
lessons. Typically it goes like this: you go to the main organization that deals with
teaching RFL, like Rossotrudnichestvo (Federal agency for the Commonwealth of
the Independent States, Compatriots leaving abroad and for the international
humanitarian cooperation). The agency has representatives all over the world,
receives money from the government budget, but does nothing at all. We also
tried to collaborate with the Pushkin State Russian Language Institute. But those
are all top-heavy structures and overadministered institutions, so in the long run,
the contractor who gets to create the lessons, receive a tiny fraction of the grant
money. So, even the technical aspect of the project affects the content.
What challenges are there in managing the project?
Just like in any project – communication, technical specifications, deadlines,
business skills like planning and pitching.
What media format would you choose for Russian language learning?
Audio format helps to improve listening comprehension, video episodes works
for better speaking and listening skills, texts are meant for improving reading
abilities, while games and quizzes are good entertainers. A balance has to be
struck. It’s silly to put only texts or only podcasts on a website. It won’t keep your
audience’s attention.
What Russia-related issues are generally more attractive to RFL leaners?
A little bit of everything.
What platform do you find the most usable for Russian learning online?
Scalable and adaptive design that works both for desktops and mobile devices is
the best. We’ve had a lot of negative responses about our website, because it was
not scalable for mobile devices. We just didn’t have enough time to complete the
layout. In today’s online environment, when the traffic is shared equally, some
items must be available for download (like audio files), tests should be used
online and games can be used as applications.
What modern trends in RFL is to be considered to develop quality and likeable
content for international media with a RFL component?
It all depends on the audience. But what should definitely be avoided are onesided projects. If the whole content boils down to a gaps-filling game, it won’t
work. Diverse media must be embraced. For the users who are constantly busy,
email-newsletters is a good way to go. There is a constantly rising overflow of
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information, and in this flood, media should demonstrate not only the uniqueness
of the content, but also the empathy of its communication mode.
Is there a demand for edutainment media content?
I guess so, because people use the news, one way or another. If handled properly,
the demand is forthcoming. In contrast with other RFL providers, media can have
an upper hand because they structure their content and supply their information in
adequate proportions.
Interview 5. Yulia Safonova
‘Spoken Russian’ radio host, Radio Sputnik
Education: Orenburg State Pedagogical University, teacher of Russian language
and Russian literature. PhD in philology, associate professor, expert in
lexicography and Russian as a foreign language.
Professional background: editorial team member of Gramota.ru, host of the
radio show Gramotey (‘Grammar Stickler’) at Radio Mayak since 2002, host of
the radio show Russkiy ustniy (‘Spoken Russian’) at Radio Sputnik (formerly the
Voice of Russia).
Date of the interview: April 10, 2017
Length: 1 hour 32 min 15 sec.
Mode of Conversation: Skype
Tell us more about your collaboration with the Voice of Russia and Radio
Sputnik.
In 2003, one of the founding members of the radio Echo of Moscow, Sergey
Korzun, invited me to host the radio show ‘Russkiy ustniy’ (‘Spoken Russian’) at
the International Russian Radio, which was a division of the Voice of Russia. The
Voice of Russia was broadcasting in the Soviet times in multiple languages,
except for Russian, because its mission was different. The collapse of the Soviet
Union made it necessary to support Russian diaspora abroad, because many
people turned out to live in a non-Russian speaking environment. That is one of
the reasons why the International Russian Radio emerged. My mission as a radio
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host was to promote Russian language to those, who got isolated from the
Russian-speaking environment. After a while, the audience became bigger,
because people living in the Asian regions of the former Soviet Union
(Uzbekistan, Kirghizia, Tadzhikistan), and those living in Europe comprise two
completely different audiences. My goal was to provide listeners with the socalled ‘tram language’, so they could understand the language if they ever want to
visit Russia. And the title ‘Spoken Russian’ implies this conversational
component.
I also had to decide, if it is ok to talk about politics. In the first years, I used a lot
of good examples from political speeches (or ‘memes’ as they are now called). I
remember the show when I cited Putin’s toiling ‘kak rab na galerah’ (like a galley
slave). The word ‘galley’ was also mentioned in Alexander Pushkin’s ‘The Tale of
Tsar Saltan’, and my idea was to attract people’s attention to the Russian classics,
showing that even the President uses this phrase. So, the name of Putin popped up
only as a hook. Then we’ve covered a popular phrase ‘oborotni v
pogonah’ (literally ‘werewolves in uniforms’, rogue cops). I must admit that I’ve
never experienced any censorship and always worked as a freelance artist on this
project. In the beginning, the show aired on weekdays in 7 min long bits and was
repeated on weekends as a one whole set. That allowed me to thematize a oneweek set with each bit connected to one another.
Despite the administrations turnover, I’d never felt censored until a young lady
took over the project. She didn’t like me mentioning Putin. I easily omitted the
name, so it wouldn’t affect the content. But I’m still convinced that at some level
of the language proficiency, it is crucial to introduce political speeches for a better
learning, but avoiding any political implications. No matter how you feel about
Putin, he is by all means a fascinating and original public speaker. I tried my best
not to raise any political issues. First of all, because I’ve been working for the
radio station, whose primary goal is to promote the government policy from a
very specific angle, and it is understandable. The government sponsors the media
and if you don’t like it, you can always tune in to another radio station. So, I tried
to keep my show away from the politics, using political personalities to highlight
their language. Since the Voice of Russia got reorganized into Radio Sputnik, the
show has been airing daily in the format of 3 min interludes.
There is another interesting moment: if you want to teach how to place the correct
accent in Russian words, the number of episodes is limited, because there are not
so many Russian words with a tricky accent. But if you want to show the richness
of the Russian vocabulary and the Russian classics, the amount of potential
episodes is unlimited. I’ve chosen the second path. I don’t care if a person with
the Russian language background in Uzbekistan or Germany pronounces ‘zvOnit’
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instead of ‘zvonIt’ (call). I won’t think any bad of him. But if he says
‘pokommuniziruem’ (let’s communicate), it will be interference. So, the accent is
not so important. I believe that the Russian language doesn’t need any cleanup,
the idea of cleaning the language seems aggressive to me. We need to love the
Russian language and teach people how to retrieve the correct information from
dictionaries and now from the Internet.
Radio Sputnik provides broadcasting services in many languages in different
countries, so the editorial offices worldwide can take the show and include it into
their program list. As far as I know, people from Georgia, Armenia, and Kirgizia
like tuning in to the show. I used to receive letters from the RFL teachers living in
China and Japan. They asked me to send them my audio transcripts for their
advanced leaners.
Why don’t Russia-based foreign-oriented media offer such an edutainment
component as Russian as a foreign language?
I don’t know why. Maybe they are just not there yet. For the news agency Rossiya
Segonya this task is not relevant now. It is a question of time. Another reasons
might be the disconnectedness of the Ministry of Education that curates the
Russian language studies and the Federal Agency for Press and Mass
Communications. There are so many online sources for learning Russian, but they
are still not the mass media. There must be somebody who will say – we can do
this and we‘d better do this.
I think if Rossiya Segodnya created such kind of a program, the quality would be
very high. You might disagree with their editorial policy, but their facilities,
formats and media products are fascinating. The working conditions are second to
none.
Would you agree that for Russia’s international media, promoting the national
identity is more important than cultural integration (compared to the German
media)?
Ten years ago Russia encountered the problem of assimilating the migrants
coming from the former Soviet Union republics. Particularly with regard to those
living in the Asian regions where the state schools don’t offer the Russian
language classes anymore. In the Soviet Union, Russian as a non-native language
was a compulsory subject for all schools, but not anymore. So, a lot of migrants
came to work in Russia having no Russian speaking skills whatsoever. And as
you know, now all foreign citizens have to pass the RFL test in order to get a
labor permit in Russia, so the demand for learning courses is rising. Today there
are many different courses and course books for migrants who wish to learn
Russian.
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Going back to your question, I must admit, that today it would be easier to create
a media project than before, because Deutsche Welle and the BBC have it. It is
also important to put together a team of both young and experienced
professionals.
What are the key challenges in didacticising journalistic materials for learning
RFL?
One must avoid reinforcing the image of Russia as the greatest country in the
world. Instead, we need to present the facts, stories, and situations that would
clearly prove that Russian culture is genuinely international. The key challenge is
to select the materials and avoid stereotypes. When people can't stop saying
'Pushkin is the one who made us who we are’, it starts to sound ironic. We need to
look for a completely different approach. There are two methods of learning a
foreign language. The first one is the so-called ‘pillow method’, when a young
adult visits a new country, gets a girlfriend or boyfriend, and picks up a basic
vocabulary to understand each other. The second method is learning a language as
a part of the world culture. I must admit that some course books are chestthumping because they promote Russia as the greatest culture in the world. I
don’t like marketing of the Russian culture as if it’s a commodity and universal
remedy. Besides, there are many discrepancies between what stands in the course
books and what Russian natives actually say in their everyday life. I think we’ve
inherited this from the Soviet past. Media content for Russian leaners should be
built on short conversational phrases, because today even Russian natives don’t
understand long and too formal expressions. For instance, all course books advice
learners to ask ‘Skolko stoit’ (How much is it?) by shopping, but not the shorter
and popular question ‘Pochjom’ (How much?). And what if a person doesn’t want
to read Dostoevsky, but want to come to Russia and food shop? That’s our Soviet
background, when everything should have been said correctly, and that’s why we
need younger professionals, who are not restrained by this background.
Another problem is that the spoken Russian had not been a subject of research up
until the middle of the 20th century. And when there’s no scientific foundation,
there won’t be any practical applications. We need to take a more systematic
approach that would indicate the clear signs of the spoken language such as
compressions, omissions of the predicate, different usage of cases etc. Scholars
got to study them properly only after the 1990s. The generational change of RFL
scholars is also a critical issue. Yes, there are plenty of RFL teachers out there, but
they are not interested in developing courses. Don’t forget about a project
manager, who can gather a team and make it work.
How to find a RFL expert for a media, how to formulate a project task for him
and pick out the topics?
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I wouldn't start the whole course at one blow. For a start, I’d emphasize the
language part in a news message and complement it with a sound or a picture that
would illustrate the simple phrase in Russian. After a few episodes, I’d ask the
users, ‘did you remember the phrase’, and would introduce the new course. And
I’d grow along with the audience.
Where to find an expert? It's not a problem. The problem is methodological - we
don't even know, what kind of course books people use across the globe to teach
and study RFL. We need to collect all the course books and analyze their content,
because a learner visiting Russia and a learner living abroad may have completely
different needs. The course books used in the central part of Russia are very
academic. We need to understand what the audience wants. Some want to have
fun and learn up to ten phrases to say ‘I love you’, ‘Russia is the great country’,
‘You guys are weird’, ‘You can’t understand Russia with your mind’. Other want
to go on business, but again, no business will work without the spoken
vocabulary.
How would the online media with a RFL component stand out among other
online sources?
I think the media would stand out, and the new media format would attract the
young audience. Humanitarian component is beneficial for any media outlet.
Take, for example, RT, who is being heavily criticized by the West for being such
a propaganda machine. But if they had a RFL component, they could say: yes,
we’re all different, we speak different languages, so maybe we should speak these
languages to better understand each other.
Can the media edutainment component such as RFL turn a non-user into a
loyal consumer?
The media can turn a non-user into a user who starts to think critically, whether if
it’s true or not what is being said. A cultural feature can make somebody a more
loyal person, if you tell him or her that we’re not so far from each other, and
there’s a historical fact that proves that we used to have a lot in common.
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