Foreign Languages in University History Education

The article explores the history of the Department of Foreign Languages in the Faculty of History of Lomonosov Moscow State University. This history is presented within the broader context of foreign language instruction at Moscow University, which began with the university’s foundation. Initially introduced as an auxiliary academic subject, foreign languages gradually gained the signifi cant role they hold today, particularly in the Faculty of History. A period of almost 200 years elapsed between the initial appointment of foreign language instructors, who included historians, and the establishment of dedicated foreign language departments at the university. The establishment of the Department of Foreign Languages in the Faculty of History in 1965 was a response to the necessity for foreign language training to be incorporated into the broader framework of university-level historical education. The seminal contributions of E.A. Bondi to the realm of professional foreign language training for history students have been instrumental in establishing a paradigm shift towards an organic unity of foreign language teaching and history. The leadership of the department by S.G. Ter-Minasova signifi es a new phase of productive activity in the theory and practice of teaching professionally oriented foreign languages to students of history and art history. Th e department makes a signifi cant contribution to the education of students receiving a historical education with a high level of foreign language profi ciency. The primary focus of its work is interaction and cooperation with history departments in educational and scientifi c activities, as well as the methodological development of the linguistic foundations of foreign language teaching for future historians to carry out their professional activities. The department accords considerable importance to the cultivation of student creativity, acknowledging its pivotal function in enhancing foreign language profi ciency. The Department of Foreign Languages in the Faculty of History is commemorating the 270th anniversary of Moscow University with a signifi cant contribution to the training of historians and art historians who have a strong profi ciency in foreign languages and have achieved notable professional success, including the creation of more than two hundred textbooks, teaching aids and dictionaries.