A model for preparing future Russian language teachers to hold a heuristic conversation on a linguistic topic

The article considers a heuristic conversation on a linguistic topic as one of the effective methods for developing not only cognitive activity and systems thinking in students, but also future Russian language teachers’ professional methodological thinking. The aim is to characterise the genre model of a heuristic conversation and describe the model for preparing future Russian language teachers to conduct a heuristic conversation on a linguistic topic. The study relied on observation of the educational process of philology students’ professional and methodological training at university (at Ivanovo State University). Moreover, we used questionnaires, formative and learning experiments, analysis of the products of students’ learning and professional activities, as well as statistical processing of results (Student’s t -test). The empirical research results were processed using the SPSS 17 statistical software. The article clarifies the concept of a «heuristic conversation» in relation to the goals of Russian language teaching at school. Additionally, it characterises the genre model of such conversations and describes the algorithm for training future Russian language teachers to hold a heuristic conversation on a linguistic topic. The study defined the criteria for assessing future teachers’ readiness to conduct a heuristic conversation on a linguistic topic. Moreover, we described the stages of work. They include familiarising students with the heuristic conversation method; organising observation of an experienced teacher’s heuristic conversation; developing and discussing a heuristic conversation in conditions of concerted effort in creative pairs; conducting a heuristic conversation on a linguistic topic at school for students in years 5–8 with a subsequent self-analysis; using this method during teaching practice at school. The paper gives assignments aimed at forming and developing skills in holding a heuristic conversation on a linguistic topic. In addition, we provide examples of heuristic conversations developed by students, as well as a methodological commentary on them.