From 11th to 18th March, 2017 Voronezh State University welcomed Prof. Dr. Thomas Manfred Raith, the Director of the Institute of English studies at the Pedagogical University of Freiburg(Germany). This is the second visit of the VSU partner within the framework of the TEMPUS project «Improving the teaching of European languages on the basis of online technologies implementation in teacher training» (544161-TEMPUS-1-2013-1-UK-TEMPUS-JPCR Aston University «Developing the Teaching of European Languages: Modernising Language teaching through the development of blended Masters Programmes»), this time supported by the DAAD grant with the aim of carrying out research and teaching activities in foreign universities.
Dr. T. Raith’s project was aimed to conduct a series of research seminars on the methodology of pedagogical research to master students of MA programme «Teaching languages with the use of online technologies». The first year master students received a unique opportunity to get acquainted with the peculiarities of applying research methods in European universities and gained some experience in carrying out research that, along with teaching, is an essential component of professional training in the field of language education. Dr. T. Raith’s lecture on Research Methods for a wide audience aroused great interest of BA undergraduates, MA students and their teachers of the Faculty of Romance and Germanic Philology of VSU and the Faculty of Foreign Languages of Voronezh State Pedagogical University.
Dr. T. Raithhad a meeting with the Dean of the Faculty of Romance and Germanic PhilologyOlgaBoriskina, and they discussed further cooperation of VSU with the Pedagogical University of Freiburg. First of all, this cooperation involves student exchange program supported by the DAAD: in May 2017 a group of the first year master studentsundergo a two-week course of exchange training at the Institute of English studies at the Pedagogical University of Freiburg. Then, in October 2017the Faculty of Romance and Germanic Philologywelcome the German university.
The programme of extra-curricular activities thatMA students and their teachers had prepared for the guest from Germany, allowed him togo on familiarising with the national culture and nature of Russia.Dr. T. Raithvisited KudykinaGora, the archeological area Kostyonki, visited the jubilee performance of the Don Cossack Choir. According to Dr. T. Raith, Voronezh and the area in winter impressed him greatly.
