Teachers’ critical remarks in Chinese and Russian classroom discourse
Xia Yuehong, Zhou Qing
RUDN University
RUDN University; South China Business College, Guangdong University of Foreign Studies
Submitted: 25.04.2023
Abstract. The purpose of this paper is to examine the performance of teachers’ critical remarks in Chinese and Russian classroom settings, with a focus on identifying the ethnocultural characteristics associated with critical remarks. To achieve this goal, a comprehensive questionnaire was administered, designed to investigate the frequency and linguistic patterns of critical remarks employed by Chinese and Russian teachers. The scientific novelty of the study is supported by the fact that it was the first time that a comparative study focusing on Chinese and Russian teachers’ use of critical remarks in academic settings was conducted. The cultural linguistic features of teachers’ criticism have been identified and the corresponding frequencies within different classroom situations have been measured in the article. The characteristics of Chinese and Russian teachers’ performance of criticism through culture values and contexts have been considered and explained. The findings revealed that both groups used direct and indirect criticism. Nonetheless, certain cultural variations were noted, with Chinese teachers using direct criticism more frequently than Russian ones. We suggest that these differences are due to cultural values and teachers’ role positions in China and Russia. This research provides valuable insights into the intricate interplay between language, culture, and pedagogical practices, shedding light on the distinctive features of teachers’ critical remarks in Chinese and Russian classrooms.
Key words and phrases: критические замечания, учебный дискурс, ролевая позиция преподавателя, культурные различия, стратегии вежливости, critical remarks, classroom discourse, teachers’ role position, cultural differences, politeness strategies
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