Small group work as an effective means of developing communicative competence in Russian language lessons

the development of communicative competence has become one of the primary objectives of modern language education. In the context of teaching Russian as a foreign or second language, especially in non-philological universities and multilingual educational environments, it is essential to create instructional conditions that encourage active interaction and meaningful communication among learners. Traditional teacher-centered methods often limit students’ opportunities to practice authentic communication, which may result in insufficient development of speaking skills and communicative confidence. One of the most effective pedagogical strategies that addresses these limitations is the use of small group work in the language classroom. Small group activities provide students with an interactive learning environment where they can collaborate, exchange ideas, negotiate meaning, and practice language in realistic communicative situations.