Authors

Discussion

The integration of colloquial language in the advanced L2 classroom is highly relevant for instructors of Russian. However, existing textbooks mainly follow codified literary language norms. This might be viewed as an oversight, because colloquial language is a frequent element of public communication; as such, students studying Russian can benefit from skills which allow them to deal with authentic language in everyday situations.

This paper considers why and how colloquial Russian vocabulary can be introduced productively in the modern advanced Russian classroom through the usage of feature films and television series. It discusses some opportunities and challenges of teaching colloquial Russian and offers examples of exercises from the author’s textbooks Favourite Soviet films in Russian-as-foreign-language classroom (Kabiak, 2022) and Learn Russian through Contemporary Short Film (Kabiak, 2025).

Kabiak, N. (2025). Learn Russian through Contemporary Short Film. London: Routledge.

Кабяк, Н. (2022). Любимые советские фильмы на уроке РКИ: учебное пособие, Москва: ФЛИНТА.
(Kabiak, N. (2022). Favourite Soviet films in Russian-as-foreign-language classroom: textbook, Moscow: FLINTA).