THE PROBLEMS OF FOREIGN STUDENTS’ CULTURAL ADAPTATION IN POLYCULTURAL SPHERE OF RUSSIAN INSTITUTES OF HIGHER EDUCATION (BASING ON THE MATERIAL OF TAMBOV STATE UNIVERSITY NAMED AFTER G.R. DERZHAVIN FOREIGN STUDENTS’ INTERROGATION)

The problems of foreign students’ cultural adaptation are considered. The increase of foreign students’ amount in Russian institutes of higher education and the tendency of their amount’s growth in the following years are emphasized. This fact defines the research of foreign student’s adaptation problems as priority. The short review of new researches is presented. It is connected with different problems of foreign students’ adaptation in Russian institutes of higher education and it is concluded that one of basic problems is cultural adaptation. The attention is paid to description of the research carried out with the help of foreign students of Tambov State University named after G.R. Derzhavin. Basing on the recipients’ answers it is concluded that despite the fact that the most part of the students is open for new culture and communication and they also qualify the relation of lecturers, Russian students and citizens as friendly, the experience of inclusion in new linguistic and cultural community is rather difficult for them. The interrogated students have positive relation to cultural diversity and recognize that mastering the basics of intercultural communication in theory and in practice is necessary but their knowledge is rather limited. The presence of such “closure” in their ethnic and cultural groups is defined. The recipients pointed at positive influence of leisure communication which is a good basis for overcoming the barriers of cultural adaptation to admitting

academic mobility, cultural adaptation, problems of foreign students’ adaptation, culture shock, communication barriers, survey, cultural diversity, values, cultural norms, communication skills