Since September 2021 Candidate of Pedagogical Sciences, Associate Professor Liliya A. Metelkova is the Acting Head of the Department. She graduated with honors from the Chuvash State Pedagogical University named after I.Ya. Yakovlev (Faculty of Foreign Languages) in 2001. There she worked for twenty years and headed the Department of Romano-Germanic Philology for over ten years. She is the author of over 170 scientific papers, 40 educational and teaching guides. Her scientific interests are related to the issues of the modern French language register: scientific style, professional vocabulary in French, issues of the theory and methodology of teaching foreign languages in universities in Russia and France. She is engaged in students` training for international language exams. She is a member of the Association of Teachers of the French Language of Russia. She was awarded the Certificate of Honor of the Ministry of Education and Youth Policy of the Chuvash Republic, the Letter of Thanks of the Head of the Chuvash Republic for many years of work in the higher education system. Besides, L.A. Metelkova is a laureate of the State Youth Prize of the Chuvash Republic in the field of Education.
The Department of Foreign Languages and Professional Communication was established in 1942 as the Department of Foreign Languages. In 1942-1950 The Department was headed by Associate Professor A.G. Frydenberg (1942 – 1950), senior lecturer E.A. Rudneva (1950-1956), Ph.D., Associate Professor, N.A. Dvoryankov (1956-1958), senior lecturer A.M. Kireev (1959-1960). Significant contribution to the successful work of the Department`s team was made by Associate Professor E.V. Gorbunova, who headed the Department for 25 years, and Associate Professor I.R. Prudnikova (headed the Department for 17 years). Her work experience at the MISI-MGSU is made up of 47 years. Their work was awarded government awards, Associate Professor I.R. Prudnikova was awarded the badge "Excellence in Higher Education."
In subsequent years, the Department was headed by O.A. Shvetsova, E.V. Shabashova, E.V. Bessonova., Associate Professor V.V. Volokhova (acted as head of the Department for a year).
The achievements and success of the Department are ensured by high professionalism, fundamental theoretical knowledge, good practical training and a creative approach to solving tasks. In the 1960s the Department launched a two-year intensive language course, according to which graduates were trained for the State Committee for Economic Cooperation with Foreign Countries. The success of this program can be proven by its implementation for two decades, from 1963 to 1984.
In 1980 academic staff of the Department trained guide translators (English, French, German, Spanish, Croatian and Arabic) to work at the Moscow Olympics. As a result, the Department of Foreign Languages was noted by the order of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the USSR among the three universities of the country as the most successfully organized for this task. The Department was the organizer of Olympiads in foreign languages in higher educational institutions of the country. Leading teachers of the Department held seminars in the Central Office of the Methodology at the Moscow State Linguistic University and in universities in other cities. Thanks to high qualifications, many teachers systematically worked as translators in Russia and abroad.
The Department’s academic staff trained students with in-depth language study to work abroad, trained teachers invited to lecture in foreign educational institutions. Graduates of these groups successfully worked in various countries of Asia and Africa (Algeria, Guinea, Tunisia, India, Vietnam, Cambodia, etc.).
In the late 1980s - early 1990s. the Department launched a commercial program for teaching students from 1 to 5 years in English and German. The program was called the “Group of Translators and Analysts.” The main goal of the three-year program was to teach reading literature in the frame of the specialties, writing essays and business letters and developing oral skills in a professional language. The program was very popular among students, because the experienced teachers who worked with the groups (O. A. Shvetsova, R.F. Burakova, G.Z. Okorokova and others).
From 2002 the Department of Foreign Languages has been the initiator of the "Text and Commentary" intercollegiate scientific conferences, held with the support and participation of the Institute of Linguistics of the Russian Academy of Sciences.
In 2013 the academic staff of the Department took an advanced training course at MGSU, conducted by the Head of the Department for advanced training of foreign language teachers at the Emerald Cultural Institute (Emerald Cultural Institute, Ireland).
In 2018 the advanced training courses "Modern methods of teaching English at a technical university" were held on the basis of the Department with the involvement of the UK specialist Jeffrey Truscott.
Currently 21 employees work at the Department, 10 of them are Candidates of Sciences, 3 teachers are working on their Candidate Dissertations. Teachers of the Department successfully combine educational and scientific work. Over the past years they have published over 250 articles, including approximately 120 articles by the Higher Attestation Commission, 14 Web of Science and 17 Scopus. The most active teachers in publishing are L.A. Metelkova, A.G. Sokolova, V.V. Volokhova, A.N. Sak, I.K. Kirillova. The academic staff of the Department make reports at scientific conferences of the All-Russian and international level, including reports in foreign languages. Thus, Associate Professor A.G. Sokolova made presentations at the FORM-2018, 2019, 2020 international conference, Associate Professor A.N. Sak participated at the international conference MMSA-2019, Associate Professor V.V. Volokhova took part in the All-Russian conference of German language teachers in 2020, senior lecturer E.A. Frolova made presentations at the 54th linguistic colloquium "Linguistic encoding/decoding in global contexts."
In 2018 the Department of Fundamental Education together with the Department of Foreign Languages and Professional Communication held the All-Russian Scientific Conference "Features of Integration of Humanitarian and Technical Knowledge" (with international participation) and the International Scientific Conference "Innovative Processes in Humanitarian Science and Education" in 2020. The staff of the Department of Foreign Languages and Professional Communication took active part in the preparation and organization of conferences. In 2020 teachers of the Department presented 22 reports on topical issues of linguistics and teaching methods to the section "Foreign-language educational space of higher education." Within the framework of the conference, an advanced training course was held on the additional professional program "Innovative educational technologies in the educational process of higher educational institutions," which was developed by Associate professors of the Department I.K. Kirillova and O.N. Soluyanova.
Academic staff regularly undergo advanced training in the field of foreign languages and methods of its teaching at leading Russian universities: Moscow State Linguistic University, RUDN University, Moscow State Pedagogical University, Russian University of Transport (MIIT), HSE University, the French Institute at the French Embassy, as well as at advanced training courses at the National Research University of Moscow State University.
Internships in foreign universities are of particular importance. Such programs help to track the world trends in teaching foreign languages and allow to improve speaking skills. Associate Professor T.A. Ershova has repeatedly improved her qualifications in foreign universities: GLS Linguistic School, Berlin (2008, 2009, 2010), Institute of Linguistics, Nice (2012), Free University of Bolzano, Italy (2012). Associate Professor O.A. Shvetsova completed an internship at the University of Sheffield and also improved her qualifications at the International Summer School at the University of Cambridge. E.A. Hovhannisyan studied at the Institute of Linguistics, Nice (France) in 2013. Associate Professors V.V. Volokhova, I.P. Pavlyuchko and teacher L.L. Sidorenko successfully passed the advanced training course in German at the University of Potsdam, Germany in 2015. L.A. Metelkova completed an internship for teachers of French in Vichy (France) In 2014and at the University of Liège (Belgium) in 2019.
Employees of the Department conduct active educational and methodological work, which includes production of modern textbooks, manuals and other educational materials aimed at forming the foreign-language competence of students and graduate students in the profile of the university. In 2019-2020 academic year, the staff of the Department published a new textbook "English for Engineers of Energy Specialties."
Associate Professors V.V. Volokhova, I.K. Kirillova, A.N. Sak, I.G. Kudryavtseva, O.N. Soluyanova, A.V. Arkhipov, E.V. Bessonova, O.A. Shvetsova, senior teachers E.A. Rakovskaya, M.A. Drizhenko, E.A. Frolova, E.V. Root, O.A. Prosyanovskaya, T.V. Germanovich, N.P. Ushanova, teachers O. I Pisarik, L.L. Sidorenko are authors of modern teaching aids and electronic educational resources in English. Teaching and methodological manuals in German and French were prepared by Associate Professors Y.V. Zubkova, I.P. Pavlyuchko, T.A. Ershova, V.V. Volokhova, senior teacher N.S. Mazina, teachers E.A. Oganesyan, L.L. Sidorenko and Yu.A. Sergeeva.
The employees respect traditions that have developed at the Department, gratefully use materials of colleagues who taught at the MISI - MGSU in different years. The authors of textbooks and manuals of past years are E.V. Shabashova, G.G. Sharkova, S.G. Dubrovskaya, D.B. Dubina, M.V. Spirina, Yu.N. Salnikova, G.Z. Okorokova, L.Sh. Zagnetko, T.G. Bashtovaya, E.L. Krivosheina, S.A. Kulish, R.A. Shamenova, N.P. Rudakova, N.F. Shaburnikova.
The Department of Foreign Languages and Professional Communication actively interacts with students of all institutes of MGSU and all levels of training, from undergraduate to graduate school, successfully combining educational process with introduction of youth to research work. The Olympiad in Foreign Languages has been held at the Department of Foreign Languages and Professional Communication for several years. Over 300 students of all Institutes, Departments and specialties take part in it every year. Traditionally, the Department of Foreign Languages and Professional Communication takes part in the annual intra-university student scientific and theoretical conference "Days of Student Science," organizing work of the "English," "German," "French" sections.Under the guidance of the Department, students make scientific reports in foreign languages on various technical topics related to their future professional field. Each year, over 80 scientific reports are presented at the conference sections, the best of which are published in a collection of reports on the results of students' research work.
Events organized for students by the Department play a special role in increasing students` motivation in the field of foreign languages studying and acquaintance with the culture of different countries. The Francophonie festival, organized by E.A. Hovhannisyan, introduces students to the cultural traditions of French-speaking countries. Meetings and round tables with native speakers about German language and culture provide an opportunity to practise foreign language skills and learn more about the culture. The Department annually organizes the work of more than 10 student circles in the field of foreign languages.
Under the guidance of the academic staff of the Department, students take activepart in intercollegiate scientific events: the All-Russian Student Olympiad "English in Technical Universities" at the National Research University of Moscow State Technical University named after N.E. Bauman, the international competition for the best translation, conducted by the Russian State Agrarian University - Moscow Timiryazev Agricultural Academy (RSAU – MTAA named after K.A. Timiryazev), the international phonetic competition, the intercollegiate competition of French poetry and prose at RUDN University, the intercollegiate competition "Francophonie" at Russian University of Transport (MIIT), the international scientific and practical conference for students and graduate students Welt und Wissenschaft at the Higher School of Economics, the All-Russian dictation in German "Tolles Diktat", the annual All-Russian Online Olympiad in Country Studies (with international participation) "Cultures and Countries Connecting Thread" at the Siberian State University of Railways, etc.
An important aspect in the study of the language is the ability to communicate with native speakers and to practise skills in real life. Under the leadership of E.A. Hovhannisyan, students of MGSU studied French at the Alpha-B Institute in Nice (France) in 2013. Internship trips of MGSU students to foreign schools were organized with the assistance of E.V. Bessonova in order to increase the level of English language proficiency in 2007. In 2013 and 2019, students of MGSU underwent a two-week training at ICTQ Malta Summer School under the leadership of M.A. Drizhenko and E.A. Frolova and a training at ACT Language School and Dublin City University under the leadership of E.V. Root. The program of additional professional education "Translator in the Field of Professional Communication" is traditionally popular among MGSU students. Every year about 200 students choose this program. Graduates gain theoretical and practical knowledge, which allows them to engage in a new type of activity implying possession of highly qualified translation in the professional field.
The Department of Foreign Languages and Professional Communication is engaged in language training of graduate students and doctoral students for admission to graduate school and doctoral studies, trains teachers of other departments for internships in foreign universities, conducts classes in English, French and German. The participation of the Department in the language training of teachers at MGSU for introducing Master's degree programs in foreign languages is one of the urgent tasks of the recent years.
All employees of the Department of Foreign Languages and Professional Communication are highly-skilled professionals, who desire to update their knowledge and teaching methods. They actively use modern technologies in learning, including distance learning, always demonstrate genuine interest in improving educational process as well as scientific and educational interaction with students.
