The IITU experts commented on the B0 level on the Akelius application

In August 2022, IITU teachers, together with UNICEF and Akelius, commented on the B0 level lessons available on the Akelius application intended for children who arrived in Kazakhstan and found themselves in a difficult life situation.

This course allows migrant children to develop digital skills and improve their literacy levels, which will allow them to socialize faster. The project has been implemented in 9 pilot schools in Kazakhstan since September 2021. Digital laboratories have been opened in schools, i.e. classrooms equipped with the necessary technical means for conducting classes in a blended format (offline + Akelius application).

Methodological assistance to school teachers during the implementation of the project is provided by experts from the IITU. They comment on the lessons and provide consultations for school teachers. At the moment, levels A0, A1, A1.1, A2, B0 are available in the applicaiton. In the future, there will be levels B1, B1.1 and B2, as well as sections "professions" and "life skills".

Associate professor Dinara Aliyeva, in her comments on the lessons on the topic "Tenses of the verb ‘to be’", notes that the category of perfect and imperfect aspect, as well as the tense of the verb, is one of the most difficult topics in Russian as a foreign language. In her opinion, the text that is given in theory looks solid and too complicated at this level. It should be accompanied by drawings and diagrams, where it will be clear that the imperfect aspect is a process, not the result of an action.

“The text in the application is very difficult to understand even for a native speaker, and the exercises given below do not explain the theory. Therefore, a simpler scheme or table with figures is required. Drawings are also required when performing the exercise, where it will be clear that we are talking about an accomplished action, a process, a result, a planned action, etc. Otherwise, it will be a mechanical performance, without understanding the meaning of phrases and the rules for using verbs,” Dinara Assylkhanovna warned.

She also approached developers and programmers with the idea of ​​introducing a new section at the end of each lesson.

“I propose to complete each lesson with work on the mistakes. Add such a section at the end of each lesson,” said Dinara Assylkhanovna.

Such comments allow you to improve the presentation of the material, identify various types of errors and improve the quality of lessons. According to calculations, by the end of the project, i.e. February 2023, 250 children will be trained with the help of this application. The proven blended learning methodology will serve as an example for teaching other disciplines in a digital environment.