Language for a specific purpose: Business Russian

Abstract

This essay examines methods for integrating Business Russian into the classroom for the specific purpose of real-world research application. Included are both the Language for Specific Purposes (LSP) methodology used within the classroom (Crouse, 2013) to engage in this type of research in Russian, as well as the results of student-centered inquiry (McCarthy, 2015). The practical results of the research are then presented in a brief history of why five select companies came to conduct business in Russia and the results of inquiries to these companies as a specific study with repercussions for the pedagogy. A list of best practices for conducting business in Russia, gained from the branches of the US companies that continue to successfully operate in Russia despite sanctions, expulsions, and diplomatic difficulties follows. The conclusions drawn from the teaching of language for a specific purpose and its practical results demonstrate the need for such high-impact (community-based learning, oral history interviews, and integrated study abroad) practices in education today.