Formation of professional terminological competence of international studentsat mining universities when studying underground mining subjects

DOI: https://doi.org/10.30686/1609-9192-2026-3-194-201

Читать на русскоя языке E.L. Cherkashina, O.V. Tsibizova, N.S. Artyukhova
Russian State Agrarian University – Moscow Timiryazev Agricultural Academy, Moscow, Russian Federation
Russian Mining Industry №3/ 2026 p. 194-201

Abstract: A sharp increase in the number of international students at Russian mining universities, i.e. over 400,000 students from 179 countries at the end of 2025, with Chinese students accounting for 14.1%, posed a wholly new challenge for departments of Russian as a foreign language: within a short time frame the students need to acquire a linguistic competence sufficient to master terminologically-intensive subjects in the “Underground Mining of Mineral Deposits” cluster. The study justifies and tests a modular method of forming professional terminological competence that reflects the specific features of the mining and engineering discourse. The empirical base consists of the data obtained in the training course for students of the 21.05.04 ‘Mining’ specialist-level curriculum (majoring in underground mining of stratified deposits) in the 2023/2024 and 2024/2025 academic years. The training involved 128 international 2nd –3rd year students from China, Vietnam, Mongolia, Zambia, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan. A core terminological vocabulary of 642 units was developed, which were divided into six thematic clusters (mode of mineral occurrence, mine opening, development mining, stoping, haulage and hoisting, mine support and ventilation). Diagnostic and examination profile assessment was performed as well as lexical and grammatical testing based on the TRKI-2 model and a discourse analysis of the oral answers and parametric statistics (Student’s t-test, Pearson’s χ2). The results show that the modular approach combined with visualisation tools (3D mine layouts, digital twins of longwalls) raises the professional terminological competence index from 0.38 to 0.76 (an increase of 100.0%) with the mean term-recognition rate rising from 2.3 to 4.7 units/min (+104.3%), and the share of correctly formulated definitions increasing from 41.2% to 82.5%. The greatest effect is achieved through integration of Russian as a foreign language classes with the ‘Fundamentals of Mining’ specialist-level course: the Pearson correlation between the Russian language test scores and the specialized course exam reached r = 0.71. A coefficient of terminological intensity of educational texts is proposed, enabling ranking of the training materials by their complexity. The practical value consists in developing a set of term-selection criteria, a stage-by-stage working model and a control system suitable for scaling up across universities that train engineers in underground mining.

Keywords: professional terminological competence, Russian as a foreign language, underground mining, language of the major course, mining engineer, linguodidactics, modular training method

For citation: Cherkashina E.L., Tsibizova O.V., Artyukhova N.S. Formation of professional terminological competence of international students at mining universities when studying underground mining subjects. Russian Mining Industry. 2026;(3):194–201. https://doi.org/10.30686/1609-9192-2026-3-194-201

Article info

Received: 02.04.2026

Revised: 20.04.2026

Accepted: 27.04.2026

Information about the authors

Elena L. Cherkashina – Cand. Sci. (Philol.), Associate Professor of the Department of Russian as a Foreign Language and General Theoretical Subjects, Russian State Agrarian University – Moscow Timiryazev Agricultural Academy, Moscow, Russian Federation; https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1613-0147; e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Oksana V. Tsibizova – Cand. Sci. (Philol.), Head of the Department of Russian as a Foreign Language and General Theoretical Subjects, Russian State Agrarian University – Moscow Timiryazev Agricultural Academy, Moscow, Russian Federation; https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0674-7140; e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Natalia S. Artyukhova – Senior Lecturer of the Department of Russian as a Foreign Language and General Theoretical Subjects, Russian State Agrarian University – Moscow Timiryazev Agricultural Academy, Moscow, Russian Federation; https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0949-1902; e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

References

1. Yachmennikova P. Russia has someone to learn from: the number of foreign students in Russian universities has increased over the past year. Kommersant. 2026. Feb 3. Available at: https://www.kommersant.ru/doc/8398867 (accessed: 14.04.2026). (In Russ.)

2. Tsepina A. Digital shift in the mining industry in 2024: dreams and reality. Dobyvayushchaya Promyshlennost. 2024;(4):24–30. (In Russ.) Available at: https://dprom.online/mining/tsefrovezatsea-dobivaushei-promishlennoste (accessed: 14.04.2026).

3. Shchukin A.N. Methods of teaching Russian as a foreign language. 7th ed. Moscow: Flinta; 2021. 508 p. (In Russ.)

4. Dmitrieva D.D. Peculiarities of teaching the scientific style of speech in Russian as foreign language classes in medical university (on the example of medical terminology). Azimuth of Scientific Research: Pedagogy and Psychology. 2020;9(2):78–810. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.26140/anip-2020-0902-0017

5. Konurbaev M.E., Ganeeva E.R. Cognitive foundations of speech compression in interpreting. Issues of Cognitive Linguistics. 2024;(2):24–32. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.20916/1812-3228-2024-2-24-32

6. Klementsova N.N. Formation of the technical university graduate communicative competency: analysis of the federal state educational standards for higher professional education of the third generation. Scientific Research and Development. Modern Communication Studies. 2016;5(5):37–44. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.12737/21930

7. Matienko A.V. Foreign language professional communicative competence: the definition of the concept in the logic of polylingual and multicultural identity formation. Research Result. Theoretical and Applied Linguistics. 2016;2(2):73–77. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.18413/2313-8912-2016-2-2-73-77

8. Ilyina I.Yu., Krasyukova N.L. Remuneration of university teachers in the context of higher school modernization: dynamics and differentiation. Economics, Taxes & Law. 2025;18(3):100–111. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.26794/1999-849X-2025-18-3-100-111

9. Ilyina I.Yu. Formation of competitive strategies for teachers of Russian universities in the context of digitalization of education. Economics, Taxes & Law. 2024;17(4):92–101. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.26794/1999-849X-2024-17-4-92-101

10. Polevaya M.V., Chub A.A., Zhigun L.A., Belogrud I.N., Rudenko G.G., Fedchenko A.A., Kolesnikova Y.S. The impact of ratings on the effectiveness of university management and training of highly qualified personnel. Economics, Taxes & Law. 2024;17(4):42–52. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.26794/1999-849X-2024-17-4-42-52

11. Yarygina I.Z. Methods of subject analysis in the higher education system as factors in the formation of competencies of the teaching staff. Economics, Taxes & Law. 2024;17(4):102–110. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.26794/1999-849X-2024-17-4-102-110

12. Savochkina E.I., Zhukova T.A. The use of educational bots in the process of developing intercultural competence of the students of linguistics. Vestnik of Minin University. 2023;11(4):8. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.26795/2307-1281-2023-11-4-8

13. Ilyin V.K., Parfenova A.A., Nekro A.A., Shved D.M., Belakovsky M.S., Nosovsky A.M. et al. The influence of the bread-making process and its inclusion in the diet of the testers on the psychological climate in the experiment with prolonged isolation. Voprosy Ekologii. 2025;38(1):78–89. (In Russ.)

14. Balykhina T.M. Methods of teaching Russian as a non-native (new) language. Moscow: RUDN Publ.; 2007. 188 p. (In Russ.)

15. Khavronina S.A., Balykhina T.M. Innovative educational and methodological complex "Russian as a foreign language". Moscow: RUDN Publ.; 2008. 198 p. (In Russ.)

16. Azimov E.G., Shchukin A.N. Modern dictionary of methodological terms and concepts: theory and practice of language teaching. Moscow: Russkiy yazyk. Kursy; 2021. 496 p. (In Russ.)

17. Passov E.I. Term system of methodology, or How we speak and write. St. Petersburg: Zlatoust; 2009. 124 p. (In Russ.)

18. Dmitrieva D.D. To the question of improving the efficiency of teaching communication in the Russian language of foreign students based on individualization (on the example of communicative-oriented manual on Russian as foreign for medical students). Baltic Humanitarian Journal. 2019;8(3):49–51. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.26140/bgz3-2019-0803-0011

19. Wu Z. The giant leap in the development of higher engineering education in China. ECNU Review of Education. 2025;8(2):406–424. https://doi.org/10.1177/20965311241265731

20. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Building Capacity for the U.S. Mineral Resources Workforce: Proceedings of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press; 2024. 56 p. https://doi.org/10.17226/27733

21. Surygin A.I. Pedagogical design of the system of pre-university training for foreign students. 2nd ed. St. Petersburg: Zlatoust; 2008. 128 p. (In Russ.)

22. Kapitonova T.I., Moskovkin L.V. Methods of teaching Russian as a foreign language at the pre-university stage. St. Petersburg: Zlatoust; 2006. 272 p. (In Russ.)

23. Fedotova N.L. Methods of teaching Russian as a foreign language (practical course). 4th ed. St. Petersburg: Zlatoust; 2022. 192 p. (In Russ.)