SocialLab staff within the Department of Sociology 2024
Head of SocialLab I.V. Obraztsov on the editorial board of the RAS journal Sociological Research (50th anniversary)
The survey of applicants conducted by sociology students
Head of the SocialLab I.V. Obraztsov is the supervisor of the 2020 graduate A.V. Berezanskaya. Berezanskaya A.V., winner of the VCIOM competition for the best research paper
Head of the SocialLab I.V. Obraztsov holds a master class with students as part of the Science Day at MSLU
Lab’s researcher A.V. Polovnev is in charge of questionnaire data entry
Sociological Laboratory (SocialLab)
Sociological Laboratory of MSLU (SocialLab) was established on 25 March 2019 on the basis of the staff of the Department of Sociology (formed on 04.06.2004) of the Institute of International Relations and Socio-Political Sciences.
The Laboratory is an independent functional subdivision of the Federal State Educational Institution of Higher Education ‘Moscow State Linguistic University’ and is directly subordinated to the Vice-Rector for Science. It carries out activities in the following areas:
1. Modernisation of the research process and project activities of MSLU: monitoring of the Russian market of translation services and popularity of foreign languages, analysis of the market of commercial educational services for foreign language teaching, monitoring of the state and content of foreign language teaching in the system of Russian higher and secondary education; study of the problems of languages of ‘small’ peoples of Russia; analysis of the promotion and popularity of the Russian language, culture and education in Russian in the EAEU space.
2. Preparation of documents and organisation of MSLU participation in state assignments, grants of Russian and foreign scientific funds, tenders, competitions, auctions on research projects and R&D projects relevant to MSLU, including sociological and sociolinguistic issues.
3. Monitoring and forecasting of educational trends in the humanities and interdisciplinary areas of scientific knowledge, theory and practice of intercultural interactions, analysis of communicative practices taking into account the diversity of cultural, social and media contexts.
4. Improvement of MSLU educational and training activities based on identification of problem fields, search for ways to modernize educational practices and programmes, educational work: improving the quality and demand for intra-university sociological research, activation of research activities of teachers and students, bringing pedagogical activities closer to practical tasks.
5. Preparation of information and analytical materials necessary for MSLU to achieve leading positions in a number of areas in the humanities and to make effective management decisions by MSLU administration.
The Sociological Laboratory conducts monitoring sociological research: among students of sociology (2009-2025), among students of all areas of training (specialities) (satisfaction of undergraduate and postgraduate students with MSLU education: 2017, 2019, 2021, 2023, 2025) and among teaching staff (satisfaction of teaching staff with various aspects of working life at MSLU: 2020, 2022, 2024). ), as well as operational research on topical issues of MSLU life (work of student self-government bodies, employers’ feedback on MSLU graduates, additional professional education in linguistics, digitalisation of the educational process, etc.). In 2024 SocialLab in cooperation with NAFI Analytical Centre conducted a nationwide survey ‘Foreign Languages at School’, during which foreign language teachers (N=450) and students of grades 8-11 (N=1600) were interviewed in all federal districts of the Russian Federation. The results of all ongoing studies are presented in the publications of the laboratory staff.
Research areas targeted at student trainees:
- Attitudes and motivation of students (pupils) to learn foreign languages;
- Preferences of pupils and students in choosing ways of learning foreign languages;
- Effectiveness of modern methods and tools of foreign language training as assessed by students and pupils;
- Sociocultural factors of young people’s motivation to learn foreign languages;
- Attitudes of students to bilingual education;
- Problems and barriers in students’ learning of foreign languages;
- Popularity of foreign languages; The role of students in learning foreign languages.
- Development of foreign language competences in a profile (linguistic) university and their role in the process of employment of university students (graduates);
- Forms of preparation of schoolchildren for the USE in a foreign language and assessment of their contribution to the development of foreign language competences;
- Role of digital technologies and online platforms in preparation for the USE in a foreign language;
- Difficulties of students in preparation for the USE in a foreign language and ways to overcome them;
- Motivation of schoolchildren to prepare for the USE in a foreign language: External and internal factors;
- Schoolchildren’s assessment of the quality of the school foreign language programme in the context of preparation for the USE;
- Use of modern media by schoolchildren and students for learning foreign languages;
- Foreign language education in the system of general and additional education of schoolchildren;
- Foreign language education in the system of secondary vocational education;
- Modern market of linguistic educational services: structure and development trends;
- Consumer segmentation in the market of linguistic educational services;
- Attitude of pupils and students to obtaining language certificates: motivation, practices of preparation and passing;
- Comparative analysis of the main players in the Russian market of language certificates;
- Comparative analysis of the main players in the international market of language certificates;
- Comparative analysis of the main players in the international market of language certificates;
- Comparative analysis of the main players in the Russian market of language certificates;
- Comparative analysis of the main players in the international market of language certificates;
- The popularity of professional foreign language education among high school students.
