Tula and tula's dwellers in the early 21st centure in perception of the african undergraduate and postgraduate students
The article examines the peculiarities of the perception of the city of Tula and inhabitants of Tula by African students and graduate students who study at universities in the region. The analysis was based on the data of a survey conducted by the author in two Tula universities. It was found that upon arrival in Russia to study, African students note significant differences in climatic conditions. The method of attributing qualities made it possible to identify the main characteristics of Tula and inhabitants of Tula. Africans characterize Tula as a city with a heroic historical past, significant monuments and landmarks. They perceive the urban environment as comfortable for living.The adaptation of foreign students begins with overcoming the language barrier, since almost none of them before arriving in Russia spoke Russian. It is noted that the problems of language acquisition are associated with insufficient contacts with Russian students, which prevents the acquisition of the spoken language. The study shows that the socio-cultural barriers between the usual “own”, African and “other”, Russian / inhabitants of Tula are most noticeably manifested in the perception of space, food, and differences in culture and behavior of people are noticed later. In general, inhabitants of Tula are positively perceived by African students, who note such qualities as hospitality, sociability, and a sense of humor. The author draws attention to the differences in approaches to teaching in Tula universities and in African countries. Students point to the great role of independent work in organizing the educational process in their homeland. The article reveals a tendency that the longer a foreign student lives in Tula, the less he/she notices the negative qualities of the inhabitants of the city and the more likely he/she is to rate them positively.