Gamification as a method of increasing motivation of law students in learning English language

This article deals with the main approaches of «gamification» as a new concept in the context of higher education, as well as an exceptional peculiarity of the phenomenon in enhancing motivation of the students majoring in law. Gamification is a relatively new branch of linguistic research. Multiple scientific works are currently dedicated to virtual reality as an integral and perspective part of education, which includes certain motivational mechanisms. Special emphasis is placed on the internal and external educational motivation of students. The ways to increase motivation through gamification in the educational process are introduced. Particular attention in the article is paid to the role of the English language teacher. One of the fundamental tasks of the teacher of the XXI century consists in the introduction of gaming technologies into teaching a foreign language. It is proven that the implementation of gamified teaching methods will lead to student engagement and better attitude towards the English language, since involvement into online educational content allows the students to enjoy the immediate results of their work and feel content for the points earned. The use of gamification tools in the system of learning a foreign language is an appropriate way to improve attendance and activity of law students.

Quranic motifs in the Kumyk religious literature

The object of this research is the Kumyk medieval literature, dominated by thee ideas of enlightenment and religious unity. As a result of adoption of Islam by the peoples of Dagestan, including Kumyks, their written literature grounded on Quran, acquires a pronounced Muslim character. The Kumyk religious literature existed in the forms of sermons, cogitations, philosophizing and homilies, commonly known as “turki”. The concept of “turki”, which encompasses numerous religious poems of various contents and forms, represents a uniform system of genres, namely religious poetry. It is determined that alongside consolidation of the position of Islam in Dagestan in the XVI century, the religious themes become increasingly popular in the literary works of Kumyk poets and theologians. The authors examine  the Quranic motifs in the Kumyk religious literature  on the example of the collection “Majmu ul-Manzumat al-Ajamiyya”. Eschatological motifs in the aforementioned work can be divided into two parts: edifying that provide moral and ethical instructions, and descriptive that depict perturbations that await people for non-compliance with such instructions.  

The impact of certain aspects of international criminal justice upon interdependent processes of democratization and reconciliation in Bosnia and Herzegovina

It is difficult to assess the processes of democratization and reconciliation in post-conflict societies. The factors that affect reconciliation are yet to be fully determine in the academic literature. It is also unclear to what extent each element may promote or obstruct the reconciliation process. The author explores the interrelation and interdependence of the concepts of democratization and reconciliation on the example of the post-conflict region of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and focuses on the impact of international criminal justice upon the processes of democratization and reconciliation. The article covers the current political situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as assesses the performance of the institutions of international justice, such as the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia. The author believes that the literature missed so factors that may contribute to reconciliation. An assumption is made that released prisoners may influence the reconciliation process, and this should be viewed as a separate and crucial sub-factor of the consequences of international criminal justice. The author recommends to use all available information and carry out quantitative research in the affected region, assessing public opinion with application of a more nuanced approach towards differentiation of the aspects of international criminal justice. Analysis is conducted on the limited impact of international justice upon the reconciliation process. A hypothesis is advances on interrelation between the aforementioned sub-factor and the processes of reconciliation and democratization.

The peculiarities of poetic language of Abdurrahman of Kakashura

This article is examines the literary style of the prominent theologian and poet Abdurrahman of Kakashura. Special attention is given to the philosophical-aesthetic principles that underlie his works. The author emphasizes the uniqueness of the poet’s worldview, imagery, and specific use of linguistic means. His poetic gives an in-depth perspective on Sufism – one of the central phenomena in the political and cultural life of the Republic of Dagestan. The works of Abdurrahman of Kakashura prevalently deliver a humanistic message, since he considered as the founder of humanistic trend in the Kumyk literature and to a certain degree represents a transitional stage between the medieval and modern literature. The conclusion is made that the poetry of Abdurrahman of Kakashura should be viewed not only as poetry aimed at proliferation of the ideas of Sufism, but also as the poetry of “progress” oriented towards healing from the mental malady the society was concerned with. In his poetry, the author trace genuine benevolence, ardent hatred of those who build their wealth on misery of the others. The impact of the poetry of Abdurrahman of Kakashura upon successive generations of Kumyk and Dagestani poets is indisputable. It is worth noting that most of the issues addressed in his poetry had vast repercussions in Dagestan and contributed to the development of progressive thought of his time.

The role of international organizations, transnational governance, metrics and indicators of the quality of government activity within the framework of global governance

This article examines the current role and mechanisms of international organizations in assessment of the quality of global governance. The subject of this research is the assessment and indicators of state participation in the development and implementation of transnational governance. The goal lies in the analysis of the concept of governance through the prism of the Fukuyama-Manning theory. Globalization is viewed in the economic and political dimension to determine the need for creating the transnational administrative framework. The results of global governance in the form of assessment and indicators of the quality of state administration are explored in the context of correlations between the production and demand of political indicators, their nature and practical advantages. The author analyzes the existing hypothesis on the role of international organizations within the system of global governance to outline the prospects for transnational governance. The detailed theoretical and practical approach towards assessment and metrics of state administration is realized via qualitative analysis for determining the prospects for the standardized system. In conclusion, the author emphasizes the equal importance of governance, globalization, and state policy for achieving the functional structure of global governance. This article represents the conceptual framework for the study and development of the systems for evaluation of the government performance to ensure successful intergovernmental cooperation in the globalization era.

Some reflections on the past, present and future of space rock music

The topic of space music requires a new scientific perspective. The goal of this article lies in examination of the historical and social peculiarities of the origin and development of space rock. The article presents futuristic interpretation of musicality of the celestial Universe. The article provides information about selected performers of this direction. Contextually, the article encompasses the stories of JULIAN'S TREATMENT and HAWKWIND. In reconstruction of the chronology for new interpretation, the author avoids repetitions and long descriptions of commonly known facts; aligns the key episodes of narration with the communication lines through the prism of social history; as well as gives assessment to the current situation and forecasts for the future. The recordings of space rock music stored in the audio archives, private collections, museums of music, and other sound libraries comprise the empirical basis for this publication. This article is first to offer periodization of the development of space music. The author’s special contribution of consists in clarification of the chronology of a range of recordings, as well as in familiarization of the audience with other aspects that are combined into a single concept. The provided material is intended for scholars in culture studies, musicologists, historians, archivists, as well as everyone interested in rock music.

Hate crimes against LGBT in Russia: legal status and research problems

Hate crime is a prejudice-motivated crime against an unprivileged group. This article provides an overview of hate crimes against LGBT in Russia. Emphasis is placed on several aspects: (1) legal status of hate crimes in Russia, (2) available data sources and statistical analysis of anti-LGBT crimes, (3) number of such crimes and general tendency (4) problems of collection and interpretation of data. To answer these questions, the article employs previous research on the topic, reports of the local and international organizations, and law enforcement practice. Russian courts recognize motive of hate towards LGBT  as a direct “hate motive against a social group” (consisting of two or more people who regularly interact based on mutual expectations and share common identity). However, the judges often avoid the direct application of such norm, replacing the motive of hat3 with the concept of “personal antagonism” or prejudice that affected the motives of the perpetrators. This leads to a misinterpretation of anti-LGBT crime statistics, since “personal antagonism” does not entail legal consequences of hate crimes. Therefore, the absence of the official data on such crimes encourages the researchers to search for the alternative sources of statistical data. For assessing the degree of hate crimes against LGBT in Russia, the author explores various research approaches and reports, which testify to the fact that the number of such crimes has increased since 2013. The author outlines a range of challenges faced by the researchers dealing with this topic, as well as potential vectors for further research.

Linguistic education: communicative tolerance as a component of communicative competence

The subject of this research is the linguistic education as teaching a foreign language; while the object is the concepts of “competency” and “competence”. The authors examine and compare the views of foreign and Russian scholars upon the content of these concepts. Special attention is given to the components of the key competencies, namely communicative competence. Analysis is conducted on aspects as “communicative competence” and “communicative tolerance”. Communicative competence suggests the command of language, as well as various social roles in the collective, including communication skills. The author highlights the role of the “Foreign Language” discipline in the development of students’ communicative competence and tolerance. The conclusion is made that communicative tolerance is a component of communicative competence. It is necessary to develop communicative competence of the students as the readiness for tolerant communication with the interaction partners. Communicative competence aimed at mastering the students’ ability to tolerance communication is being formed in the context of teaching a foreign language. The scientific novelty of the study lies in the fact that communicative competence encompasses not only the command of languages, but also various social roles in the team and the ability to communicate tolerantly. The conducted analysis can be valuable for the researchers of dealing with the nature of the categories of “competency” and “competence”.

Assessment of the impact of new media and political news channels in West Africa: the case of Ghana and Nigeria

Rapid technological changes that take place in recent years affect all aspects of life. The emergence and popularization of the Internet is one of the examples of how people get access to political information and news. Previous research were focused on examination of the impact of media upon the audience, or people’s distrust to new media. The online quantitative study that involved 199 respondents from Ghana and Nigeria revealed that many people read political news online, or sometimes listen to the radio in these two regions. Print media received the lowest rating, as people’s interest in it declines. The conclusion is made that the population of Ghana and Nigeria tend to read new media for political news compared to mainstream media. Therefore, mainstream media should invest adequate resources to improve their online presence and the quality of their news content. It is indicated that new media is currently the number one tool worldwide of enticing people to protest against government policies that they believe would have negative consequences for their lives. It is shocking that the majority of respondents claimed that they watch political news on TV, compared to minority who listen to radio. The authors’ special contribution lies in determination of the most frequently used means of political communication among the residents of West African countries.

Political cooperation between Thailand and Russia: current trends and issues

This article analyzes the political cooperation between Thailand and Russia over the period from 2014 to the present. The concepts of national interest, balance of powers, and neoliberalism are used as the analytical frameworks. The current bilateral cooperation is characterized by positive dynamics in the political sphere as it appears from the visits of the heads of government since 2015. These visits led to the advancement of all-round cooperation for both countries. However, the political ties have not yet reached the optimal level, and mutual cooperation between the two countries faces certain challenges. The main conclusion lies in determination of the issues in relationship between the countries: 1) political instability in Thailand affects the cooperation; some changes that took place in the Thai government between 2006 and 2014, as well as internal problems entailed by the coup d'etat, influenced its foreign policy. The author indicates that the key factors that affect Russia-Thailand relations are the political and diplomatic mechanisms. High-level visits and bilateral discussions contribute to strengthening of ties between the two countries. However, for further development of the relations, Thailand must resolve its domestic issues.