THE PROBLEMS OF MASTERING THE GRAMMATICAL CATEGORY OF VERB ASPECT IN THE RUSSIAN LANGUAGE AMONG IRANIAN AUDIENCES: LINGUISTIC AND METHODOLOGICAL ASPECTS

Abstract

This article examines the challenges faced by Iranian students in mastering the grammatical category of verb aspect in the Russian language, with particular emphasis on a comparative analysis with Persian. The category of verb aspect, divided into perfective and imperfective forms, constitutes a fundamental element of linguistic analysis, as it determines the temporal characteristics and moods of verbs, which are critical for understanding Russian grammatical systems. The absence of a comparable category in Persian creates significant difficulties for Iranian learners when selecting the correct verb form. Linguistic analysis reveals that students encounter problems in using verb aspects primarily due to a lack of awareness of aspectual meanings, which leads to frequent errors in application. Furthermore, the complex aspect-tense forms of Russian exacerbate the learning process. From a methodological standpoint, the deficiency of effective teaching methods that account for the specific features of the Russian language also contributes to errors in speech production. This study employs a descriptive-analytical approach, enabling a deeper understanding of the issues related to teaching verb aspect to Iranian students. Many existing instructional methodologies fail to consider the linguistic background of Iranian learners, potentially resulting in ineffective teaching outcomes. To enhance the teaching of verb aspect in Russian, it is recommended to implement diverse pedagogical strategies and utilize authentic materials. Such an approach will facilitate students’ better comprehension and application of this grammatical category. The article underscores the necessity of a comprehensive approach to teaching verb aspect to improve students’ proficiency and achieve a more profound understanding of the language.

Extended Abstract:

The grammatical category of verb aspect in Russian, encompassing the binary distinction between perfective and imperfective forms, represents a cornerstone of the language’s syntactic and semantic framework, encoding the temporal contour and completion status of actions. This study examines the multifaceted challenges confronted by Iranian students in mastering this category, foregrounding both linguistic disparities and methodological shortcomings. For Persian-speaking learners, the absence of a direct equivalent to Russian aspectual morphology poses a formidable barrier, as Persian employs temporal conjugations, auxiliary constructions, and lexical semantics rather than a formalized aspectual system. This structural divergence engenders persistent difficulties in comprehending and applying Russian aspect, manifesting in errors related to aspectual selection, tense-aspect interplay, and context-sensitive verb usage, particularly with motion verbs exhibiting intricate directional and iterative nuances. From a linguistic perspective, Russian verbs are obligatorily marked for aspect through prefixes, suffixes, or stem alternations, with perfective forms denoting bounded, completed actions and imperfective forms signaling ongoing, habitual, or iterative processes. In contrast, Persian conveys analogous distinctions indirectly, relying on periphrastic constructions and adverbial modifiers, which lack the systematicity of Russian aspectual paradigms. This asymmetry complicates Iranian learners’ ability to internalize aspectual semantics and navigate the subtleties of Russian verbal morphology, often resulting in overgeneralization or misapplication of forms in communicative contexts. Methodologically, the study critiques prevailing pedagogical approaches, which frequently fail to account for the typological differences between the learners’ native language and the target language. Traditional instruction, often rooted in rote memorization and decontextualized grammar drills, proves inadequate for addressing the cognitive and practical challenges faced by Iranian students. The scarcity of authentic materials, coupled with a lack of interactive, learner-centered techniques, perpetuates suboptimal proficiency levels and hinders the development of aspectual competence. To redress these deficiencies, this research advocates a reconceptualized teaching paradigm that integrates context-rich resources—such as literary texts, audiovisual media, and real-life discourse samples—with communicative exercises and interactive methodologies tailored to Persian-speaking learners. The investigation adopts a descriptive-analytical framework, supplemented by an empirical component involving 100 Iranian students spanning proficiency levels A1 to C1. Data were collected via diagnostic assessments, self-reported questionnaires, and statistical analysis of error patterns, with a focus on the efficacy of proposed pedagogical interventions. Findings reveal that learner’s exhibit pronounced difficulties in distinguishing aspectual pairs and interpreting contextual cues, yet demonstrate marked improvement—evidenced by a 25% increase in accurate aspect usage—following the adoption of dynamic, context-based strategies. These results underscore the critical need for adaptive instructional models that bridge linguistic divides and foster deeper engagement with Russian verbal systems. This study advances the scholarship on Russian as a foreign language by elucidating the interplay of linguistic and pedagogical factors in second-language acquisition. Its recommendations—emphasizing the incorporation of authentic materials and diversified teaching methods—offer a scalable framework for enhancing Iranian learners’ mastery of verb aspect, with broader implications for cross-linguistic pedagogy and intercultural communicative competence.