ISSN 0798 1015

Vol. 39 (# 25) Year 2018. Page 37

Psychological support of Korean students at the stage of cultural adaptation in the Russian university

El apoyo psicológico para estudiantes coreanos en etapa de adaptación cultural en la universidad Rusa

MAGOMEDOVA Ekaterina 1

Received: 04/03/2018 • Approved: 29/03/2018

Contents

1. Introduction

2. Methodology

3. Results

4. Conclusions

Bibliographic references

1. Introduction

Russia is in bid to increase the efficiency and competitiveness of its educational system, to enhance the prestige of Russian education in the international arena, and set the task of further increasing  attractiveness and accessibility of Russian universities for foreign citizens [Guruleva, (2014)].

Psychological support for foreign students is an integral criterion for successful adaptation in a foreign environment. Cultural adaptation is not only a result, but also a process that must be regularly passed. To achieve success, so-called coping with difficulties is required. We must be prepared to respond to uncertainty and any new situations.

University is a model of the world for students. Therefore, the psychological assistance provided by the specialists in it should be properly organized and aimed at solving actual problems. Getting into a new cultural environment, students experience a shock. They have to undergo difficulties with acculturation. This situation is stressful. But acculturation does not exist on its own, getting through it is complicated by other difficulties. For example, normative (in particular, age-related) crises, abnormal crises, the problem of communication and the language barrier, the difference in cultural code, the absence of relatives in a foreign country, unfamiliar conditions, life in new conditions, workload at the university, etc. Taking into account multitasking and fast rhythm of modern life, the above circumstances put a person under extreme stress. The person is made to use all available resources, knowledge and skills for effective coping in a stressful situation. Namely well-organized assistance at the university, implemented in the psychological support of foreign students at the stage of their acculturation, contributes to the development of adaptive coping strategies in a difficult life situation. This ensures successful adaptation, as well as the subjective well-being of an individual [Pilishvili, (2017)].

At the present stage of the development of international relations, there is an intensification of migration processes globally in the whole world and in Russia.  Development and strengthening of relations with the Republic of Korea are particularly important for Russia, which is due to the active interaction between countries in various fields: industrial, economic, scientific, educational, health, investment, innovation, export-import and trade. And it is fixed in a number of relevant memorandums, protocols and agreements adopted in 2017.

President of the Republic of Korea Moon Jae-in, acting since May 10, 2017, during his visit to Russia, within the framework of the Eastern Economic Forum-2017, expressed the goal to raise bilateral Russian-Korean relations to a qualitatively new level.

President of Russia  Vladimir Putin, in turn, noted that in 2017, between countries there was  almost 50 percent increase in trade turnover, although in 2016 there was a significant decline.

In 2017, governor of the Moscow region Andrei Vorobyov visited the capital of the Republic of Korea (Seoul). The interest of the Republic of Korea in this region and the desire to exchange experiences between countries determined the purpose of the governor's visit - establishing contacts in the business sphere under the program of creating the so-called Smart City (automated management system of the region) in the Moscow region, similar to the Korean model, and creating an industrial park in Naro-Fominsk. According to A.Vorobyov, "Korean businessmen express a practical desire to come to Russia and view the region as a priority for joint partnership" [Kovsh (2017)]. The project of the South Korean industrial zone assumes enterprises that orient domestic goods for export to Southeast Asia, the Pacific, China, South Korea and Japan.

During the visit of the delegation of the Moscow region, the governor visited a university hospital in the suburbs of Seoul. It was noted that this was a very useful practice and in the future Russian specialists would adopt experience in terms of the convenience and application of technologies with which the Republic of Korea today was doing well and successfully implementing.

The largest South Korean conglomerate «Lotte Group», which unites a lot of companies of different directions, is making big plans for development in the Moscow region. In particular, it is talking about the expansion of the confectionery business, which so far is represented by a single factory.

In December 2017 in Russia, as part of the meeting of new Korean ambassador Woo Yun-geun with students and teachers of linguistic centers at the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Russia, the ambassador thanked the staff and noted that " new young generation of Russian and Korean students would have a major role in the development of relations between Russia and Korea. " And also the ambassador mentioned that over the following 2-3 years in Korea it was planned to increase the number of Russian tourists from 5 million people up to 10 million people a year.

These reasons cause a rapid rise in population migration between Russia and Korea.

Koreans come to Russia temporarily, but many Koreans stay to live in Russia. At the same time, Koreans are open to international marriages, so Russian-Korean families can be formed.

Women and men come to Russia from Korea. But the number of men coming exceeds the number of women. It is due to the fact that the Confucian traditions of the upbringing in the family of sons preserved in Korean society have not lost their significance at the present stage. Therefore, a man in Korea is, in a way, the main earner and breadwinner, whose duty is to get a good education, a high-paying position and to keep the family. The family acts as a closed system, the man is the only one who goes beyond it for the purpose of providing. Although Korean women in recent years have acquired the status of independent and self-sufficient, but so far the traditional role of the Korean man remains unchanged.

In the conditions of development of economic and trade-industrial relations between Russia and the Republic of Korea, the number of jobs at joint ventures in Russia is increased. Often, Koreans come to Russia as employees in joint ventures and / or students.

One of the international educational centers for the training highly qualified specialists of various profiles is Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia.

Coming to Russia, Korean students find themselves in the multicultural environment of the university, in the new conditions of life. As foreigners, they experience great stress, which is associated with the cultural adaptation.

When providing psychological support cultural characteristics should be taken into account.

The first criterion of determining cultural characteristics is the typology of cultural measurements described by Gert Hofstede [Hofstede (2002)]. According to G. Hofstede, the set of indicators that characterize the type of culture, determines the cultural characteristics of different nationalities and the behavior of individuals in particular.

1. "Power distance" dimension (Russia - 93%, Republic of Korea - 60%). According to G. Hofstede, the indicator of 93% means the presence of a large distance between representatives of the authorities of any level and lower-ranking members of the society. The indicator of 60% indicates the existence of a hierarchy in the structure of society and the expectation of subordinates or subordinates of social status of orders from the authorities.

2. "Individualism" dimension (Russia - 61%, Republic of Korea - 82%). Both Russia and the Republic of Korea have indicators below the average, which shows the expression of community orientation in both cultures, but in comparison, in the Republic of Korea this indicator is higher than in Russia. Collectivism in Russia, according to G. Hofstede, lies in high importance of relations for obtaining information, carrying on successful negotiations. Relationships should be trustful and personal, before doing business. Family and friends are also important to get along with the difficulties of everyday life. If it is about meeting with friends, then a person will literally say "I with my friends", and not "I and my friends". In the Republic of Korea, this figure is even higher, which is manifested, according to G. Hofstede, in a close long-term commitment to the group, to a family or other relationships. Loyalty, responsibility for themselves and members of their group are in the first place are. Crime against rules in a collectivist culture leads to shame and loss of face.

3. "Masculinity" dimension (Russia - 36%, the Republic of Korea - 39%). Both the Republic of Korea and Russia are approximately on the same level, the Feminine type of culture predominates. In Russia, according to G. Hofstede, this manifests in the fact that Russians in business relationships or when meeting a stranger understate their personal achievements or abilities, speak modestly about themselves. In the Korean society, this manifests itself in the quest for equality, rather than rivalry. Conflicts are resolved through compromises and negotiations. Participation, support, prosperity are more important than demonstrating status.

4. "Uncertainty avoidance" dimension (Russia - 95%, Republic of Korea - 85%). Both Russia and the Republic of Korea have a high indicator expressing the desire to avoid uncertainty. According to G. Hofstede, Russia is experiencing a greater threat from ambiguous situations; in business relations planning is widespread, as the desire to possess background information. When dealing with strangers, formality or remoteness are noted. At the same time, formality is used as a sign of respect. According to H. Hofstede, the Republic of Korea also refers to one of the most avoiding uncertainties in the world. There are hard codes of faith, behavior, intolerance to unorthodox behavior. Accuracy and punctuality is the norm, and safety is an important element of individual motivation. There is an emotional need for rules.

5. "Long term orientation" dimension (Russia - 81%, Republic of Korea - 100%). According to  G.Hofstede  that dimension shows that  the Republic of Korea is one of the most pragmatic and long-term oriented societies, where sustainable growth and longevity is valued in the interests of serving the society for many generations. In Russia, this indicator is also at a high level, which is manifested, according to G. Hofstede, in a strong propensity to save, invest, thrift and persevere in achieving results along with strategic thinking.

6. "Indulgence" dimension (Russia - 20%, Republic of Korea - 29%). Both Russia and the Republic of Korea are roughly on the same level. The level of this indicator characterizes these societies, according to G. Hofstede, as restrained, having a tendency to cynicism and pessimism, control of satisfaction of their desires, as well as the establishment that self-indulgence is wrong. Containment of their actions by representatives of society with a level of "Indulgence" dimension is explained by social norms.

The second principle of determining cultural characteristics is the criterion of dividing cultures into two types: culture of guilt and culture of shame. The main role here is played by the function of culture as a regulator of human behavior [Stefanenko (2009)]. Shame presupposes an orientation toward external evaluation of a person by surrounding people (family, friends, colleagues, etc.), and guilt is a self-esteem when the internalized norm within a person is broken and causes him to feel remorse (self-incrimination) [Kon (1979)].

Shame is an emotion accompanied by bodily manifestations (for example, red face, rapid breathing, etc.) arising from the realization of actions that are incompatible with the norms that have been formed under the influence of social attitudes. Shame functions on an unconscious, reflex level. Guilt is a product of consciousness and thinking. Guilt functions on a conscious level.

The sense of guilt is easier to overcome: it is necessary, for example, to repent a sin. To cope with a sense of shame is more difficult.

Shame as a control mechanism prevails in the collectivist culture, where belonging to a group means more than keeping the individuality. A man looks at himself with the eyes of others. A person in a collectivist culture has a habit to correlate his actions with the moral assessments of others, and people are more afraid of expulsion from the "community" than of violence [Stefanenko (2009)].

In an individualistic culture (culture of guilt), in case of non-observance of norms, people feel more responsibility not before the group, but towards themselves [Triandis (1994)].

R. Benedict (1946) contrasted Western cultures of guilt to the Eastern cultures of shame [Benedict (1946), p.224].

According to the scientists, the cultures of the Republic of Korea and Russia are among the cultures of shame. At the same time, the trend of spreading individualistic values at the present stage in the conditions of global globalization does not replace the collectivist orientation of the cultures of the Far East countries, including the Republic of Korea, but has an impact on Russian culture.

The educational model, applied today in Russian universities, implies the formation of individualistic values among students. The collision of such different value orientations causes stress among Korean students during adaptation at the Russian university.

So, among the main problems that Korean students may face as foreign students, the following problems are distinguished: linguistic (difference in language systems), sociocultural (cultural and mental differences, limited contacts with Russian citizens, legal and bureaucratic difficulties, etc.) and didactic (differences of pedagogical systems) [Guruleva (2016)].

It is worthy of note that in a study devoted to the gender peculiarities of coping strategies of Koreans in a foreign environment Diane Sookyoung Lee and Amado M. Padilla (2014), note: "Although women experience some adaptive stress, Korean men have the greatest overall stress of acculturation, indicating the need for psychological support of Korean men in particular "[Lee, Padilla (2014), p. 260].

These reasons determine the methodology and vector of psychological support for Korean students at the stage of cultural adaptation at the Russian university.

This article is devoted to the issue of psychological support for Korean students at the stage of cultural adaptation and examines the problem of acculturation on the example of the Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia on the basis of the Office of Psychological Support for RUDN Foreign Students.

To implement effective psychological support for Korean students at the stage of cultural adaptation at the Russian university, the impact should be multilateral. In this case, activity and initiative of the personality of the student plays an important role [Ivashchenko, Karabushchenko, Pilishvili, Chykvadze (2016)]. Therefore, the psychological support program should be implemented in three areas:

1) psychological education;

2) psychodiagnostics;

3) psychocorrection.

Psychological education implies the work of the teacher with students and includes educational technologies, such as: workshops, educational cases.

Workshop is a practical demonstration of the creative solution of a certain cognitive or problematic task [Guruleva (2016)]. Workshops can be implemented with the participation of teachers or students, depending on the purpose.

Educational cases are creative tasks aimed at solving specific problems. The optimal method for working with Korean students is the method of case studies. The teacher selects a case for students. It is important that the situation is real (social, economic, etc.). Students receive materials for preparation, as well as a list of literature and are individually prepare for the lesson. In the process, the most effective option is to organize mixed subgroups of students, consisting of Korean and Russian students for group discussion and case defend.

In addition, ethnopedagogical competence of the teacher plays an important role: the ability to conduct the educational process in a multicultural educational environment with students from different countries on the basis of knowledge of the national pedagogical traditions of students, the ability to use approaches and methods of instruction, taking into account these traditions, the ability to organize tolerant interaction in groups with international students, guided by a sense of patriotism and respect for representatives of other cultures, empathy and intercultural  sensitivity "[Guruleva (2016), p. 146].

The competence of a psychologist includes such areas of psychological support as psychodiagnostics and psychocorrection.

Psychodiagnostics consists of   psychodiagnostic tools and a cultural assimilator.

The psychodiagnostic tools can be represented by various methods of the questionnaire type. In order to develop adequate coping strategies in the situation of stress accompanying the adaptation period, the following methods can be used at the stage of psychodiagnostics:

• Methods for psychological diagnosis of coping mechanisms (Haim's test);

• Questionnaire on coping methods (Lazarus Copying Test);

• Methods of diagnosing socio-psychological adaptation

K. Rogers and R. Diamond;

• Scale of social support (Multidimensional scale of perception of social support - MSPSS, D. Zimet, adaptation of VM Yaltonsky, NA Sirota);

• The method of complex study of acculturation J. Berry;

• Questionnaire "Style of self-regulation of behavior" (SSRB).

Cultural assimilator, being a method of cognitive orientation, meets the goal of teaching a person to see situations from the point of view of members of a foreign group, to understand their vision of the world [Stefanenko (2009)]. It is achieved by bringing descriptions of situations involving characters from two cultures with four options for interpreting their behavior. Cultural assimilator can be culturally specific and universal. The effectiveness of the universal assimilator is justified by the fact that people who have found themselves in a foreign environment go through similar adaptation stages.

Psychocorrection is realized in a group form (training of intercultural communication) and individual (individual counseling in a multicultural environment).

Training of intercultural communication is aimed at creating an atmosphere of security, cohesion, mastering the skills of intercultural communication and interaction. It is implemented in groups with international members. Foreign students are active participants in the training. The most important objectives of the training are to familiarize the participants with the intercultural differences in interpersonal relations (to perform the situation with the characteristics of a different culture); to create the possibility of transferring the acquired knowledge to new situations [Tatarko, Lebedeva (2002)].

Training of intercultural communication, taking into account the influence of various environmental aspects, can be aimed at developing skills and abilities in a particular area (behavioral, emotional, cognitive), can differ in content (general cultural, cultural-specific training).

Individual psychological coaching for foreign students is aimed at resolving the difficulties they face. In addition, attention is paid to the "client-client" dyad itself as representatives of different cultures. At the same time, the effectiveness of psychological support for Korean students in the Russian reality is achieved due to the fact that the psychologist is a representative of Russian culture.

The implementation of the program of psychological support of Korean students at the stage of cultural adaptation at the Russian university in three directions (psychological education, psycho-diagnostics and psychocorrection) facilitates the integration of students "into the Russian socio-cultural reality, development of their professional socialization in Russian society" [Guruleva (2016), p. 150].

Mostly, the list of difficulties with which Korean students apply for psychological support coincides with the demands of students from other countries, but there are differences.

The language barrier is perhaps one of the acute problems of Korean students, since students from other countries with a low command of the Russian language know the English language well [Lisicyn (2008)]. Therefore, it is easier for them to communicate with teachers and classmates. English is neither the state language nor the official language of South Korea, but its study is considered important for most of the peninsula's population [Shevchuk (2011)]. However, the level of the English language of Korean students sometimes is not good enough for confident interaction with others in the conditions of a Russian university. Korean students come to Russia with an international certificate confirming the required level of Russian language skills required to enter the university. But spoken Russian usually needs practice.

The difference in the cultural code between Russian and Korean cultures sometimes causes difficulties of mutual understanding between representatives of two cultures [Osetrova (2013)]. The cultural code is the unique features of culture that are transmitted from generation to generation [Kononenko (2003); Levi-Strauss (2001)]. These features are not pronounced and clearly not realized, but manifest in the actions of people [Mihajlin (2006); Narochnickaja (2013)]. The hierarchical division of Korean society by age and social status should be taken into account, it is reflected not only in the grammatical constructions of the language, but also determines the communication style and behavior in person-to-person interaction [Chzhon Chzhon Sun (Dojon), Avdeev (2015)].  Taking into consideration collectivist cultural orientation, in Korean society there are clear rules for interaction in the group: whether family, friends or a more extended circle of communication. There are various traditions in Korean society about sharing pastimes between friends, colleagues, superiors and subordinates, teachers and students, etc. The nonverbal side of communication also has a number of features. It concerns the expression of emotions and feelings, the ways of their transmission, the principles of behavior in relationships, etc. [Pilishvili, Koyanongo (2016); Jusupova (2012)]

Here are some examples from the practice of psychological support for Korean students at the Russian university.

Korean students note that at the Russian university, with a high level of teaching, there are difficulties associated with the fact that the teacher in a multicultural environment sometimes uses speech that is understandable to Russian students or even parts of foreign students of non-Eastern origin, but completely incomprehensible to Koreans.

Korean students are less likely to compete with other students and answer the teacher's question on the principle of "who is the first". In the conditions of the Russian university, during the seminar, if a teacher addresses a group of students with a question, Korean students are more likely to expect a call to act addressed to them personally.

For Korean students, the age of the interlocutor is of great importance, even the difference in a few months. Therefore, Korean students may be surprised by the familiarity of groupmates who are several years younger than them.

Being in a student group at the Russian university, Korean students are subject to group rules, even if on a subjective level they have disagreements with the existing ones. At the same time, Korean students observe the norms themselves and ask to do it the  other participants. If the behavior of the members of the group, Russian students or other foreign students, deviates from the norm, that can be the reason for  discomfort of the Korean students in the group.

In the Korean university environment, Korean students can spend their spare time together with teachers: to have dinner, to play together, etc. Under the conditions of a Russian university, Korean students can see the distance between teachers and students.

At the Russian university, as noted by Korean students, it is impossible to solve your question by contacting the teacher directly by phone. It usually requires a face-to-face meeting on a specially appointed day at a certain time or correspondence by mail. The habit of solving tasks in the shortest possible time with a minimum of resource costs faces a time delay and a distance at different levels of communication.

Korean students point out that at the first time in Russia when communicating with Russian students, they may experience fears related to how Russian students express their emotions anger or a strong enthusiasm ("sometimes it is difficult to understand what the interlocutor feels").

Korean students (young men) report that they are very surprised to see for the first time high, in their opinion, emotionality and ability to express their feelings among Russian students (girls), for example, "tears of happiness, recognition or expressing strong emotions."

In Korean universities, teachers are loyal to students who can fall asleep during a lecture: the main rule here is not to interfere with others. In Russian universities, as it is noted by Korean students, teachers regard it as a violation of discipline and can kick out of the door.

In Russia, Korean students face with the fact that in summer they cannot come to a store or cafe in shoes, which a person usually wears at home.

In Russian institutions and universities, Koreans are surprised by the presence of cloakrooms and the compulsory rule - to leave there the outer clothing and the possibility to get a fine for being in an audience or office in outer clothing.

Korean students point out a large amount of free time in Russia (the duration of working leave in the Republic of Korea approximately can be 14-22 days); a lower level of self-discipline and self-organization of Russian students in comparison with Korean students, and also often the lack of a plan for the near and far future.

For example, Korean male students note that they know in advance that they will go through compulsory military service after the university, get education, get a job, buy apartment and a car, know the approximate age at which they get married, the number of children in a future marriage, countries that they want to visit, the approximate date and time of travel, etc. The next day can be clearly planned by the hour, and when making an appointment, Korean students can ask for the exact time of its completion. However, this does not apply to all Korean students and especially to those who live in Russia for a long time, for example, for more than a year. Sometimes Korean students do not follow their own plan, act intuitively and spontaneously. But in general, they point out that they feel calmer if the future is less certain.

Korean students believe that it is possible to influence the course of the situation, regardless of their social status. For example, if the student does not satisfied with a mark, he can contact the teacher in person or text by phone, learn and discuss the arguments of both parties, correct the mark or come to a compromise, clarify the situation. But Korean students note that at the Russian university they may face insufficient information received from the teacher in such a situation, or refusal to answer, explained by the fact that the time to correct the mark has already passed or there is no time to discuss this "insignificant" issue. In this case, Korean students can apply to a higher one: tutor or deputy dean. Korean students indicate a strong stress and discomfort in such cases and a feeling of powerlessness.

Korean students who come to Russian amaze with knowledge in classical Russian literature, music, art, they have the greatest respect for the culture of Russia. They tend to romanticize the modern Russian reality, viewing Russia through the prism of the historical and cultural heritage of our Motherland. However, in fact, representatives of the modern generation in Russia, with an orientation toward Western values that are influenced by negative information impact of the media and the Internet, do not fully correspond to the image of people of the old era. In this connection, Korean students sometimes report a feeling of confusion or disappointment caused by the inconsistency of the formed representation of reality.

In Korean society, it is not accepted to show off their successes and achievements to others, the society maintains equality. Therefore, Korean students feel uncomfortable at the Russian university, if they find themselves in a situation where they need to compete with others. Sometimes they experience tension to openly share with other students their delight and happiness about honestly earned high mark. For Korean students, to praise themselves is bad manners.

Korean students are more likely to refuse to realize their needs, if their needs contradict the attitudes taken by the others.

Thus, distinguished according to the typology of cultural measurements by G. Hofstede, features of the Korean students appear in the following:

• according to "Power distance" dimension, indeed, Korean students demonstrate distance that is usual for the Korean society between the authorities and the inferiors, manifested in expectation of the opportunity to influence the situation regardless of their status, and also in certain cases interact with people of different ages and status in informal setting;

• по параметру «Individualism» корейское общество выступает как типично коллективистское с присущими ему особенностями поведения в отношении себя и окружающих;

• according to “Masculinity” dimension  Koreans are distinguished by the desire to diligently and qualitatively carry out their work, focusing more on the process than on achieving superiority among others; so  a pronounced type of Feminine is confirmed by this dimension;

• according to “Uncertainty avoidance” dimension Korean students demonstrate a high degree of avoidance of uncertainty, the desire for planning, the provision of complete and reliable information, evidence, clarity;

• according to “Long term orientation” dimension Korean students show a high level of aspiration for long-term planning with a focus on the future, taking into account all possible aspects that affect the implementation of the plan;

• according to “Indulgence” Korean students demonstrate a high level of restraint; that is revealed in a modest attitude towards themselves and their achievements, sometimes in feeling constrained in meeting their personal needs, discomfort in the situation of inequality.

When considering Korean society as a society, in which the regulator of human behavior is shame (a culture of shame), it comes through the following:

• The Republic of Korea has a collectivist culture in which shame as a social regulator is of great importance;

• The social norms are shared by almost everyone and must be followed;

• There is an experience of shame due to the realization of the inconsistency of one's own actions and behavior with the norms accepted in society, and not by oneself;

• Presence of signs of experiencing shame (embarrassment, anxiety, a sense of constraint, failure, difficulty in expressing with the words of their emotions immediately when feeling ashamed);

• A sense of shame is formed in childhood through parental attitudes (in the Korean society it is usual to shame children for deviating from the accepted norm of behavior);

• High responsibility for the promise given (whether it is dury to the state or a promise to a friend to go to a cafe);

• Anxiety for reputation;

• Fear of being rejected, expelled from the community;

• Fear of being oneself because of the fear of being rejected or convicted (a sense of shame or feeling of lack of the right to satisfy one's personal needs, if the needs may not correspond to the norms accepted in "one's own" community);

• A sense of shame for the country, people, society, if illegal things are happening in it;

• Behavior is prescribed by the community; a person is ashamed to act differently than is customary; a man looks at himself through the eyes of the others;

• While the others have not learned about the misdeed, a person can feel relatively calm.

Lack of knowledge about cultural differences leads to an error in perception, which causes misunderstanding among people. There is a risk of conflict, uncertainty, frustration of needs. This acculturation stress prevents successful adaptation [Lee, Padilla (2014)].

It is assumed that solving the problem of psychological education, using cases as educational technologies, contributes to the development of the intercultural communication competence, strengthening confident interaction in the Russian language, the formation of professionally significant personal qualities. The work in the form of the workshop in groups with international members, carried out by teachers, promotes the development of skills necessary for students in the future profession. At the same time, Russian students can also hold workshops for Korean students. The purpose of such workshops is experience exchange, raising the educational and professional level. Ethno-pedagogical competence of a teacher also plays an important role in supporting Korean students at the stage of cultural adaptation at the Russian university. Ability to organize tolerant interaction in groups with international members, consideration of cultural traditions, respect, empathy and intercultural sensitivity are the key to successful adaptation, development of professional qualities and self-fulfillment of foreign students.

It is believed that psychodiagnostics allows to identify difficulties and determine the direction of psychological correction at the individual and group level of psychological support for Korean students who are at the stage of cultural adaptation at the Russian university. The information received at the stage of psychodiagnostics gives an opportunity to develop the most adequate program of psychological support. The psychodiagnostic techniques presented in this article are aimed at revealing ways to overcome a stressful situation by a person, taking into account culturological features and stages of adaptation in a foreign environment.

The cultural assimilator is a successful tool for forming ways to interpret the behavior of representatives of foreign cultures, communicate information about cultural features, and facilitate interpersonal communication in a foreign culture environment and solving problems which a person can face.

It is expected that psychocorrection facilitates the process of adaptation and the resolution of related with it problems. Training of intercultural communication is a universal group method of work on the psychological support of foreign students, facilitating the process of adaptation and mastering the relevant communicative skills. Intercultural communication training facilitates the integration of Korean students into the higher education system, the effectiveness of learning activities, successful social interaction in the host environment, which is fundamental in the process of adaptation of students studying abroad [Suhova (2013)].Training of intercultural communication helps to raise the level of knowledge about ethnic peculiarities of traditions and value orientations, norms and rules of a culture; teaches practical skills and skills of intercultural communication; gives the necessary range of effective strategies for coping with stress and overcoming its consequences; facilitates the adaptation process; promotes the development of ecology in relations with people in different aspects of life [Pilishvili, Magomedova (2017)].

However, if the training allows working in groups, then individual psychological coaching supposes psychological support individually. At Peoples' Friendship University , individual coaching is carried out on the basis of the Psychological Assistance Office in full-time format, and also on the hotline. The work is conducted by specialists in the psychological field. Anonymity and confidentiality are ensured. The number of meetings with one client varies depending on the request. Assistance is provided free of charge.

The effectiveness of individual coaching lies in the fact that attention is paid to the "client-client" dyad itself as representatives of different cultures. Thus, the psychological support program helps Korean students to solve the main problems they face with in the process of adaptation in the conditions of the Russian university: linguistic, sociocultural, didactic.

However, within the framework of psychological support it is impossible to solve legal or bureaucratic difficulties. But at the level of psychocorrection it is possible to provide reflection. Also, psychological support in this case is to familiarize Korean students with possible difficulties, warning about their availability. It prepares trainees for different life situations in a new culture, helps them independently and correctly resolve them.

At the present stage, one of the strategic directions of Russia's development is to strengthen competitiveness and increase the efficiency of the educational system, and to increase the prestige of the national education at the international level.

To ensure the prestige it is necessary to solve the problem of psychological support of foreign students at the stage of cultural adaptation in the conditions of a Russian university.

The main difficulties faced by Korean students who are at the stage of cultural adaptation at the Russian university (on the example of Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia) are the following:

• language ( the Russian language, especially spoken language, needs  practicing, although English is part of the compulsory educational program in the Republic of Korea, but sometimes  Korean students in Russia do not have enough level for free communication);

• distance in official relations (in Russia there is a long distance between teachers and students, in Russia  there is no  tradition of informal communication between students and teachers in their free time apart from study time in the form of joint participation in meals, games and other events, as  it is customary in the Republic of Korea);

•  difficulty of reading non-verbal emotions in interpersonal relationships (for example, during their first stay in Russia, Korean students note that when communicating with Russian students, they may experience fears related to how Russian students express their emotions of anger or strong enthusiasm ("Sometimes it's hard to understand what the interlocutor feels"), Korean students (young men) report that they are very surprised to meet for the first time the high emotionality of Russian students (girls) and the ability to express their feelings, for example: "tears of happiness, recognition or  showing strong feelings";

• cultural (due to the clash of two cultures: the traditional collectivist culture of Korean society, where the regulator of social behavior is shame, there is dependence on the opinion of the environment, and the culture of Russian society, where at the present stage of development in the context of globalization the collectivist type of culture is replaced by an individualistic one, a sense of guilt (an internal regulator of behavior), independence from someone else's opinion;

• psychological (for example, Korean students admire and demonstrate a high level of knowledge in classical Russian literature, music, art and etc.) They tend to romanticize the contemporary Russian reality, viewing Russia through the prism of the historical and cultural heritage of our country. However, the modern generation in Russia has an orientation on Western values and patterns of behavior, is influenced by negative information impact of the media and the Internet, and does not correspond to the image of people of the old era. In this connection, Korean students sometimes say about feeling of confusion or frustration caused by the inconsistency of the formed representation of reality.

To implement effective psychological support for Korean students at the stage of cultural adaptation at the Russian university, it is assumed that the impact should be multilateral. The initiative and activity of the personality is important. Therefore, the psychological support program should be implemented in three areas:

1) psychological education  consisting in workshops and educational cases  and supposing ethno-educational competence of a teacher;

2) psychodiagnostics, which includes a range of techniques in order to develop adequate coping strategies in a stress situation accompanying the adaptation period, and a cultural assimilator;

3) psychocorrection, consisting of training of intercultural communication and individual psychological coaching in a multicultural environment.

To sum up, psychological support of Korean students at the stage of cultural adaptation at the Russian university is an integral criterion for the successful passage of adaptation in a foreign environment.

It is shown that psychological support can improve the psychological health of the individual, ensure a safe psychological climate in the group. It contributes to the successful adaptation, ensuring subjective well-being, enhancing academic achievement and successful professional self-realization of an individual.

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1. RUDN University, 117198, Russian Federation, Moscow, Miklukho-Maklaya Street. Master of psychology (program of the department of psychology and pedagogics). Contact e-mail: roza.vetrovaa@gmail.com