ABSTRACT
This work is devoted to interactive methods of using the Russian social network VKontakte in the study of the first foreign language by students of technical universities of agro-industrial faculties. Currently, training is closely connected with modern Internet technologies and social networks. Social network is one of the forms of distance learning. In our article, we described an experiment conducted with the first-year full-time students of the Don State Technical University studying their first foreign language. The goal of our research was the identification and description of the most influencing forms and methods for the motivation of students in teaching the first foreign language. In the presented research work, we used the empirical method and the method of pedagogical research. We have explored a variety of social networks that are most often used by students, namely: Instagram, Odnoklassniki, Twitter, YouTube. We conducted an experiment and made an analysis of the obtained data. The material for our analysis was the social network VKontakte. We have created an open training group, in which students of the agro-industrial faculty of full-time education studying the first foreign language were signed. As a result of the inquest, we have identified the most relevant social network among first-year students. It has been established that Internet sources influence the interest and motivation of students in learning the first foreign language. © 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.