Studying the numerical code of Russian linguoculture in the practice of teaching Russian as a foreign language

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to actualize the numerical code of culture in the process of improving the linguocultural competence of advanced-level learners of Russian as a foreign language – TORFL-2, TORFL-3. The article examines such fundamental concepts of linguoculturology as “cultural code” and “linguocultural code” in connection with their linguodidactic potential. Particular attention is paid to organizing instruction in the numerical code of Russian culture, which, being fundamental, enters as a constitutive component into linguocultural competence. In doing so, the motivational, cognitive, activitybased, and reflective components of instruction are taken into account. Fixed expressions (phraseological units and proverbs) with numeral components, selected through continuous sampling from lexical minimums of the corresponding levels, served as the teaching material. We demonstrate the effectiveness of the following sequence for presenting fixed expressions: from perception (phonetics, listening) to the analysis of lexical-grammatical forms and further on to speech-oriented tasks – production of oral and written texts. A system of exercises and tasks is proposed that, on the one hand, develops international students’ skills and abilities in the area of normative pronunciation of sounds, sound combinations, and intonational patterns of sentences, selection of lexical units in accordance with meaning and communication situation, and identification of grammatical features of fixed expressions; on the other hand, allows students to gain speech experience based on monologic and dialogic texts.