SPECIFIC FEATURES OF STUDYING CROSS-CULTURAL TEXTS IN CLASSES OF UKRAINIAN AS A FOREIGN LANGUAGE

Abstract

The urgency of the problem is to study the Ukrainian language in a foreign language environment based on cross-cultural texts that help students adapt to the country of residence and be acquainted with its realities. The objective of the study is to emphasize the need for selecting texts and didactic materials with consideration of feasibility and practical application of a particular information and the development of communicative competence; to prove the expediency of diversification of tasks and examples as one of the best ways of explaining foreign communicators this or that phenomenon, depending on a situation; to share the experience of teaching the Ukrainian language among non-communicators. A detailed analysis of current research and publications is conducted. The focus is on communicative, personal-oriented, cultural, and level methods, on the importance of visualization, pre-text and post-text exercises, various questions, descriptive interpretation of rarely used vocabulary, extended vocabulary, etc. Research methods used: descriptive, comparative, empirical approaches. The main task in the process of learning a foreign language is highlighted, namely an understanding the concept in context: there are certain meanings in a foreign language for which there are no literal equivalents in the native language, for example, phraseological units. Formulation of post-text questions, paraphrasing the text parts, additional interpretation, comparative analysis – this is an opportunity to encourage students to talk, activate critical thinking, and help them understand Ukraine, Ukrainian realities and Ukrainians. However, the texts should be updated in accordance with the communicative situation, emphasizing the phrases necessary in everyday life. The teacher’s task is to develop students as well-educated personalities, so it is advisable to ask a variety of questions during the discussion, which help not only assess students and find out how well they understand the material, but also promote the development of speech. Thus, the teacher's challenge is to choose carefully the content of texts in order to adapt the foreign students to the language environment, which would promote Ukraine in the world, contribute to the formation of linguistic knowledge about Ukraine.