The article is devoted to the problems of social adaptation of Ukrainian refugees in Germany, which have theoretical and practical significance in the context of large-scale Russian aggression against Ukraine. The co-authors aim to determine to what extent the successful mastery of the German language contributes to the settlement of our compatriots, to discuss the difficulties and problems that arise. Social adaptation is defined as the process and result of active adaptation of an individual or social group to the requirements and expectations of the participants of a new social community. The important role of free integration courses, which allow to form business and conversational language skills for full-fledged social and labor interactions, is emphasized separately. Cognitive activity of the individual was chosen as the subject of empirical research, and its methods included observation (with the participation of the co-author of the article) and a questionnaire survey among a group of cadets from the city of Falkenze. During the analysis of the collected information, high indicators of group activity and conscientiousness of the respondents were determined, which indicates good motivation and interest in learning. Also, almost all respondents received high points on the scale of adaptability, since they already have permanent (rented or provided for free) housing, can arrange their lives and look to the future more confidently. At the same time, an obstacle to successful social adaptation is the absence of work for the absolute majority of respondents. At the same time, conditionally high knowledge of the language was recorded only in a quarter, and unsatisfactory - in almost a third of the cadets, because before the forced migration, only 2 out of 16 group members knew German at least somehow. This has a rather ambiguous effect on the degree of inclusion in the German-speaking environment. On the one hand, Ukrainians confidently communicate in the simplest social situations and navigate in space, but on the other hand, they rarely come into contact with German speakers and cannot yet participate in the symbolic consumption of cultural heritage. The co-authors conclude that involvement in the language space allows our fellow citizens to mitigate the consequences of «culture shock», increase stress resistance, and better understand how the society in which they find themselves is organized. It is also noted that against the background of the protracted war, it is important to prevent the social isolation of Ukrainians in Germany. For this purpose, it is advisable to supplement the educational programs of integration courses with historical and cultural components. Key words: social adaptation, Ukrainian refugees, integration courses, German language, cognitive activity.
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