THE GEOGRAPHICAL COMPONENT OF THE CONCEPT “RUSSIA” IN FOREIGN TEXTBOOKS OF RUSSIAN AS A FOREIGN LANGUAGE

The article presents the results of a study aimed at finding out how accurate and adequate the image of Russia is in terms of the geographical component in the foreign textbooks of Russian as a foreign language. The research material includes foreign textbooks selected on the basis of a survey among practicing teachers of Russian as a foreign language and published in the United States and Europe (Poland, Greece). The following research methods were used: complex theoretical analysis of scientific literature, socio-pedagogical, observational and diagnostic methods. The present study is based on the frame analysis. The structure of the concept is con-sidered on the basis of subframe “regions and settlements”, “water objects”, “islands/peninsula”, “mountains”, “natural phenomena”, “flora and fauna”, and “peoples”. Linguo-cultural units (toponyms, phraseological units, etc.), which form the geographical component of the concept “Russia” in the chosen textbooks, were identified and structured in the course of the research. It has been found that the geographical component of the concept “Russia” is represented in foreign textbooks in different ways. Some of them contain overly detailed information on the geography of Russia, others provide minimal information, and yet others contain no geographical information at all. The linguo-cultural units vary from too many to single units. Through them, students receive ethnic and cultural information which helps to form the linguocultural competence of foreign language speaking stu-dents. The set of specific units forms the image of Russia as a geographical object and reinforces or, conversely, reduces certain stereotypes about the country under study. The results of this study may be useful for authors and reviewers of textbooks of Russian as a foreign language, as well as for teachers working with foreign students learning Russian as a foreign language. © 2022 Strelchuk, E. N., Bezrukova, K. S.