Interpretation of modern literary texts: the role of socio-cultural context in teaching Russian as a foreign language

The article examines the socio-cultural potential of the “urban” text as an educational material in the course of learning Russian as a foreign language. We consider the features of socio-cultural principles in teaching Russian as a foreign language. The article presents three traditionally practiced stages of text work, based on a modern “urban” text (the story by E. Bunimovich), giving examples of exercises aimed at developing “urban” text interpretation skills, and improving the knowledge and skills of Russian vocabulary and grammar. Special attention is paid to the use of phraseological units and words, meaning realities that help to learn more about the Russian language and the features of Russian culture.The article concludes that the “urban” text as a widespread and accessible communicative material serves as an illustration of the living Russian language for international students and ensures their contact with the modern cultural and linguistic realities of the Russian linguistic community. The socio-cultural context of such texts directly affects their process of perception and adaptation in the Russian-speaking environment. As “urban” texts are oriented towards various spheres of communication, foreign communicants accumulate the necessary vocabulary for successful communication.