NATIONAL AND CULTURAL COMPONENT OF THE MANUALOF THE UKRAINIAN LANGUAGE FOR BEGINNERS

The article examines the place of the national-cultural component in the content and structure of the textbook “Ukrainian for Beginners” by Zenovii Terlak and Oleksandra Serbenska. In the first years of Ukraine’s restoration of independence, Ukrainian philologists considered it their patriotic duty to teach the Ukrainian language to Russian-speaking citizens of Ukraine. In such circumstances, writing a Ukrainian language textbook for Russian speakers was the need of the hour. The reasons that prompted non-native speakers to learn Ukrainian could be varied. It was not only an interest in the language, which is necessary for a person to perform his or her official duties, but also the awakening of deeply hidden Ukrainian genes. In addition to revealing the basics of Ukrainian phonetics and grammar and creating a system of exercises to consolidate the material, Lviv linguists attached special importance to textual material, which they filled with deep Ukrainian studies content. Through reading original literary texts by Ukrainian writers, studying Ukrainian folk songs, proverbs, sayings, stable folk comparisons, and phraseology, students were given the opportunity to learn about the culture of the Ukrainian people and join their rich spiritual world. From the very first pages, the authors of the textbook tell about the beauty, melody, flexibility, and richness of the Ukrainian language as one of the most melodious languages in the world. The textbook includes brief biographical information about many Ukrainian writers and presents one or more of their most famous works. An integral part of the guide is Ukrainian speech etiquette, a series of expressions that Ukrainians use to ensure friendly communication. Among them are the traditional, well-established phrases of greeting, farewell, apology, etc. The tasks related to the processes of Ukrainian word formation are also important in terms of the national component. For more than 30 years of history, the manual has undergone several reprints and additions, but its national and cultural potential has remained unchanged, which testifies to the greatness of Ukrainian culture, the inviolability of the spiritual treasures of the Ukrainian people and its national shrines. Key words: Ukrainian language, national-cultural component, beginner’s textbook, country studies potential.