Abstract:

The article describes the opportunities of using data on language typology for improvement of foreign students’ training of Russian language on elementary and basic levels. Using the identification of relationship between languages methodology called Jazyki Mira («Languages of the word») (JM) related to World Atlas of Language Structures (WALS) could be useful for making individual training programs based on the common knowledge of student’s native language. These databases consists of chapters based on grammatical features and components of eight main sections: Phonology, Morphology, Noun category, Noun syntax, Verb categories, Word order, Simple sentence, Complex sentence. There are also sections on writing systems. Each section represents lexical typology. Russian language has options available in some languages but absents in other ones: e.g. there are no Uvular Consonants and Prefixes in Norwegian; Hindi has no Reduction of unstressed vowels; Dutch has no grammatical Neuter Gender; there are no grammatical categories of Aspect, Mood and Voice in Greek; using free Word order in a sentence is impossible in Chinese. Using data of language typology it is possible to compare abstract features of the language system across unrelated languages. The method of finding some similar linguistic realities in the student's native language contributes to rapid understanding and memorizing of the training material.
Depending on what phonetic, grammatical and syntactical features of Russian exist in the student's native language you can develop the resource that will help the teacher in creating of certain textbooks and manuals.
The work is performed according to the Russian Government Program of Competitive Growth of Kazan Federal University.

Keywords:

foreign language, linguistic typology, comparative linguistics, organization of education, phonetics, speaking proficiency.