From the nursery to the desk: Models and modes of foreign language learning in Russia as reflected in literary texts

Abstract

This article examines different models of foreign language learning, both with and without formal instruction, as they are depicted in Russian literature across various historical periods. It explores the underlying ideas about language acquisition and the attitudes towards different foreign languages reflected in these literary representations, and observes how these ideas correlate with changes in language use over time. Four general models of language learning are identified: the “aristocratic” model, which conveys a natural multilingualism and hierarchy of languages; the “school” model, which highlights pedagogical violence and inefficiency; the “bookish” model, representing self-teaching; and the “everyday acquisition” model, which portrays non-prestigious multilingualism. The data for this study were collected and analysed using the Russian National Corpus, with subcorpuses created for different time periods and genres. A focus was placed on searching for collocations of key lexical terms, including various derivatives of the verb ‘uchit’’ (‘to learn’ or ‘to teach’) and the noun ‘uchitel’’ (‘teacher’), alongside the word ‘yazyk’ (‘language’). This approach allows for a comprehensive exploration of the changing perspectives on language learning and multilingualism in Russian cultural and literary contexts.