The concept of "siberian winter" in the perception of Russian language learners in higher education institutions of the Siberian region

This study is devoted to the study of the concept of Siberian winter in the linguacultural reception of foreign students studying Russian in Siberia. The purpose of the study is to identify the possibilities of the cognizable linguaculture and authentic language environment, along with the empirical experience of direct involvement in a foreign cultural reality, to promote the transformation of ethnocultural stereotypes in the consciousness of a secondary linguistic personality. One of these stereotypes is the traditional stereotype of the Siberian winter as generally uncomfortable - severe, long, cold and snowy. The main method of the study was an associative experiment. In the work, when processing the results, the method of modeling and scientific description was also used. To collect empirical material, the observation method, associative experiment and survey method were used. According to the results of the associative experiment, all recipients called the winter cold or frosty. The core part contains associations beautiful, long, snowy, white, severe, windy, slippery. The following verbal associates are noteworthy: mysterious, strange, amazing, wonderful experience of the power of nature, strong, which detail the semantics and expand the axiological image of winter. Secondary linguaculture and environment influence the transformation of this stereotype depending on the time spent in a foreign country, as well as the personality type. Dividing the participants in the experiment into two groups depending on whether they were familiar with the winter climate or not did not yield significant results. About half of the participants have a negative attitude towards winter, the other half are positive or neutral. None of the foreigners like the cold long winter. But for those who have not seen snow before, this natural phenomenon arouses interest and admiration. As a result, the nuances of the stereotype, its semantic deepening, as well as the similarity of ideas about the advantages and disadvantages of winter with the perception of the inhabitants of Siberia, in particular, the authors of this article, become noticeable. Thus, the hypothesis of this study about the formation in the public consciousness of foreigners of a persistent flat stereotype about the exclusively uncomfortable Russian and Siberian winter was not confirmed. As a result, it was shown that the flat onedimensional stereotype is transformed into a full-fledged concept of the perceived culture, the verbal associates associated with the Siberian winter are practically no different from the ideas of the Siberians themselves, on the contrary, they are approaching them, there is a gradual enrichment, detailing of the semantics and axiology of the image of winter.