Significance of combinatorial rules in the theory and methodology of foreign language education in the context of digitalization

The article formulates combinatorial rules, conceptualized as a cybernetic tool (a management instrument) that supports the motivational, functional, and substantive organization of foreign language education, ensuring its overall suitability in the context of digital transformation. It highlights the benefits of employing combinatorial rules from a digitization perspective and emphasizes their significance in implementing the hierarchical system of principles underlying foreign language education. Fundamentally, it outlines a pathway for the essential and timely alignment of foreign language education objectives with the methods for achieving them. The author argues that addressing a key national priority in foreign language education—its digitization—requires a more thorough and nuanced examination of the theory and methodology of foreign language education. The article notes that the current digital formalism and limitations of methodologies in digital environments stem from insufficient reliance on mathematical principles. The author contends that the theory and methodology of foreign language education, as an independent discipline with its own theoretical foundation, can apply mathematical principles in the field of methodological cybernetics through combinatorial rules. These proposed rules enable the generation and structuring of configurations of methodological factors, ensuring adaptability to educational goals and learners’ individual characteristics. Consequently, this approach unlocks the scientific and innovative potential of managing process while enhancing the effectiveness of the educational process. The article further emphasizes that the existing concept of combinatorial linguodidactics, while valuable for analyzing linguistic structures, does not fully address the range of methodological challenges associated with managing the educational process. The application of combinatorial principles offers the potential to reduce entropy and foster the continued development of methodology as an autonomous academic discipline.