Memes in teaching Ukrainian as a foreign language

Abstract

Learning any language involves acquainting oneself with the culture, traditions, and history of the country whose language is being studied. In other words, language learning entails an understanding of its historical and cultural aspects to comprehend its function within a society. The use of internet memes in teaching Ukrainian as a foreign language proves to be highly effective, especially in the context of digitalization of education and a technological approach to its organization. The combination of entertaining and educational content makes memes a powerful educational tool. The article justifies the relevance of using memes in foreign language instruction, specifically focusing on the experience of incorporating internet memes into the teaching of Ukrainian as a foreign language for university students. The provided examples of tasks demonstrate the ability of memes to visualize educational material and promote critical thinking while fostering linguistic, communicative, and sociocultural competence among students studying Ukrainian as a foreign language. These tasks primarily rely on understanding the semiotic nature of memes in constructing meaning and the importance of the message they convey. Emphasis is placed on the historical and cultural information presented in memes and its connection to contemporary events in Ukraine.