CONSIDERING THE NATIVE LANGUAGE OF DIFFERENT LINGUISTIC GROUPS AT THE INITIAL STAGE OF TEACHING UKRAINIAN AS A FOREIGN LANGUAGE: IMPLEMENTATION AND UNIVERSALIZATION OF THE AUTHOR’S METHODOLOGY

Abstract

The article examines the specifics of teaching Ukrainian as a foreign language at the initial stage with regard to the native languages of learners representing different linguistic groups. The study substantiates an authorial methodology based on a functional‑communicative approach, gradual increase in linguistic complexity, and typological adaptation. The relevance of the research stems from the need to ensure effective instruction in multilingual groups where students demonstrate diverse linguistic backgrounds and various types of cross‑linguistic interference. The aim of the study is to define the principles of implementing the methodology and to identify the potential for its universalization. The research methods include analysis of teaching materials, comparison of typical learner errors, observation of the learning process, and examination of the results of the textbook Rozmovliaiemo ukrainskoiu implementation. The findings show that grammar at levels A1–A2 should be introduced through communicative patterns, while vocabulary must be selected according to functional needs. It is demonstrated that control texts constructed strictly within the limits of previously learned material enable learners to produce coherent discourse without theoretical overload. The study reveals that English‑speaking learners require support through syntactic modelling, Arabic‑speaking learners benefit from phonetic and structural scaffolding, whereas Polish‑speaking learners need targeted work to overcome lexical interference and the illusion of mutual intelligibility. Special attention is given to the fact that work with Polish learners creates favourable conditions for the universalization of the methodology due to the possibility of systematic comparison of closely related languages. The study concludes that the proposed methodology constitutes a reproducible and adaptable approach that effectively develops communicative competence and can be successfully applied to learners with different linguistic backgrounds.