THE EDUCATIONAL POTENTIAL OF THE NATIVE WORD: A KHAMNIGAN LANGUAGE DICTIONARY FOR STUDENTS
Authors:   Institute of Education Development of the Trans-Baikal Territory, Greshilova I. A. , Dugarzhapova E. D. ,   Institute of Education Development of the Trans-Baikal Territory
Published: November 2023

Introduction. The article addresses the issue that the disappearance of any language means an irreparable loss since language is an instrument of socialization, expression, and transmission of social and cultural traditions; it serves as a means of self-identification and is of great value to the people who speak it. The native language is a means of fostering love and interest in their people; it allows to solve the tasks of moral, patriotic, and aesthetic education, among which the main is the development of students’ love and interest in their native culture, traditions, and customs, and thus fostering a sense of respect for their people. In this regard, the fact that the authors of the article present an audio dictionary of the Khamnigan language makes this study unique. This dictionary, which has no analogues at present, is also provided with methodological recommendations that can be used by teachers when teaching the Khamnigan language. Their detailed analysis is given in the article. The purpose of the article is to present a study conducted in the process of developing a thematic audio dictionary on the Khamnigan language for schoolchildren, prepared as part of the implementation of the State Program of the Russian Federation “Implementation of the State National Policy”, the subprogram “Strengthening the unity of the Russian nation and ethnocultural development of peoples in the Trans-Baikal Territory”. Materials and methods. In the course of the study, we used such methods as observation, interviewing native speakers, and analyzing the possibilities of structured language material by blocks, including prepared audio recordings, in order to use them in the practice of studying the native language in the public school. The dictionary was compiled by residents of villages such as Tarbaldzhey, Guney, and Tokchino, native speakers of the Khamnigan language, who were interviewed by native language teachers at local schools. The dictionary was created based on the dialect spoken by residents of Aginsky, Duldurginsky, and Kyrinsky districts of the Trans-Baikal Territory. Results. As a result of the analysis and research of the identified need to preserve the Khamnigan language, the following results were obtained: - a Khamnigan dictionary for schoolchildren was prepared, including four interrelated and interdependent socially significant blocks: “Society”, “Culture”, “Life”, “Environment” in Russian and Khamnigan based on the “Cyrillic alphabet” as a means of visual support; - the methodological rationale for using this dictionary is presented, the main most important elements that ensure and condition the effectiveness of teaching the native language are determined, where one of the first places is given to the teaching tools that contribute to the comprehension of the basics of the culture of its speakers; - an audio dictionary is structured and recorded, providing a unique opportunity to hear the sounding word, given that the amount of time and teaching tools used in language teaching practices is often insufficient. Discussion and Conclusion. The perception of the surrounding world and values are transmitted to the younger generation through the language, which serves not only as a means of communication but also reflects the spiritual and cultural experience of the people. Preparing a dictionary for schoolchildren in order to preserve and develop the Khamnigan language and Khamnigan culture is very important. The analysis of theoretical positions regarding the use of dictionary materials and prepared methodological rationale allows us to conclude that in the process of mastering the native language, the formation of the individual’s moral qualities takes place.