Shaping the Image of Germany Based on German and Russian Textbooks (Level A1)

Knowledge of a foreign language in the modern world is not only an advantage, but also a necessity, since at present there is a constant dialogue of different cultures. Therefore, in addition to proficiency in a foreign language, it is also worth knowing the peculiarities of the culture of the language being studied, its traditions and values. It is obvious that most people start learning a foreign language at school and the textbook is the first material that affects the shaping of language learners’ ideas and images about the culture of the chosen language. In this case, it is important whether the textbook immerses in the culture of the language being studied or is simply aimed at mastering the rules of this language. This factor determines the relevance of this study. The aim of the study is to define what images of German culture is formed by Russian and German textbooks, as well as to compare these images. The paper examines intercultural communication and its role in the process of learning foreign languages, also analyzes the textbook as an aspect of intercultural communication, describes the national character, traditions, values of German culture, as well as stereotypes about German culture. Further, the criteria for the analysis of Russian (Mosaik II, Spektrum II) and German textbooks (Der Grüne Max and Planetino 1) are developed, the content and visual side of the textbooks are analyzed, and the images of German culture formed by the textbooks are compared. The results of the research are a detailed description of the national character, traditions, values and common stereotypes about German culture; the development of criteria for the analysis of textbooks, the description and comparison of images about German culture that Russian and German textbooks form. Key words: intercultural communication, foreign language, textbook, German culture, national character, traditions, values, stereotypes.