LANGUAGE POLICY IN THE EDUCATIONAL ENVIRONMENT OF THE RUSSIAN-BELARUSIAN BORDERLANDS

Abstract

In the light of modern processes of globalization, the importance and significance of cross-border cooperation between the border regions of Russia and the Republic of Belarus in various fields: economic, political, administrative and, of course, socio-cultural, is quite obvious. Particular attention should be paid to the language policy in the border zone, in particular – to the language processes in the educational environment that form and socialize the personality of a young person, schoolchildren and student. Using the example of the implementation of language policy in a separate region, the Smolensk-Vitebsk borderland (the Smolensk region borders the Vitebsk region of the Republic of Belarus for more than 200 km), it is shown how the study of sociocultural realities in the territories of contacting languages, Russian and Belarusian, can be practically implemented in educational practice, which contributes to the formation of knowledge of the interaction of different national languages, Russian and Belarusian, among students of schools and universities of the borderlands. It has been proved that there are both processes of cultural globalization and self-identification of ethnic communities in the borderlands. It is considered how the correct language policy in the educational environment helps to solve the problem of the growing generation’s awareness of cultural dialogue in the bilingual space, makes it possible to develop national self-identification while simultaneously perceiving the value attitude towards the Russian language. The attention is focused on the role of the process of cooperation in the field of education. It has been proven that the correct implementation of the language policy strengthens the relationship between Russia and the Republic of Belarus, allows expanding contacts in the professional educational and scientific environment. It is assumed that the further introduction of the socio-cultural component into the educational practice of the borderlands will expand the possibilities of dialogue between the native languages – Russian and Belarusian.