Unified word frequency profile as a tool for vocabulary selection for language learning

Word frequency is widely acknowledged as one of the most important factors in various practical applications, including vocabulary selection for teaching the Russian language. However, when it comes to the process of corpus-based lexicon selection, there exists a number of potential challenges. These challenges include shifts in themes within the vast existing corpora of the Russian language, the utilization of text corpora that may not be relevant to the target age group, and disparities between a word’s frequency in texts for native speakers and its pedagogical value for a foreign-language audience. Consequently, the quest for innovative and adaptable approaches to incorporating word frequency into consideration depending on the specific audience and task at hand remains a pressing issue. The article aims to examine the history of utilizing data on word frequency in language instruction within the context of Russian language teaching, to outline the primary contemporary sources of information on word frequency, and to introduce the concept of a unified word frequency profile. Examining the historical progression of using word frequency data in Russian language teaching reveals two trends: firstly, efforts to acquire more reliable data by expanding corpora, and secondly, the pursuit of novel methods for representing frequency information that integrate data from multiple sources. In this regard, the article presents the concept of a unified word frequency profile that consolidates information on a word’s frequency across various dictionaries and corpora, along with its difficulty level. Such a tool empowers users - be it Russian language teachers or researchers - to access corpus data that is most relevant to their specific tasks and requirements.