Cultural aspects in teaching Chinese as a foreign language

The paper discusses the problems of intercultural learning when teaching Russian students Chinese as a foreign language. The relationship between language and culture is revealed, and the terms ‘intercultural dialogue’, ‘cultural barrier’, and ‘national mentality’ are considered. The concepts of culture, communication, and intercultural communication are defined as well. The author emphasizes the importance of studying the culture of the Chinese people while teaching Chinese as a foreign language. The research illustrates the influence of culture on human reaction in case of external objective irritation. The study shows the differences in semantic associations of color and taste perception by the bearers of Chinese and Russian cultures. The paper reveals the causes of differences in color perception and the use of basic colors in different cultures. The author concludes that cultural and intercultural aspects play an important role in learning a foreign language. At the same time, the intercultural approach becomes a basic teaching approach.