Experiences with cognitive mechanisms in teaching foreign language

The article describes the experiences of applying cognitive linguistic approach to development of learners foreign language competence. It is suggested that the introduction of new language material should be based on conceptual representations (senses) of language forms rather than on comparability of native and foreign languages. Behind the cognitive approach to teaching foreign language there is a proposition that language is connected with reality or one of the possible realities through interpreting activity of an individual. The author discusses such issues of cognitive science as knowledge representation, information processing, development of language consciousness and individual learning styles in relation to teaching Russian learners a foreign language. The article describes the experiences of using cognitive mechanisms in development of effective tools in teaching a foreign language, in particular such topics as the system of the English article, teaching learners new foreign language vocabulary, usage of polysemantic words. The enhancement of language didactics paradigm with cognitive issues appears to be beneficial not only in learning a foreign language but also in development the learners general discursive competence.