Formation of intercultural competence of university students through the analysis of food-related proverbs in English and Russian linguocultures

Abstract

The article examines the linguodidactic potential of the paremiological corpus with gastronomic semantics in the formation of intercultural competence of university students based on English and Russian linguocultures. Intercultural competence is interpreted as an integrative ability that includes cognitive, affective, and behavioral components, while food-related proverbs are conceptualized as a compact carrier of axiological attitudes, historically entrenched norms of behavior, and models of experience categorization. It is shown that the gluttonic worldview functions as a stable semiotic system: the vital need for food is transformed into a cultural code that makes it possible to reconstruct specific features of worldview and to reduce the risk of communicative failures in intercultural interaction. The theoretical comparison of paremias is carried out on the basis of a continuous sampling from lexicographic sources and a set of methods including comparative, componential, linguocultural, hermeneutic, and conceptual analysis; the concepts Food, Bread, Hunger, and Hospitality are reconstructed, and their core and peripheral zones are identified. Both universal semantic invariants (norms of moderation, condemnation of excess, evaluation of labor and prosperity) and nationally specific differences in the value status of food are established: in the Russian tradition, the sacralization of food is evident, primarily the image of bread, associated with experiences of scarcity and risky agriculture, whereas in English paremiology a pragmatic interpretation of bread as a means of subsistence and a component of socio-economic stability predominates. The analysis of hospitality themes, the metaphorization of food products for characterizing personality, and gender-marked stereotypes demonstrates the necessity of abandoning literal translation in favor of functional equivalents and cultural commentary. The proposed approach makes it possible to shift the acquisition of lexical and grammatical material toward a conceptual understanding of language as a cultural code and to develop critical thinking, empathy, tolerance, and interpretative skills that are significant for professional communication in a multicultural environment.