Informal foreign language education: mastering the pidgin «Bauxite language»

Abstract

Mastering the pidgin «bauxite language» is characterized as the practice of informal education, used by Russian specialists as the primary means of communication with the population of French-speaking African countries, before mastering the normative French language. The Bauxite language is considered as a contact language, a minimalistic and pragmatic version of French for Russian and African participants in communication, a linguistic and cultural phenomenon of francophone Central Africa, as a means of communication mastered independently, in direct intercultural interaction. The study of pidgin for the purpose of international professional cooperation and its use in everyday life as a means of communication between Russian-speaking expats and the francophone indigenous population of Africa confirms the practice-oriented nature of informal education. The characteristic features of the pidgin are analyzed, the vocabulary of the «bauxite language» is studied, and the features of the formation of lexical skills in the process of information education are revealed. According to the results of the study, the conclusion is made about the uniqueness, effectiveness, and timeless popularity of the «bauxite language» as a means of ensuring interethnic communication in professional, socio-cultural, and everyday spheres of life.