MODEL OF PHONO-LEXICAL ACCUMULATION BY MEANS OF DIFFERENTIATED SUBSTITUTION IN BILINGUAL RUSSIAN AS A FOREIGN LANGUAGE (RFL) INSTRUCTION

Abstract

This article presents the Phono-Lexical Accumulation through Differentiated Substitution (PLADS) model, designed for bilingual instruction in Russian as a foreign language (RFL) for primary school learners whose native language is Armenian. The model conceptualizes substitution not as a learning error but as a temporary, pedagogically managed strategy facilitating the acquisition of complex Russian phonemes and graphemes. PLADS comprises four progressive blocks: identification of “trigger” phonemes/graphemes, formation of a substitution core and vocabulary accumulation, phonemic differentiation and substitution breakdown, and final integration of new elements into free speech and writing. The model draws upon psycholinguistic factors, the theory of implicit learning, the activity-based approach, and contrastive linguistic analysis. Interference is reinterpreted not as an obstacle but as a developmental mechanism, which can be harnessed to structure and internalize phonetic and lexical units effectively. This model can be implemented in RFL programs for Armenian-speaking bilingual children and adapted to other language combinations.