Creative Potential of Memes in Foreign Language Training

Abstract

Internet-memes, new unique cultural units, have been attracting scientists’ attention for a long time. The memes are of interest for linguists, culture researchers, and sociologists. Teachers also recognize massive opportunities that the use of memes offers for foreign language training. The present study proposes the effect of nonverbal component of a traditional (visual) Internet-meme on foreign language training. It is the nonverbal component (image, special form of gradation, visual opposition or other representation) that sets a broad context, which can be creatively used by a teacher. There are some practices that allow using the creation of the new culture for training as well as allowing students to rethink the training process in a creative way on their own.