Problems in studying ne (English not) and ni (English neither) in the Russian language school course

Studying the distinctive features of ne (English not) and ni (English neither) is determined by the widespread levelling of their semantic differences and interchangeability in the Russian-language speech environment. Firstly, this trend makes phraseological units and idioms containing ni (which are an essential component of Russian national culture) leave the sphere of wide use. Secondly, errors in the ne and ni usage in spoken and written language are becoming common as evidenced by the State Final Examination (GIA) results. This study aims to substantiate the importance of distinguishing between the prefixes and particles ne and ni in the Russian language course taken in secondary school and to systematise work on developing spelling literacy. The school curriculum places emphasis on spelling rules for choosing ne/ni and on the concatenated/spaced spelling of individual grammatical forms. Theoretical analysis and a practical experiment enabled the prefixes ne and ni to be characterised as significant components of negative and indefinite pronouns and pronominal adverbs. The negative particle ne and the emphatic particle ni have a considerable potential to combine with virtually all notional parts of speech, including pronouns (except for the above-mentioned classes). Systematic and consistent studying of ne and ni taking into account their grammatical homonymy results in an increased percentage of correct answers to the questions in the Basic State and Unified State exams in Russian, which was confirmed by the methodological experiment. The article proposes an algorithm for gaining mastery of ne and ni when preparing for the above exams, as well as a set of exercises to acquire the skill of qualifying and spelling them. Native speakers’ conscious attitude towards the ne and ni use not only enhances their spelling literacy, but also promotes the development of linguistic feeling and interest in studying one’s native culture.

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