The article is devoted to the formation of functional literacy of future subject teachers studying the Russian language as a non-native. The author, emphasizing the importance of the topic of functional literacy of students, analyzes the content of the term functional literacy and its interpretation by different researchers. The topic of the formation of functional literacy of future subject teachers in this article is considered on the material of the author’s textbook on Russian language intended for students of pedagogical specialties and prepared as a part of a scientific project under the auspices of the Ministry of Science and Education of Kazakhstan. Describing the possibilities of this textbook in the formation of students' functional literacy, the authors give numerous examples of assignments from it that successfully contribute, as shown by teaching practice, the development and improvement of the corresponding skills of students.