The article deals with topical issues of teaching Russian as a foreign language in the context of the globalization of society and the need to create a universal type of communication. The high role of the use of the ethno-cultural component in the system of teaching Russian as a foreign language is noted, the unity of language, culture and ethnicity in the process of learning a foreign language is emphasized, the importance of mutual understanding between different cultures in the process of communication. Effective ways of forming a secondary linguistic personality on the basis of educational material of ethno-cultural content and content are proposed.