The article describes the possibilities of using the entries of associative dictionaries as a teaching material in Russian as a foreign language. The data which is presented in the article can also be useful when working with other languages. The article allows to get acquainted with the associative norm of the Russian language and its purposeful consolidation in the minds of students in order to form images of the language that reflect the national Russian culture. Linguistic and non-linguistic consciousness is formed as a result of mastering everyday culture in the process of socialization and the process of acquiring national culture. However, a student of Russian as a foreign language is limited in this, since their learning process takes place mainly at the lexical level, so the selection of authentic material for classes is of critical importance for the successful integration of the student into the culture of the Russian ethnic group.