The article discusses the advantage of the multimodal principle in the organization of distance learning of the Russian language as a foreign language at A1-A2 levels. The author demonstrates how polycode lesson content is formed by mixing multimodal learning objects that combine various sign codes of a verbal and non-verbal nature. Due to this, the teaching discourse of the lesson becomes a visual, semantic and structural whole, which provides a comprehensive pragmatic impact on students. Specific examples show the effectiveness of the multimodal principle for the development of linguistic and communicative competence of foreign students in all areas of speech activity at the initial stages of learning.
Key words: Russian as a foreign, multimodality, initial level of education.