SUMMARY
Introduction. The article presents the results of empirical study of the psychosemantic meaning of the concept of «teacher» in the linguistic consciousness of student youth.The purpose. The purpose of the study is to examine and compare the psychosemantic meaning of the concept of «teacher» in the linguistic consciousness of future educators of preschool institutions and primary school teachers.Methods. The research is conducted with methods of free associative test and semantic differential. The first – year students of bachelor's educational level in Pedagogics participate in this research.The results. The results obtained indicate that in the linguistic consciousness of students of pedagogical specialties associations to the concept-stimulus «teacher» have a psychosemantic meaning, characterized by emotional and intellectual aspects. The associative field of the concept of «teacher» in the linguistic consciousness of students majoring in «Preschool Education» and «Primary Education» has some differences. The data of semantic interpretation of the associations obtained and then divided into thematic categories (empathic, intellectual, activity, expressive, creative, volitional), reveal that the psychosemantic meaning of the term «teacher» in the linguistic consciousness of future primary school teachers compared to the preschool education teachers has a stronger intellectual coloration. The analysis of the center and the near periphery of associative field of future primary school teachers indicates that they tend to perceive the teacher as a person who primarily concerns on teaching children, knows how to organize the learning process, and act creatively. She/he is also perceived as smart and educated. However, students majoring in «Preschool Education» put a psychosemantic meaning into the concept of «teacher», which indicates indirectly their emotional perception of the teaching profession. According to the analysis of the center and the near periphery of associative reactions, future educators of preschool teaching perceive the teacher as a person who try to understand the inner world of children, and their upbringing.