Structure of students’ intercultural competence

Abstract

One of the main goals of foreign language teaching is the development of students’ intercultural competence. At the same time, researchers have not come to a consensus in determining the methodic content of this term. Often the emphasis is on teaching students intercultural communication in the context of a “dialogue of cultures”, however, the modern multicultural world is also characterized by situations of cultural conflicts and cultural discrimination. The modern educational model does not prepare students for communication in such conditions as “non-dialogue” of cultures. The purpose of the study is to consider the structural content of teaching intercultural competence, characterized by situations of “dialogue” and “non-dialogue” of cultures. The following definition of the concept of “intercultural competence” was proposed: “the ability to effectively interact with representatives of other cultures without losing their cultural identity, as well as to find the best strategies in resolving intercultural conflicts”. Based on the analysis of the structural content of the intercultural competence of students in the works of Russian and foreign researchers, the filling of this competence was proposed. Intercultural competence includes the following three components: knowledge, skills and attitudes. The “knowledge” component includes: a) knowledge about the characteristics and types of cultures, as well as the ways in which they relate to each other; b) knowledge of various models of actions during intercultural interaction. “Skills” include: a) the ability to initiate intercultural interaction and adequately respond to an attempt to initiate contact by another communicator; b) the ability to maintain a dialogue in an atmosphere favorable for both communicants; c) the ability to act as a representative of one’s culture; d) the ability to act as an intermediary between one’s own and another culture; e) the ability to predict intercultural conflicts; f) the ability to find and apply the best strategies in a situation of intercultural conflict; g) the ability to interpret and evaluate the facts or events of one culture from the position of another; h) the ability to critically evaluate different cultures from the position of ethnorelativism. The “attitude” component includes: a) readiness to reject stereotypes and prejudices towards other cultures; b) acceptance of other cultures from the position of ethnorelativism.