Senior teacher Yessimkulova S.S.

Senior teacher Tajiyeva M.K.

Abay Kazakh National Pedagogical University

Development of Cross-cultural and Polylingual Education in Kazakhstan

Globalization and integration of the Republic of Kazakhstan in the international scientific and educational space has led to the expansion of academic contacts, including international students’ exchange, which leads to the need for competent mobile students able to communicate in a foreign language in various areas of communication.

In early 2011, in his message to the nation, the President of Kazakhstan mentioned that for the modern citizen of Kazakhstan the knowledge of three languages is a welfare that must own everyone. The Head of the State told about the urgent need for the knowledge of the English language even in the early 90s. It was at that time when Nursultan Nazarbayev set the task of the state's active integration into the world community.

But it is difficult to realize this task without knowledge of English, as this language is the global language of communication both in the business environment and in everyday life. Finally, 80% of the information on the web sites and many worldwide libraries is written in English. Therefore, the President is right to call the youth of our country to actively master this language.

The modern world is changing rapidly. Globalization, integration of Kazakhstan into the WTO and the post-industrial society are becoming the purpose and logic of the development of civilization: an approach from purely technical skills to the intellectual and information technology quality. Therefore, the question of the organization of a student’s polylingual education becomes important, an individual who is able to actively participate in a multinational and multicultural communication, having a strong sense of understanding and respect for other cultures and ways of living in peace and harmony with people of different nationalities, races and creeds. Polylingulaism with relevant principles of humanism can stimulate humanization in the national educational system. The fundamental priority of the native language and culture in general, that actively adapts the languages of other peoples, is strengthened by its richness and uniqueness, and this is the methodological principle, which is put forward as a conceptual solution of social and philosophical problems of humanization of polylingual educational environment of the modern world.

As a participant of any kind of multicultural contacts, people interact with other cultures, often significantly different from each other. Differences in language, ethnic cuisine, clothing, social norms, and attitudes towards their work often make these contacts difficult and even impossible. But this is only a part of the problem of intercultural contacts. The main reasons for these failures lie far beyond the obvious differences. They are in the differences in attitude that is a different relationship to the world and to other people.

The main obstacle to the successful solution of this problem lies in the fact that we perceive other cultures through the lens of our own culture, so our observations and conclusions are limited by its scope. With great difficulty, we understand the meaning of words, actions that are not typical for us. Our ethnocentrism does prevent us not only from cross-cultural communication, but it is also difficult to recognize it, as it is an unconscious process. Hence there can be made a conclusion that the effective cross-cultural communication cannot occur by itself, it is necessary to learn to do it.

The program of polylingual education creates a new model of education that encourages the development of competitiveness in a globalized generation that owns the language culture. Knowledge of the Kazakh, Russian and English languages will give young people the key to world markets, science and new technologies, and create conditions for the formation of worldviews for constructive cooperation on the basis of exposure to the ethnic Kazakhstani and world cultures. This year, the first steps are made towards the introduction of a new model of education in universities: the new education standards are being formed; special departments are opened at universities where lessons are taught in three languages. It should be noted that the program of polylingual education, implemented in Kazakhstan, is unique and implies parallel and simultaneous training in three languages.

The system of the principles in the system of polylingual education: Kazakh - Russian language – English is as following:

- language learning is carried out in parallel and languages do not overlap, the support is the native language;

- teaching a foreign language is the teaching of verbal thinking, learning new means of expressing ideas and the world of the target language;

- development of polylingual personality consciousness and the algorithm of developing speech, mental, oral, and written communication.

The content of multicultural education is multidimensional and highly interdisciplinary, which allows us to consider the problem of multicultural education in the academic subjects. Undoubtedly teachers use innovative techniques, methods of development of students’ interest in learning, methods of forming the sense of duty and responsibility in training, activate the process of language learning and promote effective learning the Kazakh, Russian and foreign languages.

Teaching foreign languages in Kazakhstan is experiencing now, like all the other spheres of social life, a period of radical reorganization (not to say - the revolution), reevaluation of values, reviewing goals, objectives, methods, and materials, etc. It makes no sense to talk now about great changes in this area, the boom of the public interest, the explosion of motivation, a radical change with respect to the subject for well-defined social and historical reasons - it's all too obvious. [1].

In these circumstances, the formation and development of polylingual education takes place, including the issues of the development of its theoretical and methodological grounds. Knowledge of the Kazakh, Russian and other languages in the modern society becomes an integral component of personal and professional activities of any educated person. [6] Therefore, all of this together causes the need for a large number of citizens who practically and professionally speak several languages and in connection with it have a real chance to take more prestigious position society both socially and professionally.

We believe that a reasonable, correct and proper implementation of polylingual education will enable graduates of schools and universities to be communicative and adaptable to any environment.