Педагогические науки/5.Современные методы преподавания

M.Фёдорова

 Kostanai State University named after A.Baitursynov,Kazakhstan

Developing intercultural competence at the lessons of intercultural communication

In recent years, issues related to intercultural communication have acquired special urgency. Interest in the study of different cultures associated primarily with social, political and economic upheavals of the global scale, which led to a great migration of peoples. Processes of relocation, resettlement, mixing peoples are taking place. This can be seen as a positive process, because in the era of scientific and technological progress, the conditions for the enrichment of cultures and experience provide new opportunities, types and forms of communication. However, the main condition for the effectiveness of these changes is mutual understanding, dialogue of cultures, tolerance and respect for the culture of communication partners. Reasonable and peace loving people   understand this and their effort is to make intercultural communication more successful.

Multiethnic society, such as Kazakhstan, is a society of social diversity that is constantly changing. One of the tasks of education is successful socialization of students in a diverse world, the development of the variability of their behavior in different cultural environments, increased tolerance to "other”, dissimilar cultures.

Learning and education are inseparable, and educational institutions can play a huge role in terms of education of the individual, the ability to adapt to life in a modern multi-ethnic environment.

In the context of the intercultural competence formation of students the subject «Foreign language" occupies a special place.

Educational nature of learning a foreign language is to develop mental strength and ability of students to form a bilingual and multicultural identity. In recent years, many higher educational establishments introduced in the curriculum such a relatively new discipline as «The Practice of Intercultural Communication. »

The main aim of this subject is to develop intercultural competence, as a combination of mind and knowledge to ensure effective flow of communication process between representatives of different ethnic groups.

In the classroom with the students majoring in «Regional Studies " we use a study guide in the discipline , including texts and tasks that contribute to the development of students' skills in English language description of the various spheres of life in  Kazakh society and culture of the region under study . Main topics  of this study guide  are : Our multicultural world; The map of the world; In brief about Kazakhstan; Early history; First names; Town; Religion Literature; Arts; Cuisine; Proverbs; National Mentality.

Language is the most comprehensive indicator of culture. It is well known that the central figure of the communicative process is a person, but an instrument, a means of communication is the language. It is more difficult to learn a foreign language as a medium of communication when the difference between languages is stronger. Intercultural communication is implemented in an interconnected system of people - Language - Culture and has a complex character.

Rich selection of material in this context can be found on the English-speaking educational sites. So, many interesting discussions on the subject of ethno-cultural interaction are available on the site www.bbclearningenglish.com .So, with the students of the 4th year majoring in Regional Studies we listened to and analyzed a series of radio discussions devoted to the problem of interethnic communication, "Who on Earth are we?", and later on the basis of it, the role-play on the same topic was held. Students spoke on behalf of the characters, participants of the real debate. Similar tasks contribute to the development of skills of listening, reading, and speaking and allow students to get acquainted with the point of view of the leading international experts on the issue of interethnic relations.

Since the topic of cultural diversity and importance of intercultural tolerance is relevant throughout the world with the purpose of drawing  students attention to the issue videos of relevant content are   demonstrated in the classroom, followed by intergroup dialogues , role-play, group discussions ( for example, “Nationalities and stereotypes”)

Such discussions and dialogues are not just water-cooler conversation. They are guided discussions, in which students are encouraged to listen carefully to each other and in the process of mutual speaking and listening properly understand the value and probability of showing another view of the world. The idea is that in the course of this interaction the communicating participants extract knowledge from their own experience, and as a result of this: intercultural development of sensitivity, understanding the nature and functions of ethnic stereotypes; awareness of the mechanism of ethnocentrism (preferences of the group) and overcome it.

In fact, the discipline «Practice of intercultural communication” is closely connected with the transfer of information, cultural content from one language to another. Working with text is an indispensable component of any classes in a foreign language, and allows solving many educational and training problem.

A well-designed and properly correlated with one another for grammatical and lexical difficulties texts are necessary to carry out a variety of work on the development of the foreign speech of students. Cultural texts are both instructive and educative. Students begin to consider differently their native language through comparison with the foreign language, finding parallels. The taste to language appears.

In general, however , the appeal to cultural materials Foreign Communication brings personal experience to students , allowing them to operate in the educational conversation the facts and information that they encounter in their daily life, in the conditions of life in their native culture.

   Learning a language is impossible without studying the culture of native speakers, which makes it possible to broaden horizons, including the field of cultural values ​​of different peoples, compare, and analyze them. It promotes tolerance towards representatives of other ethnic groups. It is necessary that students should understand that the most important thing is that people in a collision with other values ​​and systems behavior can better understand themselves.

 

Reference:

1.  Леонтьев Д.М. Ценнности общества и ценности личности, М.,2009

2. Поштарева Т.В. Формирование этнокультурной компетентности учащихся в полиэтнической образовательной среде. Автореф. дис. … канд.пед.наук.

3.  Солтанбаева Ш. Обучение и воспитание в многонациональной среде. // Мысль № 10, 2000 г.

4.Этнопсихологический словарь под редакцией Крысько В.Г., МПСИ, Москва, 1999