Discursive Approach and Narrative in the Communicative Training of Future Preschool Education Specialists in the USA

Abstract

The article aims to theoretically substantiate the discursive potential of language as a methodological basis for the communicative training of future preschool education specialists in the U.S. higher education system and to determine the role of narrative as a pedagogical tool for the formation of their communicative self-efficacy. Methods. The research is based on theoretical analysis, synthesis, and generalization of scholarly literature in pedagogy, linguistics, discourse theory, and communication studies. A conceptual analysis of the notions of communication, discourse, and narrative was carried out, as well as an interpretation of the U.S. higher education practices in the context of general education and professional teacher preparation. The study applies a sociocultural and discursive approach, which allows communication to be considered as a meaning-making activity embedded in sociocultural interaction. Results. It is established that in the U.S. higher education, communicative training of future preschool educators is grounded in the understanding of discourse as an integrative phenomenon combining speech, cognitive, and social activity. Discursive practices contribute to the formation of professional identity, value orientations, and readiness for dialogical interaction in the system “teacher – child – parents – professional community’’. Narrative, as a form of written discourse, is shown to possess significant pedagogical potential: it activates reflection, supports self-presentation, organizes experience, and develops argumentation skills. These features directly influence the formation of students’ communicative self-efficacy. Conclusions. The integration of discursive and narrative approaches ensures the transition from formal language mastery to the development of future preschool educators as subjects of professional communication capable of meaning-making, dialogue, and humanistically oriented interaction, which is essential for the quality of preschool education.