Intercultural competence in training future English teachers

Abstract

The purpose of the article was to analyse forming and applying the intercultural competence for the future English teachers, approaches to its use in classes with students of the English specialty and analysis of the effectiveness of such educational activities. Research methods. In the process of writing the article, the main general scientific and linguistic methods were used: deduction and induction ‒ to process the theoretical and practical material; descriptive one ‒ to generalize the scientific provisions on the problem under study; scientific analysis ‒ to study the features of forming and effectiveness of applying the intercultural competence of the future English teachers; elements of the linguistic approach ‒ to characterize the practical assignments for forming and confirming the effectiveness of applying the  intercultural competence of higher education institutions students. Research results. Applying the intercultural competence in the educational process was investigated, in particular, for teaching the practical English course and the course “The 21st century skills for higher education institutions students”. The article justifies the feasibility of forming and applying the intercultural competence in the process of teaching the practical English course and the course “The 21st century skills for higher education institutions students”. The importance of such a component of training was emphasized in order to develop students’ general educational competencies and achieve the better understanding of the educational material in the general educational context and rational applying in their educational and future professional activities. Conclusions. The analysed theoretical sources on forming and applying the intercultural competence for the future English teachers showed that the problem was sufficiently researched in various aspects. At the same time, the systematicity of its applying in the educational process is unreasonably insufficient, because the modern education is aimed at creating the learning conditions for training the comprehensively developed personality of the future English teacher. The process of forming and applying the intercultural competence can be a useful addition to the  traditional types of students’ educational activities, when it becomes both a goal and a learning tool.