Formation of intercultural competence among students of non-linguistic specialties

Learning a foreign language is focused on developing communication skills (communicative competence), since without communication it is impossible to understand the culture of another country. To successfully use a foreign language, you need knowledge of language and etiquette rules, the development of which begins at different stages of schooling. The authors use a descriptive approach, reviewing the specifics of teaching intercultural competence in higher education and the interpretation and comparison of experience in applying methodological developments. In higher education institutions, the formation of intercultural competence continues, which contributes to the successful implementation of goals and objectives in the professional sphere. Bachelors’ and masters’ graduates should be able to interact with representatives of other cultures, applying the acquired language knowledge in practice. It is necessary to have developed listening skills, knowledge of speech, and etiquette formulas for foreign language communication for further development of intercultural competence. When teaching students of non-linguistic specialties, one should focus on repeating grammatical material mastered during school and developing listening and reading skills in order to increase the level of language proficiency. Consequently, the formation of intercultural competence among students of non-linguistic specialties is possible only with the successful completion of the school program for studying a foreign language, since in higher education institutions seminars are not aimed at studying linguistic aspects from scratch. The formation of intercultural competence among students of non-linguistic specialties involves the use of three methods (passive, active, and interactive), since only the totality of the use of methods contributes to successful intercultural communication. The greatest difficulty for students is the tasks of the interactive method, since it requires close interaction of all participants. Difficulties arise due to gaps in grammar, ignorance of etiquette speech formulas, and cultural characteristics of the studied language. The gradual complication of exercises helps to create a situation of success for students that leads to the formation of persistent interest in performing creative and project work.