Abstract:

The paper analyses the possibilities of formation of cross-cultural and communicative competences in universities in Russia. It describes the experience of training multicultural communication specialists in a polyethnic society citing as an example the work of Regional Center of Chinese and Sinology of Moscow State Regional University (MRSU). Besides traditional classes the Center regularly accommodates evenings of creativity and meetings with Chinese writers, poets, businessmen and international corporations representatives. Students both familiarize themselves with Chinese culture and introduce the culture of their own people or small nationalities, which allows activating the processes of self-discovery and self-development and contributes to the development of reflection, tolerance and empathy, since students are taught in Russian which is a second language for many of them. The authors hold an opinion that the cross-cultural and communicative competences formation is closely connected with face-to-face communication and language immersion on the one hand, and learning the culture and traditions of the target language on the other hand.

40 students from China, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Belarus and Armenia getting training at the department of “Theory and Methodology of Teaching Foreign Languages and Cultures” and specializing in Linguistics participated in an experiment. In terms of methodology training in a group was represented as a three-component system:
• cognitive-informational (face-to-face learning, independent student research, current progress control, final control);
• socio-cultural practice (collaboration with public organizations such as the British Council, the Chinese Cultural Centre, etc.)
• professional practice (school practice, practical training, work with professional associations of Moscow Region), work as volunteers and interpreters at World Skills Russia, Olympics-2014 in Sochi).

The experiment proved that native speakers involvement and learning the traditions and culture of the country of the target-language allow the students to absorb and assimilate the material of the disciplines “The Practical Course of A Foreign Language” and “Introduction into Cross-cultural Communication”; and help to form cross-cultural and language competences as well as facilitate the process of overcoming certain language difficulties which students tend to face in cross-cultural communication.

To conclude the stress is laid on the role of educational institutions which aim at cultivating an accomplished personality in conditions of modern competence approach. Cross-cultural educational techniques employed in MRSU reflect understanding of education as a cultural process whose dynamics include the search of personalized meaning, dialogue and cooperation of its participants directed at cultural evolution and self-development. The students of MRSU get the necessary ethno-cultural ideas which subsequently become the basis for formation of their ethno-cultural concepts which are crucial for successful communication. It reduces the chances of students adopting an ethnocentric position which may lead to a conflict between representatives of diverse ethnic groups. On the contrary, giving the students access to universal values by means of cross-cultural cognition within the scope of cross-cultural communication in class helps students to feel an integral part human culture.

Keywords:

Foreign language teaching, the Chinese language, the English language, linguistics, communication, training (period).