Formation of intercultural competence among schoolchildren in Great Britain

Abstract

The study identifies the term intercultural competence and distinguishes its main components. The authors examine the experience of Great Britain in the formation of this competence among schoolchildren in the historical perspective from the beginning of the twentieth century to the present. The study of the main methods used in multicultural classes in Great Britain and in many countries of Europe made it possible to group them according to the components of intercultural competence. In order to identify the level of development of this competence among future teachers themselves, there were interviewed the students of Ulyanovsk State Pedagogical University named after I.N. Ulyanov. The diagnostic assessment was also conducted for British students who showed a significantly higher level of tolerance compared to Russian students. Therefore, it was thought appropriate to refer to the experience of teacher training in Great Britain that has developed a certain system of training future teachers who are ready to work in a multicultural environment. The comparative analysis of the curricula of 15 leading universities in Great Britain revealed a number of features in teacher training, including the development of their readiness to work in a multicultural educational environment. The experience of Great Britain in the formation of intercultural competence among schoolchildren and future teachers made it possible to determine the directions and trends of their development in modern Russian education at two levels: at the level of school education and at the level of higher education related to the preparation of teachers for work in multicultural classes.