from 01.01.2021 until now
Novosibirsk, Russian Federation
This article provides qualitative and quantitative data to establish the effectiveness of virtual tools as a means of developing intercultural competence in students of international relations at foreign language classes. Intercultural competence is known to be crucial for this field of studies. However, no teaching technologies exist for its development at foreign language classes, and available research publications on this issue fail to take into account the current state and mechanisms of global communication. The empirical part of this study involved a survey of students of international relations during the first term of 2021–2022. The author compared their performance in class and during extracurricular activities, where they had to maintain an English blog. A total of 93 second- and third-year students (experimental + control groups) took part in the trial training, and 50 people (28 students, 22 teachers) participated in the independent assessment of the technology. The blog operating process was divided according to types of virtual intercultural communication (oral-written, mixed, and oral) and followed the academic program. The independent assessment was performed by academic staff and students who didn't participate in the experiment, but were able to observe. They unanimously approved of the new technology and defined the prospects of its further implementation. Blogging in a foreign language proved to be an efficient technology for developing intercultural competence in university students majoring in international relations.
teaching techniques, virtual reality, international relations, cross-cultural competence, intercultural communication, foreign language
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