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Vol. 40 (Number 23) Year 2019. Page 9

Formation of students’ communicative competence in universities of Ukraine: cross-cultural aspect

Formación de los estudiantes en la competencia comunicativa en las universidades de Ucrania: aspecto intercultural

KOLBINA, Tetiana V. 1; OLEKSENKO, Olena O. 2; TSYPINA, Diana S. 3 & YEVDOKIMOVA-LYSOHOR, Lesia A. 4

Received: 02/04/2019 • Approved: 17/06/2019 • Published 08/07/2019


Contents

1. Introduction

2. Methodology

3. Results

4. Conclusions

Bibliographic references


ABSTRACT:

The article deals with the problem of forming communicative competence of Ukrainian students. Its theoretical and methodological basis (factors, paradigms and approaches) have been analysed. The communicative competence structure, methods, forms and didactic means have been grounded and developed. The efficiency of the developed pedagogical system and pedagogical technology of communicative competence formation has been verified by the specified criteria and indices. The pedagogical experiment has resulted in positive dynamics of the students' communicative competence by all the criteria.
Keywords: communicative competence, cross-cultural aspect, didactic means, university students

RESUMEN:

El presente artículo aborda el problema de la formación de los estudiantes ucranianos en la competencia comunicativa. Se analizan las bases teóricas y metodológicas, es decir factores, paradigmas y enfoques, al igual que se fundamentan y se desarollan la estructura de la competencia comunicativa, los métodos, las formas y los medios didácticos. Se verifican mediante los criterios e índices especificados, tanto la eficacia del sistema pedagógico desarrollado, como la de la tecnología pedagógica de formación en competencias comunicativas. El experimento pedagógico ofrece un resultado dinámico y positivo que presentan los estudiantes en la competencia comunicativa según los criterios mencionados.
Palabras clave: competencia comunicativa, aspecto intercultural, medios didácticos, estudiantes de la universidad.

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1. Introduction

Communication in the modern world provides functioning of different structures and organisations as well as interaction of people and transmission of experience in the educational system. Importance of communication training in the modern society lies in the fact that communication is extremely necessary for complete development of a personality, its successful professional activity, career growth and business running as well as for up-bringing “a citizen of the world” in conditions of globalisation. Communication education acquires the greatest importance in terms of globalisation, as communicative competence (CC) creates the basis for mutual understanding in cross-cultural cooperation and collaboration. If just recently cross-cultural communication concerned only a limited number of people such as politicians, state leaders and other prominent figures, then nowadays within the context of integration processes, cross-cultural situations have become a part of daily lives for millions of people (in international events, migration processes, international tourism through telecommunication and computer technologies etc).

The problem of communication training is urgent for the educational system of Ukraine according to several reasons. Firstly, it is important for educating socially active and responsible citizens. Their skillful and flexible mastering of “the word” during public discussions or negotiations concerning social and economic events may influence effectively the democratic transformations in the society. Secondly, communication plays a crucial role in a person's activity, thus communicative education is recognised as an important factor of a personality's general development. Communicative skills influence practically every sphere of its activity. Scientists' research has proved that there is a direct connection between the level of communicative skills and quality of a person's life. A high level of CC provides a comfortable atmosphere in the family, social group, or at a work-place. Communication education affects positive self-esteem and self-assurance of a person, as well as forming their leadership qualities, critical thinking, etc.

Ukrainian students do not always realise the importance of communication training for career growth and personal realisation. On the one hand it is connected with the fact that many of them do not perceive themselves as subjects to social processes and treat democratic transformations in the society in a passive way. On the other hand it is determined by a low level of communication culture. Thus, in the modern conditions, communication training will favour civil upbringing of students and forming their ability to influence social and historical processes in the country in a conscious and responsible way.

So, communication education of a future specialist and citizen is to become an obligatory component of general and professional education. The system of communication training on the competence basis presupposes modernisation of relevant educational and professional programmes, renovation of content at the international level, application of communication and activity-oriented methods of learning.

Research into scientific literature has proved that formation of CC of future specialists presupposes studying the essence of this concept as an integrative unit which should be considered from different aspects such as linguistic (Y. Vereshchahin, V. Vorobiov, S. Ter-Minasova and others), psychological (S. Bratchenko, G. Andreieva, S. Rubinshtein and others), culturological and philosophical (М. Buber, G. Bush, V. Kremen, F. Rozentsveig, L. Feierbakh, М. Каgan, А. Каrmin, Е. Hall and others). According to the scientists' definition, a specialist reaches communication goals and full understanding of a communication partner with the help of linguistic rules and norms of communication, socio-cultural awareness, psychological knowledge and approaches as well as strategies and tactics necessary for communication.

The invariable structure of training a future specialist (V. Slastionin, К. Durai-Novakov, N. Zakharchuk) is composed of the following components: motivational (stimulating a personality to enlarge communication links, acquire experience of constructing fruitful professional relations on the basis of mutual respect and equality of business partners), cognitive (acquiring knowledge as for essence and peculiarities of the communication process, cultural dimensions), communicative-creative (acquiring creative skills of dialogue interaction in situations of professional activity), value-reflexive (formation of value orientations, tolerant relations etc). Thus, it is necessary to consider communication training as a complex integrative formation, whose basis is motivation towards interaction, awareness of peculiarities of the communication process, ability to respect cultural differences of communication partners, acquisition of experience of creative dialogue interaction that provides efficient professional activity.

The scientists emphasise the dialogue nature of the process of students' training while doing practical professional tasks. Not a less important role in CC formation is played by methods of professional activity (L. Volkova, N. Drab, Т. Kacherovska, L. Morska, І. Poleshchuk, О. Tarnopolskyi, U. Clement, M. Hartig, R. Helmolt and others). Still the analysis of scientific works has proved that the problem of CC formation of future specialists has not been researched enough in pedagogy both in theoretical and practical aspects: the model of formation has not been elaborated; the pedagogical system and its components (goals, principles, content, methods and forms of students’ training) have not been developed; criteria, indices, levels and methods of diagnostics of future specialists' CC have not been defined, the pedagogical technology of CC formation has not been modelled yet.

So, the research problem is outlined. It lies in the necessity to increase the level of the formed CC of future economists. Comprehensive solution to the problem sets methodological pillars for this pedagogic research that provide formation of CC of future economists. Notwithstanding the intensification of researchers' interest to the problem of communication training of future specialists, the issue of substantiating the necessity of improving CC level of future economists is worked out insufficiently.

2. Methodology

In the current research the following methods have been applied: theoretical – analysis, synthesis, generalisation and systematisation of scientific theoretical and methodological literature in order to define notions of the research, outline peculiarities of CC formation, specify CC structure; empirical-diagnostic (discussions, questionnaire, testing, pedagogical observation, expert questionnaire) to study results of the educational activity and determine students’ CC level; pedagogical experiment (starting, forming, controlling stages) to verify efficiency of the system of corresponding didactic means based on the elaborated methodology.

Analysis of factors which influence the process of CC formation, pedagogic paradigms and methodological approaches have been revealed in the “Result” section of the manuscript as our work is both theoretical methodological and practical in character.

3. Results

The factors analysis which impacts a person's activity is considered by philosophers T. Abulo, A. Antypenko, А. Petrushchik (Petrushchik A., 1989). In their research dedicated to the study of philosophical aspects of a person's consciousness and activity, the following factors are considered: objective, subjective, personality-oriented and human ones.

The objective factor is characterised by features peculiar to the modern civilisation such as globalisation, scientific and technical progress, global transformations of the industrial society into informative and communicative one, prioritising the stable state improvement. The conditions of development of the Ukrainian modern pedagogical system provoke the corresponding state social demand as for the content of education and organisation of the pedagogical process in universities which are being constantly renewed. The pilot research has given the possibility to ascertain that the objective factors motivate future economists to get higher education which provides the possibility to communicate effectively. However complications of educational tasks in major subjects as well as implementation of educational innovations and information technologies often result in reducing motivation for studying social subjects and humanities which are rich in communication. It leads to a student's passive behaviour in class, lack of interest in studying, a low level of mastering knowledge. In our opinion, to overcome these difficulties a teacher has to specify the content of the educational activity, in particular determine clearly the tasks and aims of each stage of the educational process. Certain ideas about the expected results will heighten students' motivation, direct and regulate the educational activity.

The problem of subjectivity is one of the fundamental in philosophy, psychology and pedagogy. In pedagogy the subject of the educational activity is a representative of subject-practical activity and cognition who makes changes in other people and in themselves (Kolbina T., 2010). Thus the subjective factor is related to development of subjects of the educational activity – a student and a teacher. Formation of a student as a subject of the educational activity presupposes mastering such skills as planning, organising their activity as well as defining actions necessary for successful educational activity, scheduling a programme of their accomplishment by specific educational material and precise organisation of exercises as for their formation. So, a student's educational activity is an aim-directed, managed process which is regulated by plans and curriculum. The results of the students’ questionnaire have shown that the majority of students believe that CC development is necessary for their future profession. They understand clearly in what way communication skills and habits can be applied. According to А. Petrushchik, subjective factors are realised through the environment in which a personality performs motivated acts as for acquiring their experience. In the educational environment, members of the academic group and teachers influence self-realisation of those who study in a direct or indirect way that will result in gaining students’ authority in the group. The results of the questionnaire have revealed that a high level of self-realisation can be reached by a teacher's emphasising students' success, providing specific criteria of estimating results for mastering the educational material, involving students in reflexion and self-assessment.

The personal factor on the process of CC formation has also to be taken into account by determining the research problem, as it shows the level of a person's individual contribution into the communication process. Foreign students' adaptation has also been emphasised during the process of acculturation. The necessity of adaptation to a new socio-cultural environment and formation of a multicultural personality in the context of dialogue, has been proved in recent research (Ahtarieva R., Ibragimova E., Sattarova G., Turzhanova G., 2018). The personal factor directs training at making conditions for students' individual self-realisation with due regard to their needs, desires, settings, interests, as well as determining their personal qualities and abilities (formation of skills to outline educational needs, specify educational priorities, connect educational pillars to students' interests). These characteristics serve as the basis for professional orientation which is realised in a corresponding personality oriented educational technology, researched by scientists (І. Bech, N. Bibik, S. Maksimenko, А. Khutorsky, І. Yakimanskaya and others). By questionnaire in determining students’ awareness of CC, 22% of the respondents have proved the importance of mastering CC for development of the cognitive sphere, 44% of the respondents think that its formation is essential for heightening the level of speech and communication. The students' questionnaire has also shown that understanding the vital necessity of acquiring CC experience in the professional sphere is typical for all students. However during the period of getting education the level of motivation to gain such experience can fluctuate from passive to active. It is stated that the stimulus decreases if the appointed goals are too easy for a student to reach as they do not give any satisfaction from their realisation, or on the contrary, are too complicated because the goal remains beyond its reach.

By determining the problem of the research it is essential to consider the nature of relations which are formed during the educational activity, i. e. the influence of the human factor. This factor suggests that any person should be identified as an equal and conscious participant of social development along with life needs, and moves forward the needs of creative activity, information and participation in management, as well. Due regard to basic knowledge, skills and habits, as well as a system approach to the choice of multi-faceted tasks will favour free expression of their own ideas, specifying a communication partner's opinion, urging for discussions, compromising resolutions of conflicts. On the basis of such tasks, communication skills and habits are formed, orientations necessary for effective communication are developed, the system of interpersonal relations is corrected, a favourable psychological climate in groups is formed, cross-cultural competence is improved.

The main task in the process of solving the problem of training students majoring in economics for communication is formation of their full-scale personality, its intellectual, will and emotional spheres. That is why among the pedagogical paradigms we consider the humanistic paradigm as the leading one, whose conceptual principle is an idea about priority of a personality's interests, integral realisation of a student's inner potential (Zybina T., 2006). The grounds of the humanistic paradigm, based on the ideas of a personality oriented at teaching, organising individual, creative, value-based activity, according to the National Doctrine of Education Development, makes it possible to convert personal and social goals into effective internal stimulus of professional growth of future specialists, development and fostering active professional role, creative style of activity, humanistic values (Sushchenko A., 2004]. By solving the problem of improving future economists' knowledge quality of communicative nature we consider it to be necessary to rely on the cognitive paradigm. As knowledge has a huge spiritual and value potential and the choice of subject content, its axiological sphere affects formation of the youth's world outlook (Sukhomlynska O., 2006), mastering humanitarian knowledge favours task-oriented formation of future economists' understanding of cultural heritage significance and skills to realise it in the future professional activity. In our research we also take into account the culturological paradigm. Its key idea is up-bringing a cultured personality (a person of culture and a person in culture) (Gaisina G., 2002). Unlike the cognitive paradigm, the culturological paradigm favours not only successful mastering of knowledge, but also realising this knowledge as personally significant and valuable, as the notion of culture unites the objective and the subjective, personal and common for all mankind. Within this paradigm there is a culture of communication behaviour, culture of intellectual activity, aesthetic and information cultures (Kolbina T., 2008). It is expedient to follow the management paradigm as well(Т. Dmytrenko, К. Yaresko), which concerns modelling the educational process technology and provides transition from direct management (orientation in educational activity) to co-management (cognition and transformation) and self-management (control and reflection) (Dmytrenko T. and Yaresko K., 2013).

To realise the mentioned above paradigms it is necessary to rely on the theoretical bases such as methodological approaches which could narrow and specify them for a certain situation. Such a basis in the pedagogic process of CC formation of future specialists should be implemented in the competence approach to studying. The state documents point out that one of the leading trends of the educational reforms is namely a competence approach (Bolotov V. and Serikov V., 2003; Zimniaia I., 2001; Khutorskoy A., 2007).That is why the main activity result of an educational institution is training specialists who have both theoretical ideas as for the system of knowledge, skills, habits within their major, and willingness to adapt to new labour market demands, manage information, act efficiently, take decisions quickly and learn during their lives.

Training of a highly qualified specialist presupposes using the context approach in studying (Verbitskiy A., 1990). Due to this fact various elements of a future professional activity are involved in the educational process: holding discussions, debates, role business games; considering case studies; developing projects etc.

Communication training also implies the usage of the student-centred approach. In “Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the European Higher Education Area” the student-centred approach is emphasised that stipulates students' motivation for active participation in the pedagogic process (Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assuarance in the European Higher Education Area, 2015). This approach is realised through problem situations, creative tasks, dialogue collaboration by mutual productive activity.

Communication training of students majoring in Economics is carried out in the process of curriculum and extra-curriculum activity which is a complicated system. The system approach infers comprehensive study of the most significant laws, phenomenon development as a whole unity from the point of system analysis, and creates an integral image about objects and phenomena that are studied. It gives the possibility to estimate the correlations between system elements, allows analysing interdependence between the result of the educational activity and factors which provoked it (Gurie L., 2004).

On the basis of the considered above points as for communication as a type of activity we consider it to be viable to ground our research on the communication- and activity-oriented approach. It directs students at active cognition of culture-specific elements and awareness of self-development, forms their creative potential.

The system of pedagogical principles is determined on the basis of the factor approach applied above to determine the relevance of the research. It can also be applied to stipulate contradictions that may be either lessened or removed with the help of the pedagogical principles realised due to certain rules.

The effect of the objective factor promotes a contradiction between a demand of the Ukrainian society in specialists who are able to interact efficiently in a communication environment, and an insufficient level of their readiness to acquire CC. To reduce the contradiction effect we have outlined the principle of humanisation of higher professional education and the principle of professional focus of training students.

The effect of the subjective factor reveals a contradiction between the necessity to optimise the process of training future economists for communication activity and a current state of organisation of the corresponding pedagogic process. The guiding principles of reducing the revealed contradictions are: the principle of scientific nature, interdisciplinary links in teaching, system and integral nature of the pedagogic process. The given principles create a solid ground for harmonious and comprehensive development of a personality at the inter-disciplinary level, presuppose modelling the corresponding pedagogic system and substantiation of its components. The principle of poly-variability applied in our research is based on the individualisation and differentiation of methods, means and organisation forms of studying, that create optimal pedagogic conditions to reveal students' capabilities.

The contradictions of a personal factor are manifested in importance of forming motivational, cognitive, axiological, communicative-behavioural spheres of a student's personality, and an insufficient quality level of knowledge, skills and personal qualities to realise communication activity in the professional sphere. To diminish the contradiction effect we have applied the pedagogic principle of culture-correspondence, self-identity, individualising the process of studying. They create conditions for effective mastering of knowledge, acquiring skills and habits, self-realising of a personality, developing its individual abilities and will qualities. It results in development of critical thinking, creative imagination that favours CC formation.

The influence of the human factor furthers the contradiction between the necessity of forming subject-subject relations in the professional activity and lack of preparation for non-conflict collaboration. The given contradiction can be minimised thanks to the pedagogic principles of dialogue-orientation and self-identity. The pedagogic principle of dialogue is supported by the principle of cooperation and non-conflict interaction. The principle of cooperation, formed by G. Grais, is based on the communication categories of quality, quantity, links and means (Grais G., 1985). Formation of dialogue culture of future economists implies development of the following skills: ability to express clearly their ideas and prove them, listen to an interlocutor, collaborate with a partner in developing ideas, find counter-arguments, be empathetic and aware of dialogue etiquette. The principle of self-identity is the basis for choosing students' life ideals and social behaviour, forming leadership qualities, independence and reflexion. Thus, the results of our research allow us to conclude that the process of forming CC should be based on general didactic as well as specific principles.

According to the outlined objectives and principles the CC components have been grounded. They are outlined on the basis of philosophical analysis of the notion «experience», as formation of professional and personal qualities of students presupposes acquiring certain experience in communication that encompasses cognitive, psycho-emotional, will and behaviour spheres of a personality. The CC components have been defined also with due regard to the structure of communication (that reflects interconnected perceptive, informative-communicative, interactive aspects). Thus we outline target-motivational, concept-cognitive, communication-creative, value-reflexive components of CC.

The target-motivational component lies in formation of motivation for constructing fruitful communicative interaction with business partners, involvement of students into the process of acquiring CC. The content of the mentioned component has to include a set of tasks in formation of value of CC in the future professional activity and a will of a personality to acquire and improve their abilities.

The concept-cognitive component of CC encompasses total knowledge which future specialists receive in the process of studying philosophical, socio-cultural, psychological, linguistic, economic aspects of CC. Students are to acquire system knowledge as for CC in the process of studying socio-humanitarian subjects (“Philosophy”, “Psychology”, “Sociology”, “Culture Studies”, “Foreign Language”, “Ukrainian” etc) at the interdisciplinary level. Studying socio-humanitarian subjects allows becoming aware of the essence, structure, function of CC, acquiring additional knowledge as for CC, studying all the aspects of the object. Besides a certain amount of knowledge the concept-cognitive component involves also means of acquiring new knowledge of communication nature, including search, systematisation and analysis of information material, system and creative approach to its choice.

The communication-creative component is characterised as practical usage of knowledge, skills and habits in CC in standard and non-standard situations of professional activity of a future specialist. The content of the defined component should include a set of tasks in development of elocution, speech culture, formation of skills of monologue and dialogue speech. During educational activity students are to get experience of communication interaction in professional and business collaboration, namely awareness of cultural dimensions, ability to perceive and respect differences of partners, follow universal values, use dialogue principles in practice, interpret verbal and non-verbal codes of communication in the correct way.

The content of the value-reflexive component of CC should encompass a set of tasks with the aim to reveal and analyse personal feelings, one's own and others' experience of communication interaction with a communication partner in the professional sphere, analyse mistakes and increase value experience of communication activity.

Thus, formation of students’ CC is defined as an integrated pedagogical process which is characterised by gradual acquiring of communication experience based on the outlined components. Implementation of the defined CC content of future specialists is realised through corresponding methods which provide efficient mastering of the educational material. Methods as organised means of interconnected activity of a teacher and students are directed at solving educational tasks. They are the core of the educational process, which links a projected aim with a final result. Methods perform educational, developing, upbringing functions in the educational process (Encyclopaedia of education, 2008). In the process of choosing methods we have taken into account their facility to reach the goal of each particular stage of studies; correspondence of methods to specific features of the educational subject, content and forms of studies organisation; peculiarities of students (age, level of training), mastery of a teacher (experience, level of preparation, awareness of typical situations); time allocated for studying educational material. In the basis of our methods system there is a classification proposed by І. Lerner and М. Skatkin, that involves explaining-illustrative, reproductive methods, methods of problem solving, heuristic and research ones. (Lerner I., 1981). The system of the main methods of the educational activity by forming CC is presented in Figure 1. Using the mentioned methods in numerous combinations provides efficient CC formation of future specialists.

Figure 1
System of methods of educational activity
by forming CC of future specialists

General methods of teaching

Specific methods

Information-perceptive / explaining-illustrative (a teacher organises perception and awareness of information; students perceive, realise, memorise it);

– watching and discussing video-clips;

– analysing epigraphs to the topic;

– using tables, graphs, mind-maps (visual-associative approach);

Reproductive (method of organising reproduction of ways of activity);

– educational analogy;

– associative negotiations;

Problem presenting material (method of teaching creative activity: a teacher formulates a problem and shows solutions while students follow each step of creative search);

– debriefing;

– purposeful mistake;

– modelling;

– eliminating gaps;

Heuristic / partially research (a teacher formulates a problem, students propose its gradual solution under their guidance; combines reproductive and creative activity of students);

– heuristic communication;

– “Collaging”;

– discussions: “Brain-storming”, “Round table”, “Panel discussion”, “Forum”, “Symposium”, “Debates”; “Critical incident”,

– sen-ken writing;

Research (a teacher formulates a problem for students' individual solution, students reward ideas, check them, find necessary sources of information).

– case-study;

– presentations;

– method of unfinished sentences;

– “Jig-saw”;

– “GRIT”;

– questions for self-reflexion “Rainbow of opinions”.

The experimental research of CC formation in cross-cultural environment has been realised from 2014 to 2018, on the basis of universities of Ukraine: Simon Kuznets Kharkiv National University of Economics, Sumy State University, Ternopil National University of Economics, Kherson State University. The experiment involved 600 third-, fourth- and fifth-year students of the day-time department studying at specialities of “Management”, “Management of Foreign Economic Activity”, “Tourism”. An expert commission of experienced scientists was formed to omit subjectivity by estimating results. The experimental research was held in natural conditions and encompassed all stages of the pedagogic process: pilot, ascertaining, forming, controlling:

1 stage – pilot: questionnaire of students to reveal their self-assessment as for readiness to acquire CC, to be aware of significance of the corresponding training; questionnaire of teachers as for their knowledge in preparing students;

2 stage – ascertaining: analysis of current approaches in the researched problem, diagnosing the entrance level of future specialists' readiness with the help of the defined instruments of diagnostics;

3 stage – forming: realisation of the defined pedagogical conditions and technology of forming CC of future specialists during all years of their studies;

4 stage – controlling: determination of the formed CC of future specialists; comparison of groups by the statistical criterion, mathematic calculations, analysis of the received experimental datа.

The component structure illustrated above has served as the basis of outlining criteria and indices of the formed CC. According to this structure the following criteria of the formed CC in cross-cultural environment have been determined: motivational, cognitive, activity-oriented, reflexive. The motivational criterion is connected with stimulating students to constructing communication interaction with representatives of other cultures, aim-directedness to acquiring experience of cross-cultural communication. The cognitive criterion involves knowledge quality as for peculiarities of cross-cultural communication, cultural dimensions. The activity-oriented criterion is connected with acquisition of skills and habits of constructing creative communication activity. The reflexive criterion concerns value attitude to constructing professional relations in cross-cultural environment on the grounds of respect, tolerance and all-human general moral qualities.

The methods of estimating criteria of the formed components of CC of future specialists in cross-cultural environment encompassed:

– by the motivational criterion (indices: motivation to build dialogue interaction with representatives of other cultures (business partners, clients), goal-setting at acquisition of cross-cultural communication experience) – methods of defining motivation of professional communication activity in the authors' adaptation; diagnostics of motives of the educational activity – authors' modification of A. Rean's, V. Yakunina's methods as well as diagnostics of cognitive demands of students by V. Yurkevich in the authors' modification;

– by the cognitive criterion (indices: knowledge quality as for basic criteria, notions, peculiarities of cross-cultural communication (completeness, efficiency, flexibility), ways of acquiring new knowledge in CC). The diagnostics was realised by I. Podlasyi and G. Yelnikova's methods; students' diagnostics to acquire new knowledge is the authors' one;

– by the activity-oriented criterion (dialogue and communication skills to realise cross-cultural communication in the professional sphere by means of verbal and non-verbal communication, skills to find creative solutions to professional tasks by means of dialogue communication with representatives of other cultures) held by V. Riakhovskyi's methods of defining the entrance level of communication, M. Snaider's methods of diagnosing self-control in communication, V. Boiko's methods of diagnosing communication settings, a test of estimating communication skills, a test for professional cross-cultural adaptability (by S. Miasoiedov), students' skills to speak and to listen in a dialogue – by V. Makleni's methods (in the authors' modification); defining skills and habits of students who are able to create a friendly atmosphere of communication (empathetic communication), – by A. Dobrovich's methods; diagnostics of creative potential and students' creativity – by Y. Rogov's methods (in the authors' modification), as well as defining managers' creative potential by G. Nikiforov;

– by the reflexive criterion (value attitude to interaction with representatives of other cultures on the basis of empathy and tolerance); reflexivity of dialogue communication in cross-cultural professional environment) the formed ability of value attitude to interaction with representatives of other cultures was held according to the methods of defining empathetic skills and diagnostics of communication tolerance (V. Boiko); diagnostics of reflexivity of dialogue interaction in cross-cultural environment was realised with the help of methods of defining reflexive skills during cross-cultural communication (A. Karpov's methods in the authors' modification), as well as diagnostics of skills of self-management in cross-cultural dialogue by methods of V. Semichenko in the authors' modification.

The forming experiment was realised to verify theoretically grounded pedagogical conditions as for training future specialists for CC. The experiment consisted of interrelated stages of the pedagogical technology: orientation- motivational, informative-cognitive, dialogue-creative, value-reflexive.

At the orientation-motivational stage students were given educational materials that stimulated their interest to cognitive activity, discussion, comparison, analysis of situations, creative research work, formulating and proving their own opinion, mutual interaction and collaboration. In classes the issues were discussed as for the relevance of studying the educational material, significance of CC skills while forming professional links, dialogue and collaboration with representatives of other cultures. Thus students were proposed to create associograms, brain-storm, create their own dialogues based on the context, listen to audio-scripts, watching videos, formulating hypotheses as for problem-solving; holding discussions as for given examples of cross-cultural dialogues in the tourist sphere.

The aim of the informative-cognitive stage has been to provide students with new knowledge for its further usage in the process of dialogue communication with representatives of various countries, in solving professional tasks, formation of professionally significant qualities. Informing students as for cultural peculiarities of various countries is realised through lectures, texts, illustrations, videos and other sources of information. The preference was given to such educational means: texts and videos of professional orientation, advertisements, signs, tourist prospects that reveal content of the material, national and cultural peculiarities of representatives of different countries. Students acquired knowledge by doing such tasks as commenting and interpreting content of professional texts, answers to questions, finding associations to the topic; sound recording of roles from videos, writing scripts of actions development, modelling of dialogue situations etc.

The dialogue-creative stage is characterised by productive and creative activity of a teacher and students. The tasks, developed for this stage have built grounds for creative development of a student's personality. Among them are tasks for defining the way of proving professional ideas on the basis of democratic principles in a dialogue, solving problem situations in professional activity, searching for means of regulating cross-cultural conflicts etc. The result of the dialogue-creative stage has been formation of skills and habits of dialogue cross-cultural interaction with representatives of other cultures through practical elaborating situations of a cross-cultural dialogue in professional activity, that have given students experience to take non-standard decisions.

Assessment by students of their results has been the aim of the value-reflexive stage. In the process of acquiring experience of cross-cultural communication of future specialists it has been expedient to form value attitude to their profession, environment, themselves and representatives of other cultures, in collaboration with whom they are to control behaviour, speech, attitude to other cultures, relations between them etc.

Verification of efficiency of the pedagogical conditions and technology before and after the forming experiment has been realised, diagnosing the levels of the formed CC in cross-cultural environment. The controlling stage presupposed comparison of the results of the experimental group (EG) and those of the control one (CG). The dynamics of the formed CC in cross-cultural setting of students of the CG and EG at the starting and controlling stages of the pedagogical experiment has been shown in Figure 1.

Figure 1
Dynamics of the formed CC in cross-cultural
setting of future specialists of EG and CG (in %)

4. Conclusions

Thus, the analysis of the results of the controlling stage of the pedagogical experiment has proved the efficiency of theoretically grounded pedagogical conditions and pedagogical technology of forming CC of future specialists. The received data of the experiment proves that the majority of students of EG have reached the middle and high level of the formed CC. The positive dynamics of the researched indices has been fixed in increasing the level of CC by all the criteria. The quantity of students with a high level has become 19,54% more. In CG this index is 1,15%. At the same time the quantity of students of EG with a middle level has increased (it constituted 7,28%). The quantity of students from EG with a low level of CC has become 26,81% less, in CG this index has been fixed at 3,83%.

Implementation of the system of the corresponding didactic means on the grounds of the elaborated methodology has resulted in the students’ increased knowledge quality of cross-cultural communication, level of speech culture, skills of dialogue speech, motivation, willingness to acquire and improve CC and reflexion of their own communicative activity in cross-cultural environment.

The study under consideration stipulates perspectives of further research in the chosen direction, namely: further development of the outlined problem as for readiness of teachers of high school to professionally oriented training of students for cross-cultural communication; studying foreign experience in formation of future specialist’ CC.

Bibliographic references

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1. Professor of the Department of Pedagogy, Foreign Philology and Translation. Simon Kuznets Kharkiv National University of Economics. tetiana.kolbina@hneu.net

2. Associate Professor of the Department of Pedagogy, Foreign Philology and Translation. Simon Kuznets Kharkiv National University of Economics. ooo2014@ukr.net

3. Associate Professor of the Department of Pedagogy, Foreign Philology and Translation. Simon Kuznets Kharkiv National University of Economics. sundian@ukr.net

4. Associate Professor of the Department of Pedagogy, Foreign Philology and Translation. Simon Kuznets Kharkiv National University of Economics. lessia0505@gmail.com


Revista ESPACIOS. ISSN 0798 1015
Vol. 40 (Nº 23) Year 2019

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