Peculiarities of Developing Students’ Intercultural Communicative Competence in the Process of Teaching Foreign Languages in Higher Education Institutions

The aim of the article is to examine peculiarities of forming students’ intercultural communicative competence in the process of teaching foreign languages in the context of modern approaches. Methods of the research: description, analysis, generalisation and systematisation of researchers’ views, which are presented in scientific pedagogical literature, dedicated to issues of the development of intercultural communicative competence. The article considers concepts of communication and intercultural communicative competence and identifies a range of directions for the formation of intercultural communicative competence. Theoretical analysis of concepts of competence in the works of domestic and foreign scholars is presented. It is proved that intercultural communicative competence is knowledge and skills that will allow a person, as a communicator, to adequately and effectively communicate with representatives of other cultures. Mastering intercultural communicative competence will integrate the individual into the system of world and national cultures, and eliminate and prevent conflicts and misunderstandings. It is concluded that a foreign language learner should not only be able to correctly formulate thoughts in a foreign language, but should also adhere to cultural norms accepted by native speakers of the language being studied. The need for intercultural communication is evident in many professional fields today. As profiles of the people involved in given business interactions become increasingly multicultural, the ability to communicate effectively across cultural boundaries is often expected of graduates who seek to practice in different professional environments. The implementation of approaches considered in the study will help to optimise the process of teacher education at higher education institutions in general.