The impportance and ways of developing intercultural competence in teaching foreign languages in higher education institution

Until the end of the 20th century, people of different languages faced gaps while learning other foreign languages. In order to bridge this global gap, the concept of “Intercultural Competence” was introduced into science as a competence that reflects the characteristics of two or more cultures through cognitive communication. As intercultural competence improves, the processes of international integration in the fields of science, culture, and business have led to the formation of multicultural societies. This also required people to enhance their personal potential and creativity. These changes began to be implemented in many educational systems. It must also be said that these new conditions revealed some shortcomings in the education system. For example, in the past, the cultural values of other societies were not taken into account enough, and the purpose of learning a new foreign language was only to communicate. Now, learning a new language also means thoroughly acquiring other cultures. The presented article briefly examines how scientific understanding about intercultural competence changes and how trade, mutual relations between countries contribute to the cultural exchange. It is mentioned in the article that mastering foreign languages is not enough for successful mutual communication, students should have knowledge about intercultural communication also. Effective intercultural communication has become a priority today due to its importance in understanding the world’s cultural diversity. It is also stated in the article that along with professional and communication skills, a university graduate should know the cultural characteristics of other nationalities. This allows them to interact with representatives of foreign cultures and to possess such qualities as tolerance, openness, and a willingness to communicate. To form intercultural communicative competence in students includes awareness of their native culture. The article emphasizes all the essential aspects of developing intercultural competence in students and examines the prevailing methods for a deeper study of this issue.