Competence-based Approach to the Development of the Professionally Oriented Communicative Competence of Foreign Languages Teacher-Trainees in the Intercultural Context

Abstract

The article deals with one of the most urgent ways of constructing a new educational paradigm today – a competence-based approach (CBA). On the basis of critical analysis of scientific literature, the notion of “competence” has been studied in general, considering the issue of competence as an independent value. The special attention is given to the competence of a foreign language teacher. Different types of competences are studied, among them: social, personal and individual. All competences hierarchically are divided into: the key, basic and special ones. The following range of key educational competencies is studied: value-notion, of general culture, educational-cognitive, communicative, socio-vocational and competence of personal self-improvement. It is important to emphasize that the professional competence of a teacher is a complicated phenomenon and consists of a range of knowledge, awareness, abilities and skills. The nomenclature of competences that constitute the professionally oriented communication of foreign language (FL) teachers have been studied in particular. Types and means of intercultural interaction have been considered. The levels of functioning of teachers’ professionally oriented communication have been defined. There is an undeniable interest in studying the communicative competence of a future foreign languages teacher in the intercultural context. It proves to be very fruitful to study the ways and types of intercultural interaction in the professional activities. A demand for such information stimulated the theoretical research into the most widespread models of intercultural communication of foreign languages teachers. The critical analysis of research works gives direct reason to think that such models include: educational (self-study), professional, information and modernization models. Seen as a whole intercultural communication in the professional interaction of teachers holds only in certain situations such as: international conferences / seminars / workshops, regional training seminars / panel discussions with intercultural composition, participation in vocational webinars, in international educative projects, attendance / work at summer schools (as trainers / trainees) etc. Taking part in the intercultural communication a language teacher plays different roles. To supply the strong evidence we have analyzed the study of experts of the Council of Europe, which, under the auspices of the European Centre for Modern Languages in Graz, established such a role repertoire of a FL teacher: school language teachers, special school teachers, language teachers in higher education (for specialists and non-specialists), teachers of languages for academic purposes, adult-education tutors, teacher trainers (pre- and in-service), teachers of languages for business, specialist language teachers in secondary schools, curriculum developers, private tutors, etc.