The Role of Language in Intercultural Communication

Abstract

Intercultural dialogue as a critical component of modern society should contribute to the self-identification of a person in the cultural space. This research aims to demonstrate the importance of multiculturalism— learning a second language in the Russian system of higher education. To accomplish the research objectives, 78 students were recruited at Tula State University, 158 students at Kuban State University and 152 technical students at Moscow Aviation Institute. Analysing and comparing experiments on learning a second language, the findings determine the effective methods and forms of teaching. In doing so, the research foregrounds some forms of effective teaching and indicates the ways to achieve them. In other words, the findings made it possible to identify the effective strategies for teaching a foreign language both in local and global level.

Keywords

• intercultural communication, intercultural competence, multiculturalism, multicultural dialogue, intercultural education, socio-cultural education