INTERRALATION OF EMPATHY AND TEACHING STUDENTS AT HIGHER EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS

Abstract

The article considers issues connected with interrelation between the process of teaching foreign students and the process of moral training and tutors' activities aimed at shaping a qualified specialist (diplomat, lawyer, economist, politologist, etc). The author stresses the importance of teaching students' empathy and points out that people's alienation, loss of former ideals, inability to communicate outside virtual environment, students' indifference to each other and problems of the outside world at the time of overall digitalization, computerization and robotization affect the process of teaching. Treating students with empathy, fostering the same feeling in them, a teacher of a foreign language (as well as Russian) adds to the inner stability of an individual, it helps not only to master the skills of the language being taught, but also to understand and use in their own speech the background knowledge that is used in the communication process by members of society.The article sites practical examples of methodical techniques used in the tasks implemented by teachers of the MGIMO department for teaching Russian to foreign students with the aim of developing empathic abilities. These tasks contribute to broadening students' cognitive sphere, analysis and implementation of emotional and perceptual experience of an individual. Teaching discussion skills, organizing business games enable teachers to simulate events students will face in their future professional activities, and let them get new experience of expressing their attitude to people around them. Taking part in theatrical performances also stimulates students' creative potential, helps them take into account the emotional component, adds confidence to their speech behavior. Developing the sense of empathy on the example of classical Russian literature, creation of exercises developing the ability to understand and interpret feelings and emotions of other people contribute to improvement of interpersonal relations, develop the character of students, and turn them into creative individuals.

Keywords

• forming empathy
• process of moral training
• compassion
• sympathy
• qualified specialist
• interpersonal relations
• socio-cultural competence
• russian as foreign language