Young Learners’ Intercultural Competence: Theoretical Construct and Ways of its Practical Application

This research can be considered significant as in the light of the current political situation the issue of peace and friendliness among nations plays a crucial role. Foreign languages can become a means of teaching peaceful and effective cooperation between people of various nations. The paper investigates the issue of defining the intercultural competence of young learners, in particular, of Russian elementary school children. The research objective is identifying and describing the components of intercultural competence of Russian young learners. The study is connected with both general scientific (analysis, synthesis, induction) and pedagogical methods (the method of studying advanced pedagogical experience, modeling). The leading European and Russian educational normative papers were analyzed for developing the construct of international competence of young learners. Subsequently the works of prominent scholars in the field of intercultural competence (Dr V. Safonova and Dr. M. Byram) were examined. As a result of the analyses and syntheses of these materials the construct of intercultural competence was proposed. The construct includes a set of knowledge, skills, acquired practices, abilities and attitudes that elementary school students are to acquire for effective intercultural communication. A number of developed practical ways of developing elementary school children intercultural competence contribute to the scientific novelty of the study. Several international projects viewed as one of the ways to develop young learners' intercultural competence are described and analyzed. These projects are specifically developed by the authors and aimed at forming elementary schoolchildren's intercultural competence.