FEATURES OF FORMING INTERCULTURAL COMPETENCE OF STUDENTS IN HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS BY INFORMAL EDUCATION

Abstract

In today's globalised and highly mobile world, intercultural competence is crucial for successful social adaptation, professional development, and interpersonal communication. This aspect of education is essential for students entering a multicultural professional and social environment. This article analyses the role of informal education in shaping students' intercultural competence. The study employed interviews, focus groups, content analysis, surveys, questionnaires, and statistical data analysis. The article presents a pedagogical technology for forming students' intercultural competence in higher education through informal education. The text outlines the strategies, means of implementation, and expected outcomes of forming students' intercultural competence through informal education means within the proposed technology. Unlike formal education, informal education takes a more flexible and student-centred approach to acquiring knowledge and skills in a less structured educational environment. The authors examine different types of informal education, including student exchanges, intercultural meetings, volunteer programs, workshops, language clubs, and online platforms for communication with native speakers. They emphasise the importance and effectiveness of these methods in developing students' intercultural skills. A pedagogical experiment involving control and experimental groups showed that developing students' intercultural competence through informal education is adequate. The conclusion summarises the significance and potential of informal education as a tool for developing intercultural competence. It offers recommendations for integrating informal education into the educational practice of higher educational institutions. The authors highlight the potential benefits of integrating informal education with formal learning to improve students' perception and understanding of intercultural interaction. It can contribute to the development of a more open and inclusive society.