Environmental approach in higher education for polyculturalism in foreign language instruction

Abstract

The article studies the environment in general and environmental approach as part of the methodological framework, in particular, in the educational setting. Thus, the concept of educational environment arises as crucial for the research. It is agreed that the poly- / multicultural environment includes as refers to a variety of cultures and subcultures that surround the individual and the carrier of which s/he is. That is why today almost every other teacher of higher educational establishment and institution is facing a number of questions when they enter the multinational classroom. The literature study displays the importance of space and time organization of the objective world, which would ensure comprehensive personal development of a future foreign language teacher / instructor in a multinational classroom through a new form of dialogue, and according to Halyna Shevchenko, it is the dialogue of cultures. Therefore, the paper aims to prove significance of polycultural / multicultural educational environment for upbringing creative and culturally rich foreign language instructors. Taken the aim, the objectives of the work relate to identification and determination of the specific phenomenon associated with poly- / multicultural and polylingual environments, on the one hand. On the other, they link with unveiling their roles (those of poly- / multicultural and polylingual environments) in the constructive life activities of the individual, who chooses to become a foreign language teacher, and teacher of languages for specific purposes included, as an effective means of poly- / multicultural education of future professionals. The theoretical aspects of the establishment and functioning of the educational environment have been under focus of many scholars and researchers (Lizzio, Wilson & Simons; Hutchinson; Whittle, Whelan & Murdoch- Eaton; Manuilov; Mudrik; Prykhodchenko, Rohanova). However, the focus on the educational environment for growing poly- / mukticulturalism and polylingualism in a multinational classroom is yet to be studied more profoundly in terms of foreign language instruction, especially instruction of languages for specific purposes (LSP). The needs analysis arises important for methodology of LSP. At the same time, hardly anyone addresses the issues of LSP classrooms in connection with poly- / multiculturalism as compared to polylingualism.