DEVELOPING INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATIVE COMPETENCE THROUGH VIRTUAL REALITY

The development of intercultural communicative competence has a positive effect on the adaptation of a
person in society, the formation of a new worldview. The aim of the study is to determine the advantages of
developing intercultural communicative competence using virtual reality (VR). The study employed the
methods of analysis, observation, comparison, the mathematical method of parallel forms, calculations of the
J. Phillips criterion, Cronbach’s α. The process of developing communicative skills in foreign language
learning involved the analysis of cultural stereotypes, expanding verbal and non-verbal techniques, solving
intercultural situations, and student interaction. The training was conducted using ClassVR (Group 1) and
ENGAGE (Group 2). The results showed that the ClassVR application had a greater impact on the
development of language skills (M=45.3), ENGAGE — social skills (M=47.2). It was found that the learning
process had a positive significance for the development of language competence (94%), critical thinking
(92%) for the students of Group 1. The students of Group 2 developed the skills of clarity of development of
cultural strategies (95%), flexibility of communication (93%). It was determined that the students of Group
1 achieved a high level of communication during interaction with other students from the group (M=47.2),
Group 2 – with students from other countries (M=48.2). The obtained results reveal the advantages of VR
for the possibility of developing students’ intercultural communicative competence. The practical
significance of the article is the possibility of adapting VR to the foreign language learning. The research
prospects are aimed at ensuring the development of intercultural communication for students from Ukraine
and Great Britain. They provide for the analysis of the possibility of achieving intercultural competence in
the study of English and Ukrainian and achieving high-quality interaction between students. The results will
be put in practice through the use of ClassVR and ENGAGE as well.