DIAGNOSTICS OF FUTURE NAVIGATORS’ PROFICIENCY LEVELS IN CROSS-CULTURAL COMMUNICATION

Future navigators' training in cross-cultural communication is an important part of their professional training, because the professional activity of navigators is directly related to communication with representatives of other countries and cultures. Taking into account the component structure of future navigators' training in cross-cultural communication (motivational-and-cognitive, activity-and-creativity-centred and personal-and-reflexive components), the criteria and indicators which can be used to diagnose proficiency levels in the designated activity are named in the article. The criteria of the investigated construct are, as follows: mindset- and content-oriented, operational-and-creative, and individual-and-evaluative. The characteristic of proficiency levels (high, satisfactory, low) demonstrated by Navigation Department cadets in communication within intercultural situations are also presented in the article. The following methods were used to diagnose the future navigators' preparedness for cross-cultural communication: diagnosis of achievement motivation (A. Mekhrabian), diagnosis of success motivation and fear of failure (A. Rean), the “National and cultural features of world countries representatives” test (author's diagnostic method), the “Personal and professional qualities of other cultures representatives” test (author's diagnostic method), diagnosis of English proficiency level in the context of intercultural communication “Cross-cultural communication: linguistic aspect” (author's diagnostic method), the “Assessment of the level of personality's creative potential” method (N. Fetiskin), diagnosis of communicative control (M. Schneider), the questionnaire “Communication and conflict in cross-cultural environment” (author's diagnostic method), diagnostics of goodwill (according to Campbell scale). The use of the above-mentioned methods made it possible to determine the levels of future navigators' preparedness for cross-cultural communication. According to the mindset- and content-oriented criterion, the following results were obtained: the high proficiency level was shown by 5,83% of the respondents constituting the control group (CG) and 8,33% of the experimental group (EG) respondents; 20,83% of the CG and 15,83% of the EG respondents demonstrated the satisfactory level; the low proficiency level was shown by 73,33% of the CG and 75,83% of the EG respondents. The diagnostic results according to the operational-and-creative criterion are, as follows: 5% of the CG and 2,5% of the EG respondents showed the high proficiency level; the satisfactory level was demonstrated by 14,16% of the CG and 18,33% of the EG; 80,83% of the CG and 79,16% of the EG representatives showed the low level. According to the individual-and-evaluative criterion, the following results were obtained: 5% of the CG group and 7,5% of the EG group showed the high proficiency level; the satisfactory level was demonstrated by 15% of the CG and 18,33% of the EG; the low level was demonstrated by 80% of the CG and 74,16% of the EG. The experiment results at the stating stage proved the need to develop and implement the methods of future navigators' cross-cultural training into the educational process. The prospects for further scientific research are seen in experimental testing of pedagogical conditions for future navigators' training in cross-cultural communication.