CULTURAL EMPATHY IN LANGUAGE LEARNING OF STUDENTS: FROM NATIVE WORD TO GLOBAL COMMUNICATION

Abstract

The relevance of the study can be explained by the transformation of the tasks of language education in the context of globalization, in which language learning goes beyond the assimilation of grammatical and lexical norms and acquires a sociocultural and value-oriented orientation. Of particular importance in this context is cultural empathy as the ability to comprehend and accept the values   of another culture through language. For the multi-ethnic society of the Republic of Kazakhstan, this problem is especially important, since language training is associated with the need to preserve ethnocultural identity and ensure effective intercultural interaction. The purpose of the study is to identify the key patterns in the formation of cultural empathy among students of universities of the Republic of Kazakhstan as part of the process of teaching Russian as a

means of transition from the native word to global communication. The scientific novelty of the work is that the phenomenon of cultural empathy is first considered in correlation with the concept of Kazakh culture kandas (compatriot by blood), which had not previously been involved in the analysis in the framework of linguodidactic and sociolinguistic studies. The research methodology is underpinned by an interdisciplinary approach and a range of methods, including conceptual analysis, interpretation of scientific sources, pedagogical and sociolinguistic analysis. The work integrates the provisions of linguodidactics, cultural studies and sociolinguistics, which allows taking into account both the methodological conditions of education and the specifics of the language situation of bilingualism/polylingualism in Kazakhstan. The research outcomes reveal that cultural empathy acts not only as a cognitive, but also as a value-emotional mechanism that contributes to the harmonization of intercultural interaction and the formation of the ethnocultural identity of students. It is shown that the inclusion of the concept of kandas when integrated into the educational process, it enhances students’ skill development in intercultural empathy, respect for the native word and readiness for dialogue in the global communication space. From a theoretical perspective, the study contributes to a clearer conceptualization of cultural empathy in sociolinguistic and linguodidactic aspects. The practical value of the study is determined by the potential application of its findings obtained in the development of methodological models and teaching materials for teaching the Russian language in technical universities of the Republic of Kazakhstan, taking into account the tasks of intercultural communication and the educational potential of language education.