Rhetorical Competitions as a Means of Developing Communicative and Linguistic Competences in 10th–11th Grade School Students of a Polycultural School

Abstract

This study was aimed at identifying new effective forms that could facilitate the achievement of a practice-oriented result, i.e. students’ ability to communicate in any speech situation, as well as their readiness for various kinds of oral and written examination tests, including the public defence of projects in the 10th grade and writing December essays in the 11th grade. The article considers rhetorical competitions as a means of developing communicative and linguistic competencies among 10th–11th grade students of a polycultural school. The article provides recommendations on organizing such competitions, criteria for evaluating presentations, examples of oral presentations. A textual analysis of the folklore material of Dagestanian and Russian fairy tales and proverbs allowed the authors to conclude that an inexhaustible set of universal themes that have become the subject of reflection in different nations, can teach students to respect other cultures and extend their knowledge of the world and other people. The experience of a rhetorical competition in high school on the basis of fairy tales and proverbs of different nations is expected to help students form such core competencies as critical thinking, creativity, communication and cooperation (ability to work in a team).