Introduction. The dynamic development of the tourism and hospitality industry in Russia and key partner countries, such as China, India, Turkey, the Middle Eastern states, and the CIS, necessitates the training of competent specialists capable of effective intercultural interaction in a foreign language. This creates a methodological and practical need for a clear scientific definition, structuring, and conceptualization of a key concept – ”intercultural foreign language competency”.
The aim of the study is to substantiate the autonomous status and identify the essential characteristics of the concept “intercultural foreign language competency” for specialists in the international tourism and hospitality industry in the era of English as a lingua franca.
Methods. The study is based on secondary analysis of scientific literature, supplemented by a synthesis of the author’s teaching experience. This experience includes English language instruction for specialists at the Metropol and Lotte hotels in Moscow and Vladivostok, as well as teaching students at the Faculty of Hospitality and Tourism of Russian Academy of National Economy and Public Administration.
Results. The study has defined and differentiated the concepts of “foreign language competence, “intercultural communicative competence”, “intercultural professional communicative competence” and “intercultural foreign-language competency” in the context of the international tourism and hospitality industry, analyzing the dynamics of their institutionalization in language pedagogy. Based on this analysis, the author’s definition of “intercultural foreign language competency” for international tourism and hospitality specialists is presented while taking into account the status of English as a lingua franca. This study underscores the importance of acknowledging lingua franca as a neutral communicative tool, one that facilitates the bridging of cultural divides within the context of international tourism. Another outcome of the research is the introduction of a new concept “intercultural professional situation”, which represents the environment for the actualization of intercultural foreign language competency.
The scientific novelty of this study lies in two key contributions: the formulation of a definition for “intercultural foreign-language competency” and the introduction of the new term “intercultural professional situation,” contextualized within the international tourism and hospitality industry.
Practical significance. The results of the study allow for the specification of goals and teaching content in professional foreign language instruction within the modern tertiary education system. The proposed definition and the concept of ‘intercultural professional situation’ can serve as a foundation for the development of teaching materials and assessment tools focused on real-world scenarios of professional communication.