USE OF DIGITAL TOOLS FOR THE FORMATION OF INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION AND METHODOLOGICAL COMPETENCE OF FUTURE FOREIGN LANGUAGE TEACHERS

Abstract

The article explores the comprehensive impact of digital transformation on the professional training of future foreign language teachers in the context of developing their intercultural communication and methodological competence. The relevance of the study is dictated by the state of "permacrisis" in Ukraine, caused by military aggression, which led to total digitalization of education. However, the intensive implementation of information and communication technologies gave rise to a "digital paradox": instead of the expected work facilitation, educators faced cognitive overload, the blurring of boundaries between work and recovery (the "perpetual campus" effect), and rising levels of professional burnout. It was established that 42.9% of Ukrainian teachers feel an urgent need to master burnout prevention skills in war conditions. The aim of the article is to provide a theoretical grounding and practical verification of the effectiveness of the integrated "Digital Shield" framework, aimed at protecting cognitive resources and developing the methodological autonomy of philology students. The research methodology is based on a systemic-structural approach to modeling the educational environment. The empirical base consists of the results of a nationwide readiness monitoring of 42,708 teachers, conducted by the Institute for Digitalization of Education of the NAES of Ukraine, as well as practical experience in implementing innovative methodologies at Uzhhorod National University (UzhNU) and Mukachevo State University (MSU) during 2022–2024.The main research results demonstrate that the key tool of the "Digital Shield" is asynchronous micro-learning, which returns agency to the student—control over their own pace of material mastery. Experimental testing of the "flipped classroom" model at Mukachevo State University showed that 90% of students noted an increase in confidence in using a foreign language and a 20% increase in the level of methodological autonomy. The use of immersive VR applications (specifically "Noun Town") and gamified platforms (the "Busines" game) provided authentic immersion in a foreign language environment, which is critical in conditions of limited physical mobility. Special attention is paid to the implementation of "Leadership 4.0" strategies and social protocols of digital hygiene. It has been proven that the "three-exchange rule" (transitioning from text to voice/video) allows for a 40% reduction in the level of "text-based hostility" in digital communications, while the "7-to-7" rule provides the necessary detachment experience for energy recovery. Statistical data analysis recorded an explosive growth in the use of the Google Workspace ecosystem among educators—from 15.1% to 53.1%. The practical value of the work lies in developing specific mechanisms for transforming technologies from a source of stress into a "shield" that protects the psychological health of future teachers and promotes ethical intercultural interaction.