Introduction.

Contemporary higher education is developing in the context of increasingly intensive intercultural contacts and academic mobility. This trend is particularly significant in the military sphere, since the professional activities of future officers require readiness to interact with representatives of different linguistic and cultural communities. Therefore, language training should provide not only mastery of a particular set of linguistic means but also the ability to use them in real-life interaction.

In the National Guard Academy of the Republic of Kazakhstan the multicultural composition of a cadet group creates a particular context for such interaction. Within a common educational environment, learners whose native languages include Kazakh, Russian, Tajik, Kyrgyz, and other languages interact with one another. Differences in linguistic experience may hinder direct communication, while at the same time creating a natural need for a common means of communication.

The problem of language as a means of intercultural interaction has been extensively addressed in contemporary language education research. In the works of M. Byram, intercultural communicative competence is viewed as the ability to interact effectively with representatives of other cultures, while foreign language education is associated not only with linguistic accuracy but also with readiness to cross cultural boundaries [1]. D. Deardorff’s approach emphasizes the possibility of empirically assessing this competence and the appropriateness of combining quantitative and qualitative research methods [2].

Another important line of the  research concerns English as a Lingua Franca (ELF). B. Seidlhofer views ELF as a particular domain of English use in which the language serves as a means of communication among people with different first languages [3]. In her analysis of academic communication, A. Mauranen demonstrates that in ELF situations language is shaped directly through interaction among representatives of different linguistic communities [4]. J. Jenkins examines the global functioning of English within the framework of Global Englishes, emphasizing the diversity of its functions [5], while A. Kirkpatrick highlights its role as a common means of interaction in multilingual environments [6].

The adaptation of international students has also become an important focus of contemporary research. A systematic review by M. Wilczewski and I. Alon, which included 313 publications, showed that key factors in adaptation include second-language proficiency and the nature of students’ interaction with their surrounding social environment [7]. A more recent systematic review (2025) additionally emphasizes the importance of social connections and the institutional context for successful intercultural adaptation [8].

At the same time, in the context of military education, insufficient attention has been paid to the question of how English can be used not only as an academic subject but also as a shared communicative resource within a multicultural group. The transition from separate linguistic groups to a space of sustained direct interaction has also received insufficient scholarly attention.

In this article, the concept of a shared communicative space refers to an organized educational environment in which participants with different linguistic and cultural backgrounds have opportunities to interact directly, solve common tasks, and exchange culturally meaningful information through a shared communicative code. This concept does not imply the unification of participants’ identities; on the contrary, it is based on preserving diversity while establishing a common mechanism of interaction.

The scientific novelty of the study lies in considering English simultaneously at two levels: as a means of developing individual intercultural competence and as a resource for organizing a common space of interaction within a multicultural cadet group. An additional element of novelty is the integrated consideration of academic and extracurricular activities as interconnected components of this process.

The aim of the study is to identify and theoretically substantiate the potential of English as a means of developing a shared communicative space in a multicultural cadet group.

To achieve this aim, the following objectives were formulated:

1. To analyze contemporary approaches to the study of intercultural communication and the concept of ELF.

2. To clarify the content of the concept of a “shared communicative space” in the context of a multicultural military educational environment.

3. To identify and analyze the forms of academic and extracurricular activities that contribute to expanding intercultural interaction and using of English as a shared communicative resource.

4. To access changes in the communicative and sociocultural inclusion of foreign cadets based on questionnaire results and analysis of their participation in collaborative activities.

Research hypothesis: the systematic use of English not only in classroom activities but also in project-based, research, and cultural-educational activities contributes to expanding direct interaction among cadets from different linguistic groups, increasing their communicative activity, and strengthening their sociocultural inclusion.

Materials and Methods.

The study was conducted during Foreign Language (English) classes with cadets from four 1^st-year academic groups enrolled in 2005 at the National Guard Academy of the Republic of Kazakhstan, which are characterized by a multicultural composition. The participants included Kazakhstani and foreign cadets, including 5 cadets from the Republic of Tajikistan and 8 cadets from the Kyrgyz Republic.

The empirical focus of the study was on foreign cadets and their communicative and sociocultural inclusion in the multicultural educational environment. The empirical basis of the study comprised the results of pedagogical observation, questionnaire data, products of project-based activities, presentations at scientific and practical events, materials from reading conferences, as well as the results of participation in the Polyglot competition, Nauryz celebrations, and the scientific and practical seminar Cultural Code of the Nation.

At the first stage, the initial state of communicative interaction was analyzed, with particular attention to foreign cadets’ readiness to establish contact with the representatives of other linguistic groups and to use English to solve practical tasks. At the second stage, formats creating a natural need for communication were systematically incorporated into academic and extracurricular activities: visually supported tasks, mixed-group work, project-based activities, and intercultural events. At the third stage, changes in communicative activity and sociocultural inclusion were analyzed.

For diagnostic purposes, a questionnaire was used containing statements rated on a five-point scale.

Results.

Initial pedagogical observations showed that differences in linguistic experience affected not only the quality of communication but also the nature of social contacts. At the initial stage, some foreign cadets tended to interact primarily with representatives of their familiar linguistic environment.

An important means of overcoming this situation was the use of visual aids created by the cadets with the help of artificial intelligence (AI) tools under the teacher’s guidance. The use of images, diagrams, and keywords made it possible to connect linguistic production with specific content, reduce cognitive load, and facilitate independent speech production. This was particularly evident when culturally meaningful material was presented: an image became a starting point for dialogue about a literary work or national tradition.

Project-based activities expanded the possibilities for such interaction. In collaborative projects, English was used not merely to complete a language exercise but to assign roles, discuss content, and coordinate decisions. A shared goal created a natural need for communication.

Reading conferences occupied a special place. At these conferences, Kazakhstani and foreign cadets presented literary works of their countries and introduced the audience to their cultural context. In this format, foreign cadets were not perceived as learners in need of adaptation but as carriers of unique cultural experience. This fundamentally changed the nature of communication: they became sources of information, while the other participants became active interlocutors. English served as a shared communicative code that made it possible to move from presenting the material to discussing it.

The involvement of foreign cadets in research activities, including conferences and the Cultural Code of the Nation seminar, created another level of communication that required them to formulate and express their own positions independently. Additional opportunities for expanding interaction were provided through participation in the regional Polyglot competition, Nauryz celebrations, and other cultural and educational events.

Thus, several interconnected levels of communication gradually developed: academic, project-based, research, and cultural. What they had in common was the use of English as an additional communicative resource.

To assess changes in the communicative activity and sociocultural inclusion of foreign cadets, a questionnaire survey was conducted at the beginning and at the end of the academic year. The results are presented in the Table 1.

Table 1 – Assessment of the communicative and sociocultural inclusion of foreign cadets

* Note. The assessment was conducted using a five-point scale; 13 foreign cadets participated in the questionnaire survey.

The questionnaire results show an increase in the average scores across all the indicators by the end of the academic year. The highest scores were recorded for readiness to communicate with representatives of another culture and to represent one’s own culture (4.69).

Discussion.

The findings make it possible to consider English in multicultural military education more broadly than as a traditional academic subject. Its functional role becomes particularly apparent when participants need to solve a common substantive task.

This finding is consistent with the concept of ELF. As B. Seidlhofer emphasizes, English in global communication is used predominantly by people for whom it is not a native language [3]. A. Mauranen demonstrates that ELF functions directly in situations involving people with different linguistic backgrounds [4]. In the present context, a similar situation arises within an educational group when English becomes an accessible shared code. At the same time, in a military higher education institution, the language connects not only individual communicative acts but also different types of activity.

The findings are also consistent with M. Byram’s view that intercultural competence develops through practical participation in communication rather than solely through the acquisition of factual information about cultures [1]. For this reason, a presentation by an international cadet about a literary work from their own culture may have greater significance for the development of intercultural competence than passive study of cultural facts.

An important finding concerns a change in the position of the international cadet. When adaptation is viewed solely as adjustment to a new environment, the learner tends to become primarily a recipient of assistance. In the proposed model, the learner becomes an active participant in creating a shared space of interaction by presenting their own culture to other participants. This conclusion is consistent with contemporary research emphasizing the importance of linguistic communication and social interaction for adaptation [7; 8].

The scientific significance of the study lies in clarifying the role of English in multicultural military education as a resource for organizing collective interaction. The practical significance is associated with the possibility of incorporating forms of work into language training that create a genuine need for communication, including collaborative projects, reading conferences, research presentations, and cultural events.

Conclusion.

The study makes it possible to view English in a multicultural cadet group as a means capable of performing linguistic, communicative, and intercultural functions simultaneously.

The main result consists in substantiating the proposition that a shared communicative space is formed not by eliminating linguistic and cultural diversity but by creating conditions for collaborative activity among representatives of different groups. In this process, English functions as a shared communicative resource and becomes particularly significant in situations where cadets need to present their own culture, complete a collaborative project, or participate in a research event.

The research hypothesis receives theoretical and empirical support, as evidenced by the positive dynamics of inclusion indicators and qualitative changes in the nature of cadets’ interaction.

For language-training practice, it is advisable to create situations in which English is used to solve meaningful common tasks. Further research should focus on expanding the sample, conducting comparative studies across several military educational institutions, and improving diagnostic tools.

Thus, the multicultural environment of a military higher education institution can be regarded not as an additional obstacle but as a natural environment for developing intercultural communication, in which English can function as a connecting resource while preserving the linguistic and cultural distinctiveness of the participants.