Irina A. Basova

The relevance of this study is associated with the transition that took place in language teaching in 2018, namely, the shift from the four skills (reading, speaking, listening, writing) to four modes of communication activity, which include reception, production, interaction, and mediation. Unlike the other three, mediation is often not fully understood by teachers, and tasks aimed at developing mediation skills are not always given the attention they deserve. At the same time, this mode of communication is extremely important in the modern world, as it combines the other three. In addition, mediation skills (e.g. explaining data, translating a written text, processing text, leading group work, etc.) are particularly important for students studying economics and management, as they are directly related to their professional activities. In this regard, the purpose of this article is to prove the relevance and necessity of developing mediation skills among students majoring in economics. The main research methods used by the authors of the article are the analysis of scientific and methodological works devoted to mediation and the development of mediation skills, as well as analysis of regulatory documents governing language education for students in economics-related fields. Consequently, an analysis of trends in modern language education and regulatory documents has demonstrated the importance and necessity of developing mediation skills among students majoring in economics, as well as the need to draw instructors' attention to this topic. The theoretical significance of this article lies in the description of factors proving the necessity and importance of developing mediation skills among students of economics-related fields. The practical significance is expressed in the fact that the data obtained can be used for the further development of a syllabus aimed at building up mediation skills among this group of students.

The article examines the development of strategies for cultivating trust-based relationships between foreign language teachers and their learners, situating these strategies within the broader construct of professional communicative competence. The aim of the work is to review existing research frameworks, identify their core components, and develop a comprehensive taxonomy of the requisite knowledge and skills. The leading research method is a comprehensive synthesis of findings from psychology, pedagogy, linguistics, and conflict resolution in pedagogy (pedagogical conflictology) concerning the origins and trajectories of pedagogical conflicts. The relevance of this work stems from the existing gap between the recognized importance of trust-based relationships for the quality of educational communication and the lack of a functional model within the structure of professional and communicative competence for foreign language teachers, given the disparate interdisciplinary nature of research in this area. The article highlights the critical role of the teacher’s emotional intelligence in nurturing trust throughout the instructional process and demonstrates, through a comparative analysis of conflict-development models, the value of early preventive measures. Teaching competences are identified as essential instruments for establishing and sustaining learner trust. The article then introduces interactive, learner-centered strategies designed to preempt conflict through effective interpersonal engagement. An examination of teacher–learner interaction models underscores the necessity for educators to deepen their understanding of these models and of learners’ active roles in communication. For the first time, three distinct trust-building strategies are defined (creating a supportive learning environment, preventing conflict escalation, and fostering individualized interpersonal engagement) and the specific knowledge and skills required to implement each are delineated. The theoretical significance of the article lies in a systematic synthesis of methods for building trust in the foreign-language classroom. The practical value lies in an original taxonomy of professional communicative strategies tailored to graduates of language teacher training.