Competency Approach to Education in the Framework of PICK Learning System

Abstract

Despite a significant number of scientific endeavors in the field of development and assessment of soft skills, this topic remains highly relevant. In fact, teachers and students still face difficulties in combining two trajectories in a single educational process. On the one hand, it is essential to engage in educational activities mastering specific subject knowledge. On the other hand, there is a growing need to develop significant personal and cognitive skills related to communication, creativity, mental flexibility, and critical thinking. This article presents an overview of a competency approach to the education system within the framework of the new learning system “Plurilingual Intercultural Creative Keys” (PICK). Plurilingual, intercultural, and creative competencies were analyzed along three competency components: knowledge, skills, and attitudes. The prudence of selecting these three competencies is determined by practical aspects of modern life related to globalization, multiculturalism, and instability, on the one hand. On the other, the results of empirical research conducted over the past 20 years provided evidence for the close link between multilingual and intercultural practices and development of specific cognitive functions and personality traits underlying creativity.