CULTIVATING NATIONAL CONSCIOUSNESS IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE TEACHING AT UNIVERSITIES IN THE XINJIANG UYGHUR AUTONOMOUS REGION IN A MULTICULTURAL CONTEXT

Wang Kangkang

This article aims to identify pathways for cultivating national consciousness among students through foreign language education at higher education institutions in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region within a multicultural environment. The research analyzes foreign language teaching practices in Xinjiang universities, examines approaches to fostering students' national consciousness, and proposes concrete solutions to address the imbalance between language skill development and national consciousness formation. Its scientific novelty lies in developing a comprehensive foreign language teaching model for universities. Findings demonstrate that by optimizing curriculum content, innovating contextual language teaching methods, and enhancing faculty professional development, synergistic integration of global perspectives and patriotic awareness can be achieved in foreign language instruction. This provides practical guidance for cultivating interculturally competent professionals with strong national identity in Xinjiang's higher education. The pedagogical experience of implementing this teaching model in Xinjiang universities may be adapted for school-based and vocational education in other regions.

Keywords:Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region universities; Foreign language teaching; National consciousness; Multicultural environment