It is an illusion to believe that a modern child can live their lives without encountering the "colored", which we have somehow put on a par with the homeless, beggars, and beggars. We try to keep them "away from sin", but the children differ by almost an innate tolerance - because of curiosity and interest in everything new and unusual. And because of their "illiteracy," we just did not put blinders on their eyes. Tolerance, tolerance for others - this is love, acceptance, which does not bind to subject his life to the laws and traditions of other ethnic or social group, the principles of the life around them.

On the territory of Russia today is inhabited by more than 150 nationalities. In 2001, according to official figures, there were 808,000 refugees and displaced persons, among them 236,000 children. In 2005 the same year there were 5,000,000 refugees and illegal immigrants. And yet to receive Russian citizenship leaves are still at least 2 years.

Tolerance - is the basic unit for children. This means that a child with the same level of trust and sympathy applies to any new person and event. Attitude toward other ethnic groups is not limited to polar estimates "like - not like that." Psychologists are 6 grades of interethnic relations. Get acquainted with them, every parent will determine at what level of tolerance he found himself. What to tell the child about the "colored"? And how do you feel about yourself to representatives of other cultures - Azeris, Americans, Frenchmen, Indians? Depends on it and the level of education and adaptation of your children.

At the first level of tolerance people deny the differences between cultures.

Despite the mass migration of about 80% of people today live and work where they were born, that is in relatively monocultural environment. These people knowledge about the representatives of other nationalities often reduced to a stereotype: "The Chinese - yellow-skinned," "blacks - blacks and illiterate," "The French know a lot about love", "Russian drink vodka and stuff. These are the basic knowledge that we and our children learn at the household level due to stereotypes. Most often, these stereotypes are negative, simply because they were formed long ago, when a "stranger" was perceived tough - as the enemy.

At the second level, a person sees a representative of another culture in detail.

But the descriptions becoming more and more aggression and rejection. "Americans - blunt and thick." "Most of the crimes committed in Moscow persons of Caucasian nationality." "Narrow-eyed - stupid." Total installation of such people: "Its always better, smarter than them." Such a psychology have people who long lived in closed societies. I remember in 1986 I was a young graduate student, participated in the psychological support of the first space bridges "U.S. - USSR." They were people with extensive experience in international communication - Vladimir Pozner and Phil Donahue. The main slogan of the time was: "For the friendship! During the dialogue of cultures! "

But already the first program showed that both audiences, both American and Soviet, treat each other with hostility, sometimes - with hatred. And after just a week after the second live broadcast viewers in both countries could not think of any persons or statements from foreign countries, but just "knew" that they are horrible, stupid, aggressive. Deep hatred of other people can blind us. New knowledge may enhance the negative stereotypes and from a state of indifference, lack of interest to foreigners, as it was at the first level of tolerance, to translate into an active, aggressive hostility.

At the third level, a person tries to minimize the cultural differences and focuses on the positive traits similar to his own.

It is a romantic phase in international relations. The man says to himself and others: "Well, of course, we are different, but should not be exaggerated. We have so much in common! In the end, all people want to live in peace, love and harmony. " This stage can be called Bro.

Neutral recognition cultural differences.

It consists in the fact that the differences are recognized and recorded, but not dramatized. "Yes, boy, with whom my friend Pete, Kazakh, they have their own customs, but I do not think that it may interfere with their friendship."

Increasing intercultural competence - the content of the fifth level of tolerance.

At this stage we are not only easy, but with an active interest to people of other cultures. Arriving in another country, we try to greet people in their native language. And he came to visit, we do not bychimsya: "Strange yet these Karimov. Their mantle - it is only impaired version of our ravioli. Let them come to us, we'll show them the class! "On the contrary, we are interested in detail how to cook a particular dish, in which case it is eaten as behave at the table, which is considered bad form. The ease and interest with which our children learn Japanese cuisine, wielding sticks, their love for martial arts show that at a certain motivation, you can quickly increase their cultural competence.

My experience observing children of Russian emigrants during long expeditions to France and the United States shows that children in a few months able to establish friendly relations with their foreign peers. Under the glass desk of my now adult son are pictures of his classmates from France and the United States. He and his Slavic appearance surrounded by black and yellow-skinned boys and girls, arm in arm with a young Thai beauty. In the 13 years he has appointment with her in one of the cinemas of Paris, but the first time they found each other. A hit in the cinema the next day after a long explanation, I do not know the language. I just want to remind that, in addition to dislike, there is still tremendous interest in another culture, admiration for its unusual, beautiful. This forces us to move towards each other.

For many years I accompanied the international change for children of different ages - in Russia, France, the United States. Some of them - for gifted children from around the world (Germany, France, Belgium, Scotland, England, Russia). One of my players, ten girl, fell in love with a Frenchman. Since the last 8 years. The girl grew up and won the competition on the French language and is now studying in Paris. Now, it seems unlikely warning her mom during our first meeting: "Julie in such blunt language. In my opinion, we just wasted money ... "

But the sixth highest level of perception of other cultures show people that a child grow up in a bicultural.

This happens more often, for example, with children of intercultural marriages. As a specialist I am often asked: "Do not be hard for children to grow up in families where the parents speak different languages?" Of course, it is not easy. But if both parents are engaged in child seriously, he gets a huge advantage in personal development to other children. These guys are easily incorporated into any situation effortlessly learn not only languages but also the other humanities subjects - in short, exhibit a high communicative mobility.

My observations on the behavior of children in international camps shows that the level of intelligence does not affect the stages of adapting to another culture. Children are wary and even hostile can meet each other, try to stay closer to their compatriots. Several days later, children were openly cursing, but it's still a pretty active form let the negative, but communication. We are with my foreign colleagues called this phase of ironic "stage of internationalization mat" because kids were swearing in all languages of the world. Then we watched as the stars appeared in the team - those who managed to make contact with children of different nationalities. And in the end change blossomed international novels. Boys and girls fall in love over head and ears in each other despite cultural differences, and - phenomenal! - Started at a frantic pace to learn the language, just catching on the fly complex grammatical constructions.