© 2016 Zorina et al.The relevance of the problems stated in the article is determined by the fact that with the expansion of relations between the nations all over the world, the problems caused by misunderstanding, religion differences, and lack of cultural tolerance, have become more vital than ever. In this regard, this article is aimed at studying the conditions of teaching university students to live and communicate successfully in the multicultural world. The authors of the article consider an elective course ‘A Multicultural Planet’, aimed at teaching students to be tolerant towards people belonging to different cultural and religious groups, is an important part of the process of foreign language learning. The article presents theoretical ideas of multicultural education; aims and tasks of the elective course, approaches and principles it is based on; the results of the study conducted among the university students. The materials of the article are intended for university foreign language teachers.