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The article deals with the problem of cultural identity in mastering a foreign language by adult students during the lifelong learning process. It reveals the meaning of the terms “self-identity”, “self-identification”, “cultural identification”. The problems of forming students’ intercultural competence, a deep view of their native culture, and awareness of their own ethno-cultural identity are discussed. The article reveals the potential of the discipline “Foreign Language” for the development of cultural identity, defines the role of linguistic education in enriching the individual picture of the world of students in the comparative context of different cultures. Recommendations on the organization of the pedagogical process in line with the current trends of the Federal Project “Education” are offered. The article highlights the stages of teaching foreign languages within the framework of the intercultural paradigm. According to the authors, cognitive-intellectual, emotional and behavioral components should be included in the educational process aimed at developing cultural self-identity. The authors consider the development of cultural self-identity of adults as a basic principle of continuous self-education. For the purpose of its practical implementation, cross-cultural trainings are used, namely, the creation of communicative situations, role-playing game, webinar, coworking and project. The development of distance education makes it possible to successfully implement webinars in the educational process, which make it possible to reach a wide audience and attract native speakers more easily. The co-working technology helps to create a creative atmosphere, quickly helps participants establish contact and establish friendships. The project activity allows one to thoroughly work out and analyze a specific task, search for conditions and methods aimed at achieving a practical result. The authors conducted experimental training in two blocks at Nizhny Novgorod Dobrolyubov State Linguistic University and OJSC “GAZ” in order to test the possibility of using various cross-cultural trainings for the formation and development of self-identity of adults when they master a foreign language. The results were evaluated by tests on the skills and abilities of cross-cultural communication, as well as a questionnaire of the audience’s evaluation of their ability to enter into intercultural interaction and develop self-identity. Thus, the authors come to the conclusion that mastering a foreign language from the point of view of the development of cultural identity of adults should be built on a contrast-comparative basis using various cross-cultural trainings that include materials of a comparative nature.