The article is devoted to the consideration of an approach, the relevance of which is due to modern linguodidactic research aimed at comparing various linguodidactic phenomena or studying various methods, technologies and techniques characteristic of foreign language education systems both at the international level and within the framework of a single linguistic culture. The purpose of the article was to substantiate the essence of the comparative approach by considering the development of linguodidactics, both from the point of view of retrospective analysis and the content side, as well as the analysis of the successive leading paradigms of the foreign language education system. Due to the specifics of the comparative approach, namely, as the main approach used for conducting scientific work through comparison, it is necessary to study and analyze the specifics of using the comparative approach for linguodidactic research. As a result of the analysis of works on comparative studies and intercultural communication, the need for a comparative approach as an element of scientific knowledge, acquisition and enrichment of methodological science in the field of foreign languages was described. It was also shown that the comparative approach under consideration not only does not exclude the existence of previously developed approaches, but complements them and takes linguodidactics to a new stage of development.