ФОРМУВАННЯ СОЦІОКУЛЬТУРНОЇ КОМПЕТЕНТНОСТІ У СТУДЕНТІВ НА ЗАНЯТТЯХ З ІНОЗЕМНОЇ МОВИ

Abstract

Foreign language learners have to master a number of competences: linguistic, pragmatic and sociocultural. The article highlights the conception of sociocultural competence. Language learning cannot be complete and profound without the knowledge of culture of the country and the mentality of native speakers. Sociocultural competence is an integral part of foreign language communicative competence and can be considered as an integrative personal quality. It enables the learners to understand the context of the native speakers’ language and choose language forms to achieve a desired communicative effect. The best way to develop sociocultural competence is to immerse in the natural language environment and communicate with native speakers. But the absence of such environment can be compensated with authentic materials. Developing the student’s sociocultural competence is of great importance, because their future work involves communication with people. The students must be supplied with modern training packages, which include print and electronic media. All the students must have access to the web. The teacher helps them to develop independent abilities to search and process information on sociocultural topics. The authentic materials give examples how the language is used by native speakers, give authentic cultural information, motivate learners to master the language, prepare them for world communication. The knowledge of a foreign language helps to understand their native language and culture, contributes to intercultural communication, provides the access to foreign scientific literature, gives the opportunity to get international education and to understand other people. Nowadays a successful specialist must have skills of intercultural communication. A person with sociocultural competence is able to see the relationships between different cultures. Moreover, has a critical or analytical understanding of ones own and other cultures. Sociocultural competence comprises the knowledge of the national culture, the language and the norms of behaviour. Sociocultural competence gives the ability to behave appropriately in the specific situations, to use proper vocabulary, to understand the meanings of the words in the context, to choose the appropriate form of social etiquette.