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Abstract

The article focuses on the competence approach in education, analyzes foreign and domestic psychological and pedagogical research on this issue and
 gives a detailed analysis of the interpretation of the concepts "competency", "competence" of foreign and domestic scientists. The author suggests his own
 interpretation of the basic concepts of the competence approach.
 The American approach to the defi nition of "competency" aims at solving the problem of what personal traits of the individual determine the successful
 action while the English one aims at studying on the characteristics of activities and their implementation. According to the author, both approaches represent
 separate sides of the considered concept. Successful activity is determined not only by personality traits of the individual but the ability to update
 knowledge and skills and choose the right ways of behavior and activity for each specifi c situation.
 Study on the characteristics of activities and their implementation without regard to the individual that carries it and specifi c conditions for the implementation
 doesn�t reveal the concept of "competency".
 The article emphasizes that the activity approach is predominated in Russian psycho-pedagogical studies that determine the nature of competency /
 competence.