Linguo-sociocultural competence as a key factor in teaching a foreign language

Abstract

This article focuses on the problems of developing socio-cultural awareness while teaching a foreign language, integrating socio-cultural components into teaching and through foreign languages. The aim of teaching a foreign language means not only acquiring communication skills but also forming cultural and linguistic personality. The efficiency of this process is directly dependent on the reached level of mutual understanding between communicants. To achieve this aim partners should have the willingness and capacity to form dialogue of cultures which presupposes the existence of a socio-cultural competence. Sociocultural competence includes knowledge about values, beliefs, behavior patterns, customs, traditions, language and cultural achievements peculiar to society. This competence occurs in the framework of socio-cultural education and training, i.e. in the process of personalizing the culture and national traditions of the country of the studied language.