THE ROLE AND PLACE OF SOCIOCULTURAL COMPETENCE AMONG OTHER TYPES OF COMPETENCIES AND ITS IMPORTANCE IN TEACHING ENGLISH

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 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.