Alekseyeva O., Kostyuk A.

Institute of World languages, South- Ukranian national pedagogical university named after K. Ushinsky , c. Оdessa

THE ROLE OF COUNTRY STUDY IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF SOCIAL CULTURAL COMPETENCE OF FUTURE TEACHERS

One of the key issues in higher education towards the end of the 20 th century was the debate about the requirements of traditional academic education. Much of the debate took place within universities, particularly in the new context of the knowledge society. Many professions once wholly practiced by persons not holding a university degree saw increased demands for university training. Europe requires its people to be culturally and intellectually equipped in ways appropriate both for their present and for their future. Only thus will they be able to lead meaningful and satisfying lives, personally and collectively. Institutions of higher education have a key role in developing appropriate strategies. It is the responsibility of higher education institutions to prepare their students, in a lifelong learning perspective, for a productive career and for citizenship. Universities and other higher education institutions increasingly have come to realize that theirs is a moving target, and that their leadership in the field of the elaboration and transmission of knowledge and understanding implies a new sensitivity towards developments in society. They increasingly look to consultation with their stakeholders on a regular basis. Education inspires progress in society, but at the same time it must respond, with foresight, to society, preparing adequate strategies for future studies.

It is well known that there is a tendency in modern society to increase the role of foreign languages in all spheres of human activity. This fact predetermines the search for the new ways of foreign languages teaching including the development of the new methodology of some language learning aspects and the new look on the role of foreign culture in educational process. The different teaching methods used to help the students achieve the required competence reflect different approaches to practice.

Considering the experience of Russian and foreign researchers we can say that foreign languages teaching on the basis of students ’ acknowledgement with the culture of the native speakers is one of the main principles of foreign languages teaching. Including the information about the native speakers’ cultural peculiarities into the language learning process makes education more attractive for students. It also helps to make verbal interaction more effective due to adequate understanding of native speakers.

There are two approaches in teaching culture in the process of teaching foreign languages: social and philosophical. The first approach is based on discipline, traditionally related to the study of any foreign language. A country study is understood as a complex educational discipline which comprises various information about the country of the studied language . Unlike fundamental sciences which it is based on, country study includes information of fragmentary character and is determined as a discipline is in the system of geographical sciences, engaged in the complex study of materials, countries, large districts.

The theories of lingua-cultural studies underline that it is a direction which combines a teaching of language with certain information about the country of the studied language. A country is not a basic object, but basic knowledge of native speakers about their country is. The main lingua-cultural task is a study of language units which clearly reflect national cultural features. Realities (specific subject definitions), connotative notions (words having the same meaning but different cultural associations), basic notions (those having the analogues in comparative countries but different in use or exploitation) are among them.

We can definitely state that this combination of two aspects is very important for future teachers because it broadens their mind, develop their communicative skills, their freedom of speaking. It seems obvious that learning language in the strong connection with the study of country’s culture, history and traditions is much more effective. The students perceive the knowledge with great interest.

Besides that the results of teaching practice demonstrate that students’ motivation of studying increases greatly on condition that language learning is combined with the studying of the cultural background of the native speakers.

Thus we can conclude that nowadays there is a strong need for the integration of knowledge about the structure of the language which is being learned and the knowledge about the culture of the countries where this language is used as a means of communication and education. Students, teachers and schools all participate in cultural communities that represent systems of values, beliefs, and ways of knowing that guide daily life. Culture affects how people learn, remember, reason, solve problems, and language is in need to communicate; thus, country study is part and parcel future teachers’ intellectual and social development.