Teaching History of the English Language: Some Socio-Cultural Aspects and Features of Competence-Based Approach

The importance of the problem under investigation is determined by the increasing importance of learning English, which sometimes raises a number of linguistic, cultural and pedagogical issues that can be linked with students’ understanding of the English language itself. The purpose of the article is to reveal some historicocultural aspects of language teaching, which include acquisition of knowledge, shaping skills needed for cross-cultural communication; as well as to highlight the most important features to ensure competence-based approach. The leading approach to the study of the problem is systematic, involving basic content of teaching the history of the English language, which represents a merger of two distinct-subdisciplines of linguistics- sociolinguistics and culturology and focusing on cognitive and communicative components of linguoculturological competence. The paper presents an overview that any foreign language should be viewed not only as a system of linguistic norms, but also as a system of social norms and behavior, spiritual values; language is central to historical and social interaction in every society. The materials of this paper can be recommended for use in modern practice of educational institutions, as well as in the system of teacher training.