Uzbek education today is going through a stage of large-scale reform caused by democratic transformations in the socio-political and economic life of society

§1 The main aspects of teaching English to younger students

The need to ensure the socio-cultural development of a younger student in the educational process is due to the psychological and physiological characteristics of children of this age.

Knowledge and consideration of the psychological characteristics of the entire group of children and each child individually are of great help in achieving the goals of education in elementary school. In connection with the psychological characteristics of children, the rules for conducting a lesson should be taken into account. In foreign language classes at school, children are surrounded by the familiar world of toys. [4]
The psychological characteristics of younger students give them advantages in learning a foreign language. Children 7-10 years old absorb it like a sponge indirectly and subconsciously. They understand the situation faster than speaking in a foreign language on the topic. The amount of attention and concentration time is very short, but they increase with age. [eleven]
Initially, it is very difficult for children to obey the new rules. One of the most difficult things for them is to sit quietly. Therefore, in the lesson scenarios, it is necessary to include physical education minutes, musical breaks, and games. Motor activity helps to liberate the child, relieve his tightness, stiffness. Increased efficiency, level of cognitive activity, mental activity. [4]
Particular attention in the lessons of a foreign language should be given to visualization. Since the thinking of children is concrete, visual and effective, and therefore it is necessary to select bright, expressive, colorful, various drawings. [9]
Taking into account the goals of teaching (and the main thing is to teach communication in a foreign language), the teacher is constantly looking for new teaching aids, is puzzled by how to make the lesson more interesting by playing with children on the one hand, and to teach on the other. [1]
Children perceive and assimilate the material better if it is somehow played out, staged.
Taking into account the rapid fatigue of children, it is impossible to do without a physical minute in the lesson, accompanied by rhymes. Thus, we achieve a double goal: a small respite and memorization of new words.
The introduction of new lexical and grammatical material, its perception and memorization by students is facilitated by the use of poems, rhymes and memory games, but children can quickly get bored if it is just a mechanical memorization of the text. Therefore, you have to come up with everything possible to make it interesting for children. [8]
You can conduct an unconventional lesson, for example, a lesson-competition with various riddles, puzzles, competitions with scoring and consolation prizes. This allows you to involve the maximum number of students in the preparation of the lesson, create a positive background and stimulate interest in the English language, and bring the spirit of competition into the learning process.
The main thing is that the student, entering into communication in the language being studied, does not feel the fear of making a mistake and strives to realize this or that communicative intention with all the means at his disposal. [10]


§2. Sociocultural Approach in Teaching a Foreign Language to Primary School Students

The wide socio-cultural background of changes in the modern socio-cultural situation determines the course of pedagogical thought in relation to the problems of education. One of the main tasks is to educate a “cultural personality, ready for equal participation in a dialogue with the world. This idea is emphasized in all documents on the modernization of Russian education. The “Concept for the modernization of education for the period up to 2010” notes: “the most important tasks of education are the formation of civic responsibility and legal self-awareness, spirituality and culture, initiative, independence, tolerance and the ability for successful socialization in society in schoolchildren. [7]

The concept of socioculturality has come a long way before becoming fundamental in the methodology of the social sciences. In the works of ethnographers, anthropologists, historians, sociologists of the 19th century, a “sociocultural approach” is designated. This is due to the fact that since the end of the 19th century, the phenomenon of culture has become the subject of close study. Culture is beginning to be seen as the basis for the formation of value orientations that regulate human social behavior. The content of the "sociocultural approach" changed depending on how the content of the concept of "culture" changed. [2]
Currently, certain aspects of the sociocultural development of primary school students are covered in many studies and publications (E.V. Andreeva, T.Yu. Bilgildeeva, R.N. Buneev, N.F. Golovanova, L.I. Kanin, T.M. Kondratenko, N.V. Nedorezova, S.I. Osipova, S.V. Tarasov, etc.)
The sociocultural component of the content of teaching foreign languages introduces students to various aspects of the life of their foreign peers, modernity and history of the country of the language being studied, deepening and differentiating students' ideas about reality. [2]
This component of the content constitutes regional and linguistic regional knowledge. The former include the so-called encyclopedic and background knowledge, as well as knowledge of the realities of the country of the language being studied, namely: everyday life (food, drinks, national holidays, etc.), living conditions (standard of living, living conditions, etc.), interpersonal relationships (between friends, in the family) and basic values, beliefs and opinions, body language, etc. The second group includes students' knowledge of background vocabulary that expresses the culture of the country of the language being studied (rules of conduct, etiquette). [13]
The more concepts a student uses and the more diverse the country-specific and linguistic-cultural information that he owns and manipulates, the more extensive the picture of the world associatively represented in his experience, the more semantic supports he has for designating and operating with the means of a foreign language. The technology of assimilation of this knowledge should teach students to understand the phenomena of another culture in their comparison with their own, original culture. This aspect of education is designed to develop their curiosity, interest and ability to observe a different way of worldview and attitude, the ability to reflect on existing and acquired cultural experience. [15]
Attempts to change the content of school education have so far concerned the inclusion of certain topics in existing subjects or their exclusion.
The desire, without changing the basis of the content, to respond to the challenge of modernity, led to an understanding of the need for a consistent transition to a personality-oriented, activity-based content core based on the cultivation and formation of universal ways of mastering the world. This is consistent with the search for means of forming competencies and competencies [3].
Sociocultural competence - knowledge of the cultural characteristics of a native speaker, their habits, traditions, norms of behavior and etiquette and the ability to understand and adequately use them in the process of communication, while remaining a carrier of a different culture; the formation of socio-cultural competence involves the integration of the individual in the system of world and national cultures. [2]
This concept has become a leader in the field of teaching foreign languages and has served as a platform for the creation of curricula, teaching aids and teaching methods. Revolutionary for the problems of teaching foreign languages in this concept was that the apparatus of text formation at the sentence level, namely grammar and vocabulary, was no longer considered as the goal of learning in itself, but was a means to fulfill communicative goals. [15]
Competence is a derivative of competence and is understood as a certain area of application of knowledge, skills, abilities and qualities that together help a person to act in various situations, including new situations [5].
Modifying the noted concepts in the pedagogical context, they build the terminological construction "educational competence" - the level of development of the student's personality, associated with the qualitative development of the content of education. The progressive development of international contacts and relations in politics, economics, culture and other areas determines the orientation of the methodology of teaching foreign languages to the real conditions of communication. [7]
Intercultural (social) competence is put forward as the goal of training, and the process of teaching a foreign language should be aimed at overcoming existing stereotypes, fostering tolerance towards representatives of other cultures [11].
The formation of sociocultural knowledge and skills means expanding the volume of linguistic and regional knowledge and regional knowledge through new topics and issues of speech communication, taking into account the specifics of the chosen profile. As well as deepening knowledge about the country or countries of the language being studied, their science and culture, historical and modern realities, public figures, the place of these countries in world society, world culture, relations with our country; expanding the volume of linguistic and cultural knowledge, skills and abilities associated with the adequate use of linguistic means and the rules of speech and non-speech behavior in accordance with the norms adopted in the country of the language being studied [15].
It has long been known that a special knowledge of the world, customs, reflected in culture, are transmitted in the language and can become an obstacle when communicating with representatives of different peoples. And the difficulties lie in the difference not so much in objects and phenomena as in cultural concepts about these phenomena and objects, since the latter live and function in different, other worlds. Behind linguistic and cultural equivalence lies conceptual equivalence, the equivalence of cultural representations. Therefore, the conclusion about the need to deeply know the specifics of the country of the language being studied and, thus, the need for a sociocultural approach as one of the main principles of teaching foreign languages has become generally recognized [10].
The use of country-specific information in the learning process provides an increase in the cognitive activity of students, considers their communication capabilities, has a positive effect on the formation of their communication skills and abilities, as well as positive motivation, gives an incentive for independent work on the language and contributes to the solution of educational problems [5, 13].
There is no doubt that when the national-cultural component is included in the content of teaching a foreign language, adequate means are needed for its assimilation. One of them are games, the use of which helps the teacher to effectively solve practical, general educational, developmental and educational tasks. The inclusion of such material also creates additional opportunities for stimulating and maintaining motivation for learning a foreign language, expanding the horizons of students [6].
Of course, a person who studies a foreign language remains a bearer of the culture of his native language, however, linguistic and cultural material enriches his background knowledge, he learns the elements of a foreign language culture, which will allow him to be included in the integrative processes taking place in the world.
So, on the basis of the foregoing, one should once again emphasize the fact that mastering a foreign language without getting acquainted with the culture of the country of the language being studied, with the mentality of people who speak this language, cannot be complete.


§3. Means of Socio-Cultural Competence Formation at the Junior Level of English Language Teaching

Sociocultural competence implies familiarity with the national and cultural specifics of the speech behavior of native speakers, with those elements of the sociocultural context that are relevant for the passage and perception of speech from the point of view of native speakers: customs, rules, norms, social conventions, rituals, regional knowledge.

In connection with the changed approach to teaching culture through language and attempts to create a bridge between ours and the new culture, the priorities of the forms of work in the English lesson are also changing. [2]
The most effective means of developing socio-cultural competence is staying in the country of the language being studied, immersing yourself in the very atmosphere of culture, traditions, customs and social norms of the country. In view of the fact that students do not have such an opportunity, it is necessary to find effective ways and means of developing sociocultural competence outside the language environment. [3, 11]
An important factor in the formation of socio-cultural competence is the use of new learning technologies.
In particular, projects are becoming increasingly popular - a special kind of organization of games. In them, the student gets the opportunity to talk about his habits, favorite things in comparison with the same phenomena in English-speaking countries. In addition to the fact that the projects create a motive for learning the language and culture, they take into account the main characteristics of children of primary school age, they also teach schoolchildren to learn, to perform various types of work - to collect information, organize text, take interviews, make audio recordings, and the like. The child learns to work independently, to use different sources of information and new technologies. [10]
In this case, the project methodology is considered productive, since it creates a unique opportunity for the personal growth of students, orients them towards the disclosure of creative potential and the development of cognitive interests. The algorithm of work on the technology of projects used in the educational process:

hypotheses → creation of a problem situation → problem analysis → concretization and comprehension → implementation → presentation

The project methodology is a personality-oriented type of activity that provides the conditions for self-knowledge, self-expression and self-affirmation. [10]

The project method allows you to increase the productivity of training and ensures its practical orientation. The topics of project work should have a socio-cultural and cultural sound, as well as reflect a diverse range of students' interests.
In the process of performing design work, students collect, systematize and summarize rich original material. At the same time, students turn not only to various printed sources, but also to sources on the Internet.
Collaborative learning technology helps to create conditions for active joint learning activities of students in various learning situations.
Interactive interaction of students in pairs or groups ensures the practical use of the language in situations that simulate reality. This technology develops in students the need to constantly improve their speech and creative abilities. For successful interaction in various communication situations, the method of role-playing communication is used. The method of comparison is productive, allowing to compare the fact of the native culture and the culture of the language being studied, as well as to draw a parallel comparison of traditions, customs, manners, holidays and achievements. Comparison and evaluation, as a rule, occurs in situations of verbal communication. [15]
Authentic information and reference texts serve as a material for teaching listening comprehension: audio information in galleries and museums, announcements at the airport, train station, and in transport. In addition, students are offered texts that may come across in real life when studying or visiting the country of the language being studied: weather forecast, news, sports reports, instructions, interviews. [8]
Learning to read texts of linguistic and cultural content is a certain novelty, since these texts always contain the realities of the country of the language being studied. Taking into account age, subjects and problems, students are offered authentic texts of various styles: journalistic, popular science, philological, artistic.
Productive tasks of the post-text stage are tasks in which students must highlight the main idea, thought, information; determine the causal relationship of events and phenomena; evaluate the importance, novelty, reliability of information, etc.
The newspaper text, in this case, is considered as one of the effective means of forming the socio-cultural competence of students. Of course, for elementary school students it is necessary to select this material very carefully. The newspaper text is very difficult for the perception of younger students, so it is enough to use small excerpts from announcements, news or interviews. Naturally, the vocabulary of the text also adapts to the level of knowledge of students. [8, 11]
An effective method of work is the method of comparative analysis. Vocabulary is introduced in the way of its social and regional reflection. Students get acquainted with the text containing information about the realities of a foreign culture, and then compose a similar text describing similar phenomena and realities of Russian reality.
Thus, acquaintance with the culture of the country occurs by comparing and constantly evaluating existing knowledge and concepts with newly acquired knowledge and concepts about one's country. Comparing, students highlight the general and the specific, which contributes to the unification, development of understanding and good attitude towards the country, people, traditions. [13]
The most effective means of forming socio-cultural competence can also be attributed to the comparative method, which includes various kinds of discussions (traditions and customs that are largely different from the native culture are discussed in the classroom);
The method of "critical incidents", aimed at identifying differences in communication (students are offered a description of an incident in communication, as a result of which the interaction of representatives of different cultures was difficult due to cultural differences and misunderstanding of the situation by one of the partners). [3, 5]
The use of song material in English lessons can be used not only to develop auditory, pronunciation skills, replenish vocabulary, practice speech skills, but also to familiarize students with the elements of the culture of the country of the language being studied. Some principles should be followed here, namely: the song should be authentic, it should correspond to the age and interests of the students. It is also necessary to match the song to the language level of students, methodological value. If the choice of song follows these principles, then it has the potential to be very useful.
Next, the teacher develops a system of exercises for this song. If the teacher is faced with the goal of forming socio-cultural competence, then the system of exercises will be aimed at focusing students' attention on those elements of cultural information that are contained in the text. [22]
For the development of sociocultural competence, it is important that the text of any task contains the following information: facts of everyday life, the presence of ethno-cultural information, various kinds of symbols, the presence of information about behavioral culture, including behavior in various situations, colloquial formulas, norms and values of society.
Mastering a foreign language is inextricably linked with mastering the national culture, which involves not only the assimilation of cultural knowledge, but also the formation of the ability and willingness to understand the mentality of the native speakers of the language being studied, as well as the peculiarities of the communicative behavior of the people of this country. [2]
So, the socio-cultural component in the content of teaching a foreign language plays a significant role in the development of the student's personality, as it makes it possible not only to get acquainted with the heritage of the culture of the country of the language being studied, but also to compare it with the cultural values of their country, which contributes to the formation of the general culture of the student. This component is designed to expand the general, social, cultural horizons of students, to stimulate their cognitive and intellectual processes. [10]
In addition, it is possible to use role-playing games, for example, staging a show of your house to guests and various other plots that use the active vocabulary of the topic. Thus, the use of role-playing games in the classroom also contributes to the development of sociocultural and communicative competencies. [13]
The possibilities of using game techniques in the study of vocabulary with the involvement of textbook materials are quite large. The first is the use of visuals, or layouts, to enter and repeat vocabulary.
There are also various game tasks of a creative nature, for example, to come up with a non-existent character and a fairy-tale house, palace or castle for him. At the same time, it is stipulated that the character lives in England. When presenting their work, children talk about their creations in English, using the active vocabulary of the topic. [13]
A very successful technique is the use of funny poems on the topics being studied. Poems are easily and with interest memorized by children, they can be staged, acted out, recited by heart in the form of a competition, and even composed. Game techniques and creative tasks make it possible to present all exercises with verses as communicative, as students master the language on the basis of imitation, unconsciously. However, when using poems in English lessons, as well as other game techniques, it is necessary to observe the measure; the game in the lesson should not be an end in itself, but should only be organically woven into the general system of methods and techniques used in the lesson. This rule must be observed when using game techniques of any group. [9]
Also, the effective implementation of the socio-cultural approach is carried out during traditional English holidays: Mother's Day, Valentine's Day, Christmas, Easter, St. Patrick's Day - with learning songs and poems, demonstration and production of national attributes for the holiday. The very atmosphere of the holiday allows children to learn about the traditions of English-speaking countries with ease and interest, as well as to feel them for themselves. [6]
Dramatization is an excellent technique for introducing children to the culture of the country of the language being studied. It allows the child to feel like an English character, in some way to feel some of the features of his life.
Another way to develop the socio-cultural competence of students is the use of video materials. Video films are a kind of cultural portraits of the country. Thanks to them, students can see with their own eyes the landscapes and sights of the country, observe the process of a holiday, a ceremony, patterns of people's behavior in everyday life, for example, in a cafe and in a store, at a train station and at a birthday party, a doctor's appointment, and so on.
Early learning a foreign language is also important because the success in mastering the subject at subsequent stages depends on how the learning goes at the initial stage. [21]
Summarizing all of the above, it should be said that the technology of critical thinking, project activities, learning in collaboration and gaming technologies, the technology of developing learning develop interest in foreign language communication, expand its subject content. Also, in the formation of socio-cultural competence, it is important to use the methodology of comparative analysis, reading texts of linguistic and cultural content, including newspaper text, using song material and using the national-regional component.
Thus, the inclusion of a game component in the educational activity is one of the important means of forming the socio-cultural competence of younger students.