INTEGRATING SPEECH COMPETENCE AND DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES IN TEACHING ENGLISH AS A FOREIGN LANGUAGE

Аннотация

The article explores the integration of speech competence and digital technologies in teaching English as a foreign language. The focus is on the competency-based approach, which aims at the formation and development of foreign language communicative competence (FLCC), comprising linguistic, speech, and sociocultural components. Special attention is given to the development of speech competence, particularly listening and speaking skills, which are key to successful communication. An analysis of modern electronic resources shows that the use of digital tools in distance learning effectively supports the development of these skills. At the same time, objective difficulties in listening and individual learner characteristics are highlighted, which must be taken into account when designing teaching methodologies. In conclusion, it is stated that a well-designed methodology incorporating digital technologies can significantly enhance students’ speech training and strengthen their overall foreign language communicative competence. Keywords: foreign language communicative competence, speech competence, listening, speaking, distance learning, digital technologies, electronic resources, teaching methodology, foreign language, skills development. It is well known that the competency-based approach in education is aimed at the formation and development of a comprehensive set of competencies in students, the acquisition of which enables them to effectively solve various professional tasks. The main goal of foreign language instruction is the development of foreign language communicative competence (FLCC). Numerous studies in Russian academic literature (authors: N.I. Almazova, I.L. Bim, M.N. Vyatyutnev, N.I. Gez, N.D. Galskova, I.A. Zimnyaya, G.A. Kitaigorodskaya, E.I. Passov, V.V. Safonova, E.N. Solovova, A.N. Shamov, and others) are dedicated to the content and methodology of foreign language teaching within the framework of the competency-based approach. According to T.P. https://scientific-jl.com/new 22 77 11 Volume–78_Issue-1_June-2025 JOURNAL OF NEW CENTURY INNOVATIONS Popova, the concept of FLCC "undergoes reinterpretation in response to changes in social reality and the evolving goals of foreign language education in society." [1, с. 11]. Following V.V. Safonova, we understand foreign language communicative competence (FLCC) as the degree to which a learner has acquired linguistic, speech, and sociocultural knowledge, skills, and abilities, enabling them to flexibly and appropriately adjust their speech behavior in accordance with the psychological characteristics of a given communicative situation. [2]. In general, scholars identify various components that make up foreign language communicative competence (FLCC). According to the model proposed by V.V. Safonova, FLCC consists of linguistic, speech, and sociocultural components. The sociocultural component, in turn, is divided into sociolinguistic, subject-specific, general cultural, and country-specific (linguocultural) competences.[3]. Linguistic competence involves mastering the phonetic, orthographic, grammatical, and lexical means of the language. Its development must occur in close connection with both speech and sociocultural competences. Speech competence implies the development of communicative skills across all four main types of speech activity: speaking, listening, reading, and writing. This study focuses on improving speech competence in English language lessons. The aim of the article is to analyze a range of electronic resources that facilitate the development of listening and speaking skills in the context of distance learning. Regarding difficulties in teaching listening, according to E.N. Solovova, listening is the skill that causes the greatest number of problems both for beginners learning a foreign language and for those preparing for international exams to assess language proficiency. [4]. Among the main difficulties of listening, the researcher primarily highlights that the text is played only once, and the listener does not have the opportunity to adjust the speaker’s speech to their own level of understanding. In real- life situations, repetitions are impossible, and the speech may be fast, emotional, and filled with figurative expressions that are not always easy to recognize in the flow of speech. Since a lot of listening is required in live communication, the ability to accurately and fully perceive the interlocutor’s speech is of great importance for successful communication. Therefore, one of the key objectives of foreign language teaching is to develop students’ ability to understand spoken language. At the same time, listening, like any other type of speech activity in foreign language lessons, serves not only as a goal but also as a means of learning, since it is impossible to develop only one skill in isolation. By working with audio texts, students simultaneously improve their phonetic, lexical, and grammatical skills. Moreov