LINGUOCOUNTRY STUDIES AS A NECESSARY EDUCATIONAL COMPONENT OF THE TRAINING OF FUTURE TRANSLATORS

Abstract

The Purpose of the Study. The aim of this study is to outline the importance of teaching the course of Linguocountry Studies for higher education students majoring in Philology in an interdisciplinary aspect, focusing not only on linguistic or cultural components separately, but taking into account both aspects accounting for balance and interconnectedness as well as incorporating vivid examples of Ukrainian reality. This will facilitate understanding of foreign linguo-cultural environment through the prism of comprehensible concepts. Research Methodology. Linguocountry Studies is a discipline within the program for obtaining a bachelor’s degree in Philology, which serves as a reliable basis for acquiring background knowledge of linguistic, regional and cultural nature. This background knowledge may become especially helpful to future translators. Methodological analysis makes it possible to talk about the interdisciplinary level of the outlined course, which takes into account the methodology of interdisciplinary comprehensive research. Knowledge of the subject one may receive through the interaction of different scientific fields. Scientific Novelty. Scientific novelty of the article deals with the approach to teaching the outlined course from the standpoint of interdisciplinarity, as well as the specifics of the comparative aspect not only in the context of the countries under study, but also within Ukrainian contemporary and historical reality. This makes it possible to incorporate both synchronic and diachronic approaches simultaneously, promotes the development of analytical and critical thinking among students. Conclusions. Given the complex present-day reality, which requires the immediate reaction of the international community, interlingual communication, which stands shoulder to shoulder with intercultural interaction, is inevitable. The professional activity of a translator in the context of intercultural dialogue and finding common ground through diplomacy is becoming key to improving the effectiveness of such communication. It is obvious that the knowledge gained in the course of Linguocountry Studies in general or Linguocountry Studies of Great Britain and the United States of America taught separately, as pivotal players in the English-speaking political and economic space, is crucial for understanding major concepts of geopolitics in a global context.