COMPETENCE-BASED APPROACH AS THE OBJECT OF THEORETICAL ANALYSIS IN PEDAGOGICS

Changes in the social and economic conditions, moral and cultural priorities shift the focus of modern education to shaping an educated and creative personality. This is why the recent tendency for scientists is to pay more and more attention to theoretical and practical search for the reserves to improve the quality of a future teacher's professional competence, particularly the communicative competence. The article is aimed at analyzing the scientists' point of view regarding the notion “competence-based approach”, interpreting and determining its functions within the academic process of higher school. A thorough study of scientific papers and specialized research has enabled us to comprehend the scope of scientific activity in development and interpretation of a variety of opinions on the issue as well as to realize there is no consensus of opinions in pedagogics when it comes to choosing top-priority approaches to teaching vocational subjects in higher school. The research methods include analysis, synthesis and other ones. The analysis of opinions held by scientists in terms of interpreting the contents of the notion “competence-based approach” and determining its functions in the academic process of the higher education system is presented in the article; the designated approach is implemented actively in teaching languages, it changes the goal and focus of education from mere subject-specific knowledge and skills transfer to bringing up a well-developed personality with steady life skills and professional competences. The author arrives at the conclusion that the above-mentioned approach is based on interdisciplinary and integrated requirements to the quality of the educational process, encourages students' academic and cognitive activities, facilitates formation of strong skills to communicate fluently both orally and in writing, and teaches them to use resources of the Ukrainian language expediently in various communicative situations. The result of implementing the competence-based approach into the system aimed at training future teachers of the Ukrainian language and Literature should be represented by a number of competences, the communicative competence being considered as the top priority.