SOCIOLINGUISTIC AND SOCIOCULTURAL COMPETENCE OF PUBLIC SERVANTS

Abstract

This article aims to provide a theoretical foundation for the features of sociolinguistic and sociocultural competence and to demonstrate their significance in the organization of international cooperation by public servants and in the professional training of higher education students specializing in “Public Administration”. The research methodology includes methods of scientific cognition, analytical information processing, and systems analysis. Based on the European Reference Framework for Key Competences for Lifelong Learning, the study analyzes concepts that reveal the essential content of linguistic, social, and cultural competencies. The research shows that these conceptual principles are reflected in the national regulatory framework, scientific and methodological work on the development of higher education standards, current local documents related to the professional activities of public servants, and educational programs in higher education. The study clarifies the conceptual and terminological framework, identifies the components of sociolinguistic competence, and emphasizes the need to understand the social stratification of language, which regulates relationships between representatives of different social statuses, generations, genders, nationalities, regional origins, and professional affiliations. The analysis highlights the importance of non-verbal communication means, whose significance can vary significantly among different national and social groups. In discussing “sociocultural competence,” the study introduces the concept of communicators’ background knowledge, which includes understanding and transmitting information of cultural, material-historical, and geographical nature, as well as knowledge of everyday life, traditions, and customs. The scientific novelty of this work lies in presenting the components of sociolinguistic and sociocultural competence as integrated into a holistic system for developing communicative competence in public servants and higher education students. Based on the theoretical analysis, the study provides recommendations for developing these competencies during higher education training. Conclusions. The communicative competence of a public manager, particularly sociolinguistic and sociocultural competence, synthesizes general culture and its specific manifestations in professional administrative activities. The expected outcome of acquiring competence includes functional language use, awareness, and reflection in speech practices of the interconnection between language, culture, and social reality, as well as establishing constructive intercultural communication. Paying appropriate attention to the development of sociolinguistic and sociocultural competence in public managers, starting from professional education, will enhance professionalism and enable them to succeed as professionals, particularly in the field of international cooperation, which is critically important for Ukraine during the war and postwar recovery.