The concept of "lexical competence" in modern methodology of teaching foreign languages

The article examines the process, conditions and stages of acquisition of lexical competence by students in the process of learning foreign languages. One of the basic conditions of lexical competence is the work of students with authentic materials. The criteria of using authentic audio- and videomaterials, that will positively influence the process of learning grammatical and lexical elements of a foreign language by students, are investigated. The purpose of this article is the search and approbation of the most effective methods and means of learning English using authentic English videomaterials that will contribute to the successful development of lexical competence in students. The topicality of the research lies in the fact that the main task for students in the process of learning a foreign language is the acquisition of lexical competence, which is a component of communicative competence. The object is the lexical competence and the subject of the study is the process of the acquisition of lexical competence with the help of the authentic materials. The problem concerning the Ukrainian system of education is that the students possess a number of competences (theoretical knowledge), but are not able to apply them into practice (in the context of our study, students are not able to freely operate foreign language units and use them in real-life situations). The work of students with properly selected authentic materials (according to the students' age, level of knowledge, interests, topic and objectives of a lesson) facilitates students' acquisition of lexical competence and stimulates them to motivational activity.