Development of English Phonetic Competence in Future Primary School Teachers: Contemporary Challenges

The modern paradigm of language training for future primary school teachers is oriented towards the implementation of a competency-based approach to student learning, which is a key element of the New Ukrainian School. This paradigm takes into account fundamental changes and everyday challenges faced by contemporary teachers, and is characterized by high quality, versatility, and flexibility. This article examines English phonetic competence as an important component of the language and methodological training of future primary school teachers. In order to investigate this relevant issue, a set of complementary scientific and theoretical methods were used, including critical analysis and synthesis of psychological-pedagogical, scientific-methodological, and linguistic literature on the research problem, as well as analysis of educational normative documents to determine the state of development of the problem. The theoretical foundations of the concepts of “language competence”, “phonetic competence”, “English phonetic competence”, and “phonetic competence of future teachers” were examined. The review of specialized literature allowed for the synthesis of a definition of “English phonetic competence of future primary school teachers”, which is the first attempt to formulate this competence and its components. Based on the characteristics of the basic concepts under study, the role and place of English phonetic competence in the structure of foreign language communicative competence were determined. Additionally, an analysis of the main trends and directions in the formation of English phonetic competence in higher education students was conducted. The article provides a detailed overview of various aspects of this problem and highlights relevant issues related to the development of phonetic competence in future primary school teachers. The research findings can be useful for the practical work of teachers and tutors involved in the preparation of future English language teachers in primary school.