ENHANCING SOCIO-CULTURAL COMPETENCE OF PRE-SERVICE FOREIGN LANGUAGE TEACHERS IN FINLAND AND UZBEKISTAN: HIGHER EDUCATION PERSPECTIVE

Socio-cultural competence has become a key component in the preparation of future foreign language teachers in the context of globalization and intercultural communication. This article examines how pre-service foreign language teachers in Finland and Uzbekistan develop socio-cultural competence within higher education systems. The study is based on a comparative analysis of pedagogical approaches, curricula, and teacher education practices in both countries. Particular attention is given to communicative competence theory, pragmatics instruction, task-based language teaching (TBLT), and intercultural learning environments. The findings show that Finland’s education system is strongly oriented toward learner-centered, practice-based, and autonomy-driven learning, while Uzbekistan is undergoing significant reforms aimed at modernizing teacher education and integrating competence-based approaches. The article argues that strengthening intercultural interaction, reflective learning, and authentic communicative practice is essential for improving socio-cultural competence in both contexts.