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The article is devoted to the relevant issue – comparative analysis of traditional and innovative methods of teaching English at tertian institutions for improving future specialists’ foreign language training in the context of reforming of the modern educational system. The relevance of studied problem is proved by investigating the pedagogical and methodological works of Ukrainian and foreign scientists (N. Galskova, K. Dolinska, V. Zaborovskyi, S. Nikolaieva, O. Tarnopolskyi). It is noted that the Ukrainian system of foreign language education takes into account the advanced European and world experience. The article aims at disclosing the features of implementing the innovative methods of teaching English in comparison with traditional ones. The author points out that the history of development of foreign language education started in XIX century and translation methods were preferred which later were replaced by the communicative approach. The emphasis is made on the fact that implementing of the standards in the sphere of education are conditioned by two factors: the social order of the society, which is a strategic reference point for language policy in the field of foreign language learning, as well as the level of development of the theory and practice of teaching English, that creates the appropriate context for applying new methodological ideas. It is proved that current state of the society development requires training of a highly skilled specialist who knows the foreign language. Being the language of intercultural communication, English is considered to be not the ultimate goal of learning, but a means of professional communication of future specialists in different areas of knowledge. It is noted that such an approach contributes to overcoming barriers in students’ communication and the empowerment of students’ mobility. The innovative trends in teaching English at tertian institutions are the following: using the authentic content, content and language integrated learning; developing social and cultural competence on the principle of culture dialogue; transformation of the style of interaction between a teacher and a student; implementing online education.

This study deals with the impact of using authentic socio – cultural elements on the performance of EFL learners. Unfortunately, few studies have been conducted in Jordan concerning this issue though the interest in it has been for a long time at world – wide level. As a result, the researcher intends to carry out an investigation of this to find out the effect of including such aspects on the performance of the Jordanian EFL learners. For the sake of carrying out the present study and fulfilling its aims, the following hypothesis is proposed: 'Foreign language learners of English in Jordan face difficulties in handling language effectively when they are put in real life situations based on the authintic culture of the foreign language". A number of procedures have been adopted to achieve this aim and to confirm the supposed hypothesis: (a)assessing the effect of such content on students' performance by administering a battery of tests. (b) preparing written and oral achievement tests loaded with unauthentic socio- cultural elements, and other tests loaded with authentic socio- cultural elements of the target language in order to measure their over all ability to act effectively in the target language. The raw scores of the examinees can be invested to emphasize the workability of the view that language and its socio- cultural content are inseparable. After treating the raw scores statistically, the researcher has found that the total average of all skills shows a significant difference in performance. All these findings confirm the hypotheses which read, "Foreign language learners in Jordan face difficulties in handling language effectively when they are put in situations based on the authentic culture of the language". This could be an indirect suggestion for textbooks writers to take such integration into consideration the time they sit to decide the content of foreign language syllabi, in the sense that it should by purposefully chosen.