MRS Jou nal o Mul idisciplina y Resea ch and S udies
Abb e ia e Ti le- MRS J Mul Res S ud
ISSN (Online) 3049-1398
Vol-2, Iss-11 (No embe -2025)
This is an open access a icle unde he CC BY-NC license 9
TYPES OF COMPETENCIES IN THE CONTEXT OF TEACHING BULGARIAN
LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE IN PRIMARY EDUCATION
D . Teodo a Vale a*
Bu gas S a e Uni e si y "P o . D . Assen Zla a o ", Bulga ia
Co esponding Au ho : D . Teodo a Vale a (Bu gas S a e Uni e si y "P o . D . Assen Zla a o ", Bulga ia)
A icle His o y: Recei ed: 10 / 07 / 2025:, Accep ed: 27 / 10 / 2025:, Published: 06 / 11 / 2025
Abs ac : The epo add esses he issue o he place and essen ial ole o di e en ypes o compe encies in he con ex o eaching
Bulga ian language and li e a u e a he p ima y s age o basic educa ion. The exposi ion p esen s a ious heo ies ega ding language
acquisi ion and examines di e en ypes o compe encies, wi h a en ion paid o he key ones. I emphasizes ha compe encies a e also
linked o a pe son's beha io - no isola ed knowledge o skills in hemsel es, bu hose ha a e adequa e o speci ic lea ning
si ua ions and necessa y o achie ing high esul s in pa icula educa ional ac i i ies o in a speci ic p o essional ole. In his sense,
he o ma ion o compe encies is ela ed bo h o he accumula ion o knowledge and o he de elopmen o ce ain skills and abili ies in
a pe son om ea ly childhood, wi h a pu sui o knowledge and con inuous pe sonal imp o emen in a spi i ual sense.
Keywo ds: compe ence, de elopmen , Bulga ian language and li e a u e, skills, ea ly school age.
Ci e his a icle: Vale a, T. (2025). TYPES OF COMPETENCIES IN THE CONTEXT OF TEACHING BULGARIAN
LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE IN PRIMARY EDUCATION. MRS Jou nal o Mul idisciplina y Resea ch and S udies, 2(11),9-
12.
In oduc ion
The concep o compe ence has La in o igins and means
"sui able, capable, knowledgeable (La in adj. compe ens)".
Compe ences can be de ined as a combina ion o knowledge,
skills, a i udes and beha iou s acqui ed in he lea ning p ocess,
and hei o ma ion is a long and complex p ocess s a ing om
ea ly childhood and con inuing h oughou conscious li e.
Compe ence is mos o en associa ed wi h he abili y o skill o
accomplish some hing hanks o acqui ed knowledge, bu his
abili y is no inna e; i is o med and de eloped h ough quali y
lea ning in an app op ia e educa ional en i onmen and he
accumula ion o p ac ical expe ience. Compe ences ensu e a
co ela ion be ween he pe sonal, social and p o essional
exp ession o he mode n indi idual. They a e also ela ed o
pe sonal beha iou - no isola ed knowledge o skills on hei own,
bu hose ha a e adequa e o speci ic lea ning si ua ions and
necessa y o achie ing high esul s in a pa icula lea ning ac i i y
o in a speci ic p o essional ole. In his sense, he o ma ion o
compe encies is associa ed bo h wi h he accumula ion o
knowledge and wi h he de elopmen o ce ain skills and abili ies
in a pe son om an ea ly age, wi h a pu sui o knowledge and
con inuous pe sonal imp o emen in a spi i ual sense.
Exposi ion
The e a e a ious heo ies abou language acquisi ion.
Acco ding o one o he mos in e es ing and c i icised, ha o N.
Chomsky, inna e mechanisms play a c ucial ole in language
lea ning. Acco ding o him, people a e bo n wi h an inna e
language abili y and he ne ous sys em ( he ins umen o
acqui ing language) no only allows unde s anding he s uc u e o
he language bu also p o ides each indi idual wi h s a egies and
echniques o lea ning he main ea u es o hei na i e language
[1]. Opposing his iew a e lea ning heo is s, who a gue ha
language acquisi ion is p ima ily and abo e all a ma e o
lea ning. In he mid-1960s, he concep o linguis ic compe ence
eme ged in linguis ics. La e , o deno e he app op ia eness o
language in a speci ic communica i e si ua ion, he e m
communica i e compe ence was also in oduced.
The concep o communica i e compe ence was in oduced
in specialised li e a u e by he Ame ican schola D. Hymes in
connec ion wi h he discussions in he 1960s on he p oblems o
o malised desc ip ion in linguis ics. In his concep , D. Hymes
s a s om he p emise ha in o de o explain he ole o
sociocul u al and linguis ic a iabili y in he communica ion
p ocess, he e y ac o speech communica ion as pu pose ul social
in e ac ion mus be unde s ood as a unc ion o membe ship in a
pa icula speech communi y, a he han me ely as a esul o
g amma ical compe ence. This compe ence, unlike N. Chomsky's
linguis ic compe ence, is no an inna e abili y. I is o med as a
esul o he indi idual's in e ac ion wi h he social en i onmen
[2]. The concep de eloped by D. Hymes includes ou pa ame e s:
1. G amma ical co ec ness - his pa ame e co esponds o
he concep ual con en o he e m "linguis ic
compe ence" used in gene a i e heo y.
2. Feasibili y - mainly de e mined by ce ain psychological
ac o s ha in luence he speech p oduc ion p ocess. 3.
MRS Jou nal o Mul idisciplina y Resea ch and S udies. Vol-2, Iss-11 (No embe ): 9-12
10
Accep abili y - he ela ionship o he u e ance o he
con ex o si ua ion.
3. F equency o occu ence - he likelihood o a pa icula
language o m being used [3]. In his way, D. Hymes
expands he concep o "language compe ence." He
en iches N. Chomsky's ideas by ex ending he no ion o
compe ence om "silen knowledge o g amma o
speaking in gene al"
4. The au ho examines linguis ic compe ence om he
pe spec i es o s uc u al an h opology and
sociolinguis ics.
F om a sociolinguis ic poin o iew, he concep ual con en o he
e m "communica i e compe ence" includes:
1. Language knowledge.
2. Socially communica i e skills (sociolinguis ic ules o
socially accep able speech ac i i y, s a egies o
success ully achie ing communica i e goals, e c.).
3. Sociocul u al knowledge [3].
The p esen ed model o communica i e compe ence by D. Hymes
includes linguis ic, psychophysical and social cha ac e is ics. This
b oad scope o communica i e compe ence implies ha no only
he linguis ic code and i s e e en ial meanings should be
conside ed, bu also wha can be said, o whom, how he discou se
should be cons uc ed, and how i should be in e p e ed in a ious
social si ua ions. Communica i e compe ence is also in e p e ed in
a b oade sense as a 'wo king se o communica i e s a egies
inhe en o an indi idual o a g oup o indi iduals'. This mo e
p agma ic de ini ion by E. V. Klyue ac ually explains he need in
school o de elop ce ain communica i e s a egies and ac ics ha
ake in o accoun he communica i e goal, communica
communica i e expe ience and communica i e in en ions [4].
Mo e speci ically, he communica i e compe ence o he
pa icipan in communica ion includes knowledge o ules o :
1. The app op ia e choice o language a ian o language
in a gi en social con ex acco ding o a speci ic
communica i e in en ion o goal;
2. Swi ching be ween a ian s o languages [5].
Communica i e compe ence is also in e p e ed as compe ence
co esponding o he social con ex [6]. This means ha he ocus is
on i s social s a us, on i s sociolinguis ic aspec . In 1984, John
Ra en p o ided a de ailed in e p e a ion o compe ences,
iden i ying as many as 37 ela i ely independen compe ences,
which he de ined h ough a ious ca ego ies – eadiness, abili y,
a i ude, e c. [7]. Jan an Ek de ines each o he compe ences [8].
Wi hin he amewo k o gene al communica i e compe ence, he
dis inguishes six ypes o compe ences, which ha e independen
dimensions bu a e pa o a whole, namely he communica i e
compe ence. As Jan an Ek calls hem, hey a e 'di e en aspec s
o he same concep '. A he same ime, each o hem is connec ed
o he o he s. Speci ically, hese a e:
Linguis ic compe ence (language compe ence)
Sociolinguis ic compe ence
Discou se compe ence
Sociocul u al compe ence
Social compe ence
Li e a y compe ence
The de ini ions o li e a y compe ence by McRae, and by B um i
and Ca e , a e la gely connec ed wi h he eaching o li e a u e in
seconda y school. We indica e he desc ip o s hey use o desc ibe
li e a y compe ence (i is in e es ing o he Bulga ian expe ience
how English-speaking specialis s in he ield o li e a y educa ion
p esen li e a y compe ence).
Desc ip o s o li e a y compe ence acco ding o McRae [9]:
The abili y o make connec ions and in e ex ual
e e ences;
The abili y o quo e and summa ise cons uc i ely;
The abili y o balance a gumen s and each conclusions;
The abili y o ake a subjec i e posi ion and ela e i o
objec i e c i e ia;
The abili y o con ex ualisa ion
Desc ip o s o li e a y compe ence acco ding o B um i and
Ca e :
The abili y o unde s and he implici and explici
meanings o wo ds in a li e a y ex ;
The abili y o demons a e knowledge by quo ing and
e elling;
The abili y o ecognise he alues and ela ionships
exp essed in a li e a y ex ;
The abili y o make compa isons be ween he li e a y ex
and he ex e nal amewo k o his o y and socie y;
The abili y o de elop s uden s' linguis ic skills,
c ea i i y and sensi i i y;
The abili y o ecognise he di e en componen s o a
li e a y ex , i.e. he main hemes, he plo and he
connec ions be ween he main hemes and he plo [10].
One o he mos impo an oles o li e a y compe ence is he
abili y o assess he impo ance o c ea i ely exp essing ideas,
eelings and expe iences h ough he a ious means, me hods and
echniques o li e a u e. As N. I ano a also s a es: "The p ocess o
li e a y educa ion con ibu es o he li e a y de elopmen o
s uden s, espec i ely o he o ma ion o he abili y o pe cei e and
comp ehend bo h li e a y and non-li e a y ex s, popula science
ex s, and o c ea e one's own ex " [11]; [12].
A li e a ily educa ed pe son is a concep ha encompasses
a mul i ude o skills, knowledge and unde s anding o in o ma ion,
which child en g adually need o accumula e and e ine om an
ea ly age, h oughou he en i e educa ional p ocess, and also
h oughou hei conscious li e. Li e a u e educa ion is a om
being limi ed solely o he ecep ion and in e p e a ion o a speci ic
li e a y wo k o o ob aining in o ma ion abou he li e and wo k o
a pa icula au ho - i is much mo e complex, equi ing deep
engagemen , emo ional in ol emen , insigh and exp ession o
one's own eelings, hough s and subjec i e a i ude owa ds he
su ounding wo ld. The amily and social en i onmen play an
ex emely signi ican ole, because social knowledge in childhood
includes an ac i e o m o lea ning, h ough which he child
cons uc s hei own knowledge and pe cep ion o he wo ld, and
al hough pa en s and pee s a e undoub edly impo an ac o s,
adolescen s ac i ely pa icipa e in hei own socialisa ion g adually
ealizing who hey a e and how much hey co espond o he social
con ex o hei amily and iends [13].
In his sense, a li e a ily educa ed pe son expe iences a
con inuous need o imp o e hei spi i ual quali ies and equi es
cons an con ac wi h books, wo ks, and a ious o ms o
c ea i i y.
MRS Jou nal o Mul idisciplina y Resea ch and S udies. Vol-2, Iss-11 (No embe ): 9-12
11
Acco ding o R. Yo e a: "A li e a ily educa ed pe son
pe cei es li e a u e as a speci ic a , is capable o comp ehending
and syn hesising li e a y ac s, phenomena, and he connec ions
be ween hem in a cul u al con ex ; in e p e ing a is ic and non-
a is ic (my h, olklo e) ex s, guided by he p esump ion ha hey
a e incomple e in e ms o hei exis ence… A li e a ily educa ed
pe son is capable o communica ion (c ea ing o al and w i en
ex s) acco ding o hei own in en ions and app op ia ely o
communica i e si ua ions. A li e a ily educa ed pe son has a need
o engage wi h my h, olklo e, li e a u e, and dialogue wi h he
book. This goal ( he o ma ion o a li e a ily educa ed pe son) is
a ainable no wi hin a single yea o deg ee, bu h oughou he
en i e educa ional p ocess" [14].
Sociolinguis ic compe ence ep esen s a scien i ic
in eg a ion be ween linguis ic and social compe ence. Rega ding
he na u e o sociolinguis ic compe ence, he e a e se e al
opinions, which can be g ouped as ollows:
1. Sociolinguis ic compe ence is an in e media e
compe ence, a ising om he scien i ic in eg a ion
be ween linguis ic and social compe ence, in o de o
conside in e media e phenomena such as he sociology
o language.
2. Sociolinguis ics is an au onomous scien i ic discipline
wi h i s own subjec , me hods, and p oblems.
3. Sociolinguis ics is a linguis ic discipline ha mo e
adequa ely e lec s linguis ic eali y, because i
o e comes he conside a ion o language as an in a ian
ca ied by an ideal speake and pe cei ed by an ideal
lis ene [15].
Rega ding sociocul u al compe ence: his concep , de ining
sociolinguis ic compe ence, emphasises he abili y o use language
in a way ha is mos app op ia e wi h ega d o he cul u al no ms
and alues o a pa icula socie y. This includes unde s anding and
espec ing cul u al di e ences, adi ions, and p ac ices, as well as
he abili y o use language in a way ha ecognises and honou s
hese di e ences. Sociocul u al compe ence plays a ole in shaping
an indi idual's social and cul u al alues and iden i y, which in u n
de e mine hei ac ions in a speci ic social-p o essional domain.
De eloping sociocul u al compe ence in he p ima y educa ion
sys em is an impo an pa o he cu iculum, designed in
acco dance wi h a holis ic app oach o human beings. This helps o
ensu e ha oca ional educa ion and aining ins i u ions ollow he
mission o c ea ing condi ions o acqui ing compe encies ha a e
sa is ying he demand in he labou ma ke and necessa y o he
success ul in eg a ion o he indi idual in o he p o essional and
social en i onmen [16].
As o c i ical sociolinguis ic compe ence – i goes beyond
he abili y o use language in he mos app op ia e way in di e en
social con ex s and ocuses on analysing how language can be used
o pe pe ua e o challenge social inequali ies in a socie y, as well as
he possibili y o using i in a way ha p omo es social jus ice.
In he 1990s, he concep o compe ence con inued o be
en iched and de eloped, and a e 2000, many coun ies'
educa ional p ac ices began o speak o compe ence-o ien ed
educa ion. I is p ecisely his g adual inco po a ion o compe ences
in o a ious sphe es and si ua ions (social and communica i e) ha
p e en s hem om being s ic ly and clea ly classi ied and
sepa a ed, and on he con a y - hey should be iewed as a whole,
as in e connec ed and a ising om one ano he .
Key Compe ences
The o mal beginning o he opic o key compe ences was
ma ked in Decembe 2006 wi h he adop ion o he
Recommenda ion o he Council o he Eu opean Union and o he
Eu opean Pa liamen on a F amewo k o Key Compe ences o
Li elong Lea ning. This amewo k desc ibes eigh (g oups o ) key
compe ences, wi h communica ion in he mo he ongue being he
i s , ollowed by communica ion in a o eign language, basic skills
in ma hema ics, science and echnology, digi al compe ences,
lea ning skills, social and ci ic compe ences, ini ia i e and
en ep eneu ship, cul u al awa eness and c ea i i y, and cul u al
compe ences. These compe ences a e de ined as key because hey
a e applicable o all ages and all o ms o lea ning, make li elong
lea ning p ac ical and possible, se e as a ool o measu ing he
quali y o educa ional sys ems, p o ide a link o he labou ma ke ,
and c ea e oppo uni ies o mobili y. They ensu e success ul
exp ession and good social s a us o people by imp o ing hei
quali y o li e and, las bu no leas , educe he isk o social
exclusion.
Acco ding o Bl. Dimo a, i is p ecisely in p eschool
educa ional ins i u ions ha he ounda ions o he o ma ion o
basic knowledge, skills, compe encies, and alue o ien a ions a e
laid. These elemen s a e decisi e o he u u e ci izen's a i ude
owa ds hemsel es, owa ds o he s, and owa ds he global wo ld.
In his con ex , she conside s ea ly childhood as a c i ical pe iod
o building social sensi i i y, cul u al awa eness, and
esponsibili y o sus ainable de elopmen [17].
Each o he eigh key compe ences highligh s lea ning
aimed p ima ily a achie ing esul s, ocusing on he applica ion o
knowledge in eal-li e si ua ions, hus aking educa ion beyond i s
adi ional subjec -o ien ed amewo k and emphasising he
de elopmen o key compe ences in eg a ed ac oss all subjec s. As
A. Abne no es, he o ma ion o key compe ences is mos e ec i e
when lea ning occu s in a cul u ally and emo ionally ich
en i onmen . In his "PlayLea n" model, he demons a es ha
"language acquisi ion is no achie ed h ough p essu e o o e
memo isa ion, bu h ough a play-educa ional app oach in which
he lib a y, cul u al en i onmen and in e ac i e echnology
unc ion as mu ually complemen a y educa ional ac o s" [18]
Conclusion
Acco ding o he Recommenda ion o he Council o he
Eu opean Union o 22 May 2018, he key compe ences ha e been
upda ed, bu he unde s anding o hem as a combina ion o
knowledge, skills and a i udes emains unchanged, as does hei
numbe . A s onge emphasis is placed on basic skills (li e acy in
eading, o eign languages, basic digi al skills, and ans e able
skills), imp o ing skills in ma hema ics, science, echnology, e c.
[19]. As a esul , he Re ised Recommenda ion iden i ies he
ollowing eigh (g oups o ) key compe ences:
Linguis ic li e acy, mainly ela ed o communica ion
compe ences in he na i e language and ocused on
eading li e acy
Communica i e compe ence, pa ly o e lapping wi h
linguis ic compe ence in e ms o communica ion skills
bu ocused on o eign languages
Ma hema ical compe ence and compe ence in he ields
o science, echnology and enginee ing
Digi al compe ence
MRS Jou nal o Mul idisciplina y Resea ch and S udies. Vol-2, Iss-11 (No embe ): 9-12
12
Pe sonal, social and lea ning compe ence
Ci ic compe ence
En ep eneu ial compe ence
Compe ence o cul u al awa eness and exp ession
All key compe ences a e conside ed equally impo an , o e lap, a e
in e connec ed and a e acqui ed in eg a i ely h ough educa ion in
all subjec s [19].
Re e ences
[1]
N. Chomsky, Rules and Rep esen a ions, New Yo k:
Columbia Uni e si y P ess. ISBN-13: 978-0231048262,
1980.
[2]
D. Hymes, Compe ence and pe o mance in linguis ic
heo y. In R. Huxley & E. Ing am (Eds.), Models and
Me hods, New Yo k: Academic P ess, 1971.
[3]
D. Hymes, On communica i e compe ence. In J. B. P ide
& J. Holmes (Eds.), Sociolinguis ics, Ha mondswo h:
Penguin, 1972.
[4]
E. V. Klyue , Speech Communica ion. MoscowKey
Compe ences 2007, 1998.
[5]
A. Pache , Eu opean Re e ence F amewo k. Small
Encyclopedia o Sociolinguis ics, Ple en: Eu asia-Abaga .
ISBN- 954-450-011-1, 1993.
[6]
B. Angelo , Media and Communica i e Compe ence,
So ia: S . Klimen Oh idski Uni e si y P ess. ISBN:
9789540740638, 2016.
[7]
J. Ra en, Compe ence in Mode n Socie y: I s
Iden i ica ion, De elopmen and Release, London: Hodde
A nold H&S P ess. ISBN-13: 978-0718604813, 1998.
[8]
A. Van Ek, Th eshold Le el English, Ox o d: Pe gamon
P ess. ISBN-13: 978-0080245881, 1985.
[9]
J. McRae, Rep esen a ional Language Lea ning: F om
Language Awa eness o Tex Awa eness, London:
Rou ledge. ISBN: 9781315841687, 2015.
[10]
B um i , C., & Ca e , R, Li e a u e and Language
Teaching, Ox o d: Uni e si y P ess. ISBN: 0194370828,
2000.
[11]
N. I ano a, Li e a y Educa ion a he P ima y S age o
Basic Educa ion., So ia: BG Tex book, 2019.
[12]
N. I ano a, Na i e Language Educa ion a he P ima y
S age o Basic Educa ion, So ia: BG Tex book, 2019.
[13]
Syyman, D., Ken ick, D, Psychology, So ia: New
Bulga ian Uni e si y. ISBN: 954-535-253-1, 2002.
[14]
R. Yo e a, Me hodology o Li e a y Educa ion, Shumen:
Uni e si y P ess: "Ep. K. P esla ski", 2000.
[15]
M. Videno , Sociolinguis ics, So ia: Science and A ,
1982.
[16]
E. Anuziene, "The s uc u e o socio-cul u al compe ence
(sel ) de elopmen ," Voca ional T aining Resea ch and
Reali ies, 26(1), pp. 2-12. h ps://doi.o g/10.1515/ -
2015-0006, 2015.
[17]
B. Dimo a, "Oppo uni ies o De eloping Skills o
Sus ainable De elopmen ," Annual Scien i ic-
Me hodological Jou nal Educa ion and Technology, ol.
13., issue 2, ISSN 1314-791 (p in ), ISSN 2535-1214
(online), h ps://doi.o g/10.26883/2010.222, 2022.
[18]
A. Abne , "In e ac i e non- o mal lea ning en i onmen s
as a amewo k o in ellec ual upb inging h ough English
language acquisi ion a p ima y school age," MRS Jou nal
o Mul idisciplina y Resea ch and S udies, 2(9), pp. 11-14,
2025.
[19]
O icial Jou nal o he Eu opean Union , "Council o he
Eu opean Union. . Council Recommenda ion on key
compe ences o li elong lea ning (2018/C 189/01).
O icial Jou nal o he Eu opean Union, C 189, 1-13,"
h ps://eu -lex.eu opa.eu/legal-
con en /EN/TXT/PDF/?u i=CELEX:32018H0604(0, 2018.
