Keyword: «rap texts»

The article addresses the development of a methodology for fostering foreign language sociocultural competence and critical thinking in high school students through authentic American rap texts. This paper presents the results of a diagnostic survey conducted among 60 students during the initial phase of the study. The research aims to provide a theoretical justification, develop, and test a methodological framework designed to integrate the development of the aforementioned competences. The survey was intended to identify students’ baseline interests, their attitudes toward the cultural component of language learning, their self-assessment of analytical skills with respect to authentic texts, and their readiness to engage with hip-hop materials. The obtained data indicate that adolescents demonstrate a high level of interest in the cultural aspects of language and recognize the potential of contemporary music for language learning; however, they lack targeted practice in in-depth critical text analysis. These findings provide empirical justification for the implementation of the proposed methodological framework.