This article discusses theoretical and practical bases of formation of sociocultural competence in the process of learning English. The structure and content of sociocultural competence are revealed, as well as the criteria for the selection of educational material for its formation in schoolchildren . The article proposes an analysis of the types of educational texts which form social-and-cultural competence among students, discusses the types of communication and their characteristics. The components of the verbal forms of social competence by using comparative analysis of the approaches of learning. Article defines the levels of interpersonal communication and their characteristics.