Currently, the leading teaching method is the communicative-oriented method of teaching foreign languages. And one of the most important principles of the communicative-oriented method is the principle of situationality. Based on this, we can conclude that the process of teaching a foreign language should have a situational basis for greater motivation of students to speak, read, listen or write in a foreign language.

When teaching a foreign language using the situationality principle, a number of conditions should be observed:

• there should be accuracy in pronunciation and in the use of grammar;
• practical mastery of the main components of the language should occur through mastering stable constructions;
• the ability to quickly respond in conversational situations should be developed;
• the use of basic structures and sentences should occur automatically [1].

The situational approach to teaching a foreign language is a methodology based on the use of real communicative situations in which students can apply the acquired linguistic skills in a practical setting. This approach involves creating curricula, tasks and exercises that simulate real communication situations so that students can learn to use the language in accordance with its functional purposes [2].

This approach to teaching a foreign language is actively used in modern teaching methods, as it helps students develop their communicative skills, confidence in communication and the ability to adapt to various real-world situations.

The oral approach or situational language teaching is an approach developed by British linguists between the 1930s and 1960s.

British linguists had different views on the specific methods that should be used in teaching a language, however, their general principles were attributed to the oral approach in language teaching, which is based on the situationality principle. By the 1950s, the oral approach had become an officially recognized approach to language teaching in the UK. One of the most prominent followers of the oral approach in the 1960s was Australian George Pittman. He and his colleagues were responsible for developing training materials based on the situational approach that was widely used in Australia, New Guinea and the Pacific territories.

The main features of the situational approach are:

• language teaching begins with spoken language – the material is first studied orally, then presented in written form;
• the language being mastered is the language of communication in the classroom;
• new language points are presented and practiced in different situations;
• the process of vocabulary selection is carried out in order to ensure that the required volume of words is learned;
• grammar points are studied in such a way that easy forms should be studied before more difficult ones;
• reading and writing are taught when the basic vocabulary and grammar base has already been mastered.

The theory of situational language teaching is based on behaviorally conditioned theory based on teaching through habit. It refers mainly to the process rather than to the conditions of teaching. The goals of this method are to teach practical mastery of the four basic language skills, goals that are shared by almost all language teaching methods. But these skills are achieved through structure. Accuracy in both grammar and pronunciation is essential, and errors must be avoided at all costs. Situated language teaching activities continue to be part of the standard set of procedures endorsed by many modern British methodologists. Textbooks based on situated language teaching continue to be widely used throughout the world [3].

For a deeper understanding of the situational approach, it is necessary to note the principles that reveal its essence, namely:

• language teaching is a process of developing a certain skill;
• the presence of errors can lead to the formation of an incorrect skill;
• teaching a foreign language will be more effective if oral speech skills are acquired first, and then written;
• the process of teaching foreign languages ​​is better based on analogy than on analysis;
• the meaning of words should be memorized only in a certain linguistic and cultural context;
• the study of grammatical material is carried out according to a model (using examples of grammatical structures taken from the speech of native speakers), and not according to a system of rules;
• the main thing in teaching is situationality (language material is presented and practiced in situations, due to which students understand its meaning faster);
• students repeat language material in educational situations and can use it in real communication situations;
• grammatical correctness of speech is of great importance, mistakes are necessarily corrected by the teacher, and students repeat and remember the correct version. The situational approach to teaching has its advantages and disadvantages. The positive aspects of this approach include the fact that much attention is paid to the choice of material, the development of skills for the automatic use of certain words and phrases, as well as complete immersion in the language environment due to the use of exclusively the studied language and the complete rejection of the native language. In addition, the emphasis on oral speech helps to overcome the language barrier, and the study of words in a certain context contributes to their faster memorization and use in practice. On the other hand, the disadvantages of this method include the cost in relation to the time of preparation for the class, as well as high requirements for the correctness of oral speech, which can provoke discomfort and stress for students when studying a foreign language [2].

The teacher can use the technology of modeling communication situations at various stages of teaching a foreign language. It promotes the development of dialogic speech skills, expands the vocabulary and linguistic horizons of students. Thanks to the language situation, an atmosphere is created in the classroom that promotes communication in the target language, moving from a dialogue to a polylogue. In addition to the fact that this technology perfectly practices oral speech in general and speech cliches of a socio-cultural orientation in particular, it also allows students to demonstrate creative thinking and promotes the formation of compensatory competence – the ability to get out of a situation in conditions of a deficit of linguistic means when receiving and transmitting information. Since, in the course of conducting a dialogue, such basic speech skills are necessary as a) finding out and providing information about someone or something; b) reporting on any events; c) discussing the proposed topic, then in the process of teaching these speech skills it is very important to select thematic language material that will be focused on improving these skills [4].

There are various classifications of situations used in foreign language classes. One of the most famous is the classification by I.V. Alekseeva:

• illustrative situation – used for visual representation (demonstration) of a device, method of action, object, process;
• exercise situation – used for teaching rules, regulations, methods of solving typical, frequently repeated problems;
• assessment situation – used to evaluate the effectiveness of the chosen strategy;
• problem-oriented situation (real or simulated) – used to solve a specific problem [5].

The teacher can choose one of these situations, or use several to develop students’ foreign language communicative competence.

Using the situationality principle in foreign language classes affects students’ motivation. It should be recognized that students prefer strategies that promote active teaching to traditional lectures, which encourages them to continue teaching the language. The importance of motivation cannot be overestimated, as it is one of the most important factors in teaching a foreign language. It is motivation that determines the student’s further success in studying the subject.

Using the situationality principle in teaching a foreign language can have a number of potential opportunities for better language acquisition, most of which are associated with the creation of a favorable and productive environment that contextualizes knowledge and ensures students’ immersion in the educational process.