Interpreting a Fictional Text: An Intercultural Approach Yakiv Bystrov Vasyl Stefanyk PreCarpathian National University Foreign Languages Department 37 Pivdennyi Blvd., apt. 26, Ivano-Frankivsk 76010, Ukraine ybystrov@ukr.net, +380342 710263 ABSTRACT Bystrov Ya. Interpreting a Fictional Text: An Intercultural Approach. The article deals with recent studies in the field of intercultural communication that have practical value and the suggestions for designing the syllabus of the course, “Linguocultural Analysis of a Literary Text” for university MA students majoring in English. Interdisciplinary and innovative character of the proposed course intends to cultivate a sociocultural approach as a comparatively new enterprise in a university curriculum in TEFL and has become a topic relevant to current changes in Linguocultural Studies. Key words: linguocultural interpretation of a literary text, language and culture, intercultural approach. INTRODUCTION Global transformations which have been taking place in the world since the end of the 20 th century contributed, greatly to the formation of a new intercultural paradigm in language learning. The idea of TEFL in the context of dialogue between cultures became of prime importance in modern linguodidactics. Inasmuch as culturological knowledge is considered to be a major prerequisite for understanding fictional texts. It can also serve as one of the sources of information for learners’ adequate perception and comprehension. Linguocultural capacity of literary works in the methods of TEFL has become an object for contemporary researchers, where a lot of attention has been paid to didactics of literature (Gudkov 2003, Krasnykh 2002, Hui Han 2005, Kramsch 1998, McKay 1997, Nowacka 2002 and others). The aim of the article is defined by the need to integrate language and culture into teaching English through the process of integral linguocultural analysis of British/American fictional texts that increase the students’ intercultural competence. The facilities should be taken into account to develop an intercultural approach in TEFL and begin an academic dialogue to discuss the challenges faced. The article aims at the following tasks: ● Describing the peculiarities of linguocultural approach as the basis for students’ intercultural background knowledge;