COGNITIVE APPROACH TO FORMING LEXICAL SKILLS AT THE UPPER SECONDARY LEVEL OF FOREIGN LANGUAGE TEACHING: DISTINCTIVE FEATURES AND PEDAGOGICAL IMPLICATIONS

This article examines the distinctive features of the cognitiveapproach to forming lexical skills at the upper secondary level of foreign languageteaching. Drawing on established theories in cognitive linguistics, second languageacquisition, and pedagogical psychology, the paper analyses how mental schemaformation, semantic mapping, contextual inference, and metacognitive regulationfunction as core mechanisms in vocabulary development for advanced learners. Thearticle further discusses practical classroom strategies that align with cognitiveprinciples and evaluates the pedagogical implications of adopting this approach inupper secondary English as a Foreign Language (EFL) contexts. The findingssuggest that a cognitively oriented lexical curriculum significantly enhances depthof word knowledge, retention, and productive use of vocabulary.