ИСТИНА

This report presents a critical analysis of contemporary English language teaching materials widely used in higher education, focusing on their effectiveness in helping students overcome the cultural barrier. It is noted that for learners who have achieved a sufficiently high level of language proficiency, the key difficulties lie not in acquiring culture-specific vocabulary, speech formulas, or communication strategies, but in so-called "invisible cultural traps". These include cultural concepts, precedent phenomena, and specific features of the native speakers' mentality. It will be demonstrated through concrete examples how a lack of awareness or neglect of these aspects leads to communication breakdowns and errors.