Lacunae and Intercultural Competence: Pedagogical Implications, Compensation Strategies, and the Linguacultural Worldview

This article investigates lacunae — lexical, semantic, and cultural gaps between languages — from the perspectives of language pedagogy, intercultural communication, and the linguacultural worldview. Building on theoretical foundations established in lacunology, it examines how lacunae function as sites of intercultural friction and learning, how language educators can incorporate lacuna awareness into communicative competence curricula, and what compensation strategies are available when speakers or translators encounter lacunar phenomena. The article draws on research in applied linguistics, foreign language acquisition, and intercultural communication theory to argue that lacunae are not obstacles to be minimized but resources to be leveraged for developing deeper cross-cultural understanding. Special attention is given to the role of lacunae in shaping national and cultural identity, the pedagogical value of lacuna-focused activities, and the prospects for developing a comprehensive digital database of lacunae.