The article discusses key issues of teaching foreign languages and related cultures at primary school. The pedagogical and psychological fundamentals of the integrated skills development of younger schoolchildren through a foreign language in polycultural surroundings are considered in it. It covers a range of questions connected with the integrated skills development of younger schoolchildren in the process of teaching foreign languages. The author advocates the sociocultural approach to FL learning and pays special attention to current problems of FL teaching of younger schoolchildren in polycultural surroundings.