Development of engineering students' foreign language competence via authors’ e-learning courses

Abstract

The new social order requires teaching a foreign language as a means of international communication, forming a student's personality that absorbed the values of native and foreign language cultures and preparing for international communication in all spheres of life. These ideas are reflected in the definition of new goals and approaches to teaching a foreign language in the university.The main criteria for evaluation of foreign language competence of engineering students are: preparedness for professional work after graduation from the university, fluency in oral and written foreign language communication, motivation, and an adequate level of foreign language competence (B2 – Vantage). The paper describes a model for development of engineering students’ foreign language competence by means of information technology (IT) on such stages as conceptualization, interiorization and trainig. The use of IT-means can engage students in a system of professional and socio-cultural relations on the basis of non-verbal forms of communication, global and interactive communication systems, as well as solve a series of tasks to enhance students’ motivation. Foreign language competence allows realizing such aspects of professional activity as a timely introduction to new technologies, discoveries and trends in the development of science, establishment of professional contacts with foreign partners.