ASSESSING PROFESSIONAL FOREIGN LANGUAGE COMPETENCE AMONGSTUDENTS OF LINGUISTIC AND NON-LINGUISTIC SPECIALTIES

The article explores the development of professional foreign language competence in students of linguistic and non-linguistic specialties within the convergence of formal and non-formal education. This competence is relevant to training competitive specialists in a globalized and internationalized professional environment.The study aims to examine the theoretical foundations and applied methods for developing this competence and determine its initial state among students. The tasks include analyzing current research, clarifying the concept of "professional foreign language competence," and assessing students' initial competence levels through a questionnaire. The analysis revealed that societal and educational processes are interconnected. A high-tech society requires convergence as a methodological basis for a new educational paradigm, while educational changes impact social processes. Successful development of professional foreign language competence requires integrating formal and non-formal learning within a convergent educational space. The research findings provide a foundation for developing scientific and methodological solutions for professional foreign language training through the integration of formal and non-formal higher education.