The Role of English in the Formation of Professional Competence of Future Specialists

The article provides a theoretical analysis of the role of English in the formation of professional competence of future specialists in the higher education system. The relevance of the study is due to the processes of globalization, internationalization of professional activity, European integration guidelines of Ukraine and the growth of requirements for foreign language training of higher education applicants in accordance with modern educational standards. It is substantiated that English goes beyond the status of a separate academic discipline and acquires the functions of a tool of professional communication and an integral component of professional competence. The paper analyzes scientific approaches to defining the concepts of “professional competence” and “foreign language communicative competence”, clarifies their structural components and interrelationships in the context of professional training. Particular attention is paid to the characteristics of the linguistic, sociolinguistic (sociocultural), pragmatic-discursive and strategic components of foreign language communicative competence, which in the context of vocational education acquire specialized content. It is shown that the effective formation of professionally oriented English-language competence is possible provided that the competency-based and integrated approaches to foreign language teaching are implemented. Based on the generalization of the results of scientific research, the specifics of the implementation of English-language training in various fields of vocational education are revealed, in particular in the IT sphere, aviation, medical and philological training. It is proven that professionally oriented English language training contributes to the development of the ability of higher education applicants to use language resources in accordance with professional tasks, communicative situations and the level of formality of communication. The importance of the motivational factor and the use of modern teaching methods and technologies to increase the effectiveness of foreign language training is separately emphasized. It is concluded that the English language is an important factor in the formation of professional competence of future specialists, as it ensures their readiness for professional activity in an international and intercultural professional environment.