TEACHING ENGLISH FOR SPECIAL PURPOSES IN TECHNICAL HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS: HISTORICAL ASPECTS AND PRESENT
Keywords:
English for Specific Purposes, General Purpose English, English for Occupational Purposes, English for Academic Purposes, technical higher education institutionsAbstract
The globalization of the modern labour market, access to the European and world economic space, necessitate the search for ways to increase the competitiveness of future professionals in various fields, including technical, which are in high demand in Ukraine and around the world. One of such ways is the introduction of the English language for specific purposes courses in the educational process of technical higher education institutions. This step will help to optimize the process of future professionals’ foreign language training through the implementation of professionally-oriented issues.
The purpose of the article is to explore the historical aspects and today’s realities of teaching English for special purposes in technical higher education institutions.
The methodological basis of the study includes methods of analysis, synthesis and generalization of advanced pedagogical domestic and foreign experience of teaching English for special purposes in technical higher education institutions, critical analysis of scientific literature on the problem.
The scientific novelty lies in highlighting the historical aspects and today’s realities of teaching English for special purposes in technical higher education institutions, generalization of pedagogical ideas and experience of leading scientists, systematization of basic concepts of the problem.
Conclusions. During the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, the place and significance of the English language for specific purposes course was determined as an important basis for theoretical and practical training of future professionals to perform their functional duties in this language. Today, the importance of the course in technical higher education institutions has become apparent due to its connection with future activities and filling with professional-oriented issues that allow students to work in a field related to their major, contributes to their competitiveness in today’s globalized labour market. The practical experience of implementing English language for specific purposes courses through their connection with future professional activities has shown the increase in motivation and readiness for the continuous process of self-development and self-improvement in language learning. Moreover, such implementation in combination with professionally-oriented disciplines provides an opportunity for students of technical higher education institutions during all years of study to constantly professionally improve themselves.
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