FEATURES OF CONTENT AND LANGUAGE INTEGRATED LEARNING OF STUDENTS OF ENGINEERING AND TECHNICAL MAJORS

Abstract

The article emphasises that the modern paradigm of foreign language education in Ukrainian higher technical education institutions should primarily focus on building a system of engineering specialists’ training, which would provide student-centeredness, openness, flexibility, mobility, practical orientation and integration, which in the future will enable a specialist to adapt to the changing conditions of professional activity.
The necessity of shifting the emphasis to mastering a foreign language through the integration of professional disciplines and a foreign language through the implementation of content and language integrated learning has been stated. The importance of involving content and language integrated learning has been substantiated.
A number of problems related to the practical implementation of content and language integrated learning in the educational process of technical institutions of higher education have been characterised. There are such problems as insufficient level of English language proficiency by students and teachers of professional disciplines to present educational material in English; difficulties in cooperation between foreign language teachers and teachers of professional disciplines in creating and developing curriculum, syllabus and educational materials; improving English language skills by both students and teachers.
Features of content and language integrated learning in the conditions of training students of engineering and technical majors have been presented. There are such peculiarities as simultaneous mastering of a foreign language and future major (with the help of professionally-oriented disciplines); learning a foreign language as a means for teaching and mastering extralinguistic content of non-linguistic disciplines by students; authenticity of educational materials; creating an atmosphere of cooperation, trust and empathy; formation of an active personality, ready for self-education, self-development, self-improvement; interaction of foreign language teachers and teachers of professional disciplines, etc.