MODERN TEACHING TECHNIQUES USED FOR PROFESSION-FOCUSED FOREIGN LANGUAGE TRAINING OF THE STUDENTS QUALIFYING AS ENGINEERS/ENGINEERS-PEDAGOGUES

Abstract

Globalization of various aspects of life puts forward new challenges. One of the trends of modern life
is migration of workforce, qualified engineers included, which makes it an absolute demand to revise
teaching methods applied to educational process in general and to teaching foreign languages in particular,
especially for specific professional purposes. Knowledge of foreign languages is especially required from
graduates with engineering qualifications to get access to more job opportunities. Specialists with
engineering qualifications are of great demand in various countries all over the world.
Revolution in technologies and world-wide usage of the Internet boosted the process of foreign
language (especially English) learning, which put forward new tasks for the teachers and professors so that
they could meet new requirements and tackle new problems using developing technologies, devices and
gadgets. In order to make the process of teaching more dynamic, effective and up-to date, new methods and
approaches to teaching foreign languages are being worked out and applied all over the world.
This article presents an overview of some ideas concerning application of specific methods and
techniques as well as technologies to teaching foreign languages to future engineers and engineerspedagogues based on the experience of using technologies to teaching foreign languages in different
institutions in India, the USA and Ukraine which has been previously studied from various written sources
listed at the end of the article as well as the author’s own teaching experience.
Problems to be tackled while teaching foreign languages as well as effective strategies and techniques
applied to teaching foreign languages are given account of and thoroughly analyzed. Special attention is paid
to methods aimed at developing receptive skills such as reading authentic materials and using multimedia
sources. A part of the article deals with methods applied to develop communication skills (both speaking and
writing), which are of utmost importance for engineers in the present-day situation.