Abstract:

The work analyses the issues of teaching a foreign language of professional communication in a university as one of the key components of higher education. The subject of the analysis is the application of the case study method in the process of teaching a foreign language of professional and business communication. Teaching a foreign language in modern conditions is focused on the novelty of the learning process. It is aimed at the development of not only the students’ language skills, but also the formation of the vocational competence of the future graduate, who is able to solve professional problems, carry out intercultural communication in their professional activity, master and use modern information technologies. The authors of the paper aim to prove the necessity of applying the method of analyzing a specific business situation in the educational process. Taking into account the contradictions between the ordinary methods used in the process of teaching a foreign language and the expectations of future employers we consider the case study method unique for the formation of both linguistic, communicative, professional and other competencies necessary in practical use of a foreign language in various fields of professional activity. It is also very useful to help future economists in their future scientific and practical communication with foreign colleagues, as well as for self-educational and other purposes.

The main research methods are the theoretical analysis of literature, interviews with university teachers, students’ polling, monitoring practical teachers’ activities and analyzing the formation of professional competencies at the university. The theoretical analysis of the literature shows that the case-study method provides an authentic material, as a necessary component for creating a modern course of a foreign language of professional communication.

The interviews of teachers and students, as well as the analysis of the formation of professional competencies of students, showed that the development of language skills occurs together with acquiring professional competencies through the knowledge of the modern business environment, which will later help the student to apply all these skills in their scientific and professional activities. We make a conclusion that it is advisable and reasonable to use the case study method in teaching professional-oriented foreign language at higher school. It allows optimizing the formation of the necessary professional competencies of future specialists.

In the final part of the work, we make a conclusion that it is efficient to use the case study method in teaching a professionally-oriented foreign language in order to form academic skills and professional competences prescribed by the standards of higher professional education for future economists.

The research may be of interest for specialists in the field of linguistics and pedagogy, namely teachers of higher education (bachelor's, master's), undergraduates and graduate students. The results of the research can be applied both in theoretical studies and in the improvement of the training courses "Foreign Language of Business and Professional Communication."

Keywords:

Case-study method, professional competence, practical skills, academic skills, a foreign language, students of economics, communicative approach, competence.