FOREIGN LANGUAGE COMPETENCE: PEDAGOGICAL AND LINGUISTIC ASPECTS

Abstract

The article deals with the problem of foreign language competence of future specialists in navigation and ship handling at sea. The article substantiates the idea that the main goal of teaching foreign language consists in mastering foreign language as a communication tool and developing foreign language competence necessary for professional activity. An analysis of researchers’ views on the essence of “competence” is presented and it is determined that the concept of competence is much broader as it is understood comprehensively and consists of various components: a set of knowledge, skills and abilities necessary to carry out relevant professional activities, properties of motivation, values, readiness for action, evaluation and reflection. Based on the study of the essence of the concepts, it is determined that the foreign language competence implies not only the presence of skills and abilities, but also their adequate use in a specific speech situation. On the basis of modern pedagogical approaches and directions the structural blocks of foreignlanguage competence of future specialists in navigation and ship handling at sea have been identified: axiological-motivational, cognitive, regulatoryactivational components. The key elements of the cognitive component of foreign-language competence of future specialists are analyzed, functioning in accordance with the peculiarities of the language and professional activities of specialists. The peculiarities of English marine terminology are identified in the article, which stipulates the necessity of its consideration in the process of higher education students’ training with the aim of forming their foreign language competence. The article characterizes the linguistic and pedagogical aspects of foreign language competence formation. The article reveals that in the process of learning maritime English, higher education students are to acquire knowledge about linguistic features of English, suitable for maritime discourse/text and communication and include typical or frequently used technical vocabulary and certain grammatical structures. The focus of the paper is on the linguistic features of maritime English and the methodology of teaching this subject for general and special purposes (taking into account specific cognitive processes in the maritime domain) and should be taken into account during the development of foreign language competence.