Teaching students a professional foreign language using digital technologies

The development of professional foreign language communicative competence in all the variety of components is one of the goals of teaching a professional foreign language to students of non-linguistic programmes and specialties in universities. At the same time, the choice in favor of one of the methodical approaches to teaching – a foreign language for specific purposes or content and language integrated learning – is directly dependent on the learning objectives and the level of students’ proficiency of a foreign language, as well as the level of development of their professional competencies. The pandemic of coronavirus infection COVID-19 contributed to the widespread introduction of digital technologies in the process of teaching a foreign language at a university. However, the use of specific digital technology depends on the choice of a methodical approach to teaching a professional foreign language. The purpose of the study is to develop a matrix of digital technologies in teaching a professional foreign language. An analysis is made of methodical researches devoted to the description of the content of a foreign language for specific purposes and an integrated approach, as well as the linguodidactic potential of such digital technologies as: multimedia programs, blogs, wiki services, podcasts, language corpora of texts. A matrix of digital technologies in teaching a professional foreign language is developed. The matrix shows which digital technology within which methodical approach can be used in the educational process.

professional foreign language, foreign language for specific purposes, digital technologies, foreign language teaching at a university