The Role of Digital Technologies in Building Foreign Language Competencies of Future Specialists

Abstract

Teaching and learning in the higher education environment are being fundamentally transformed by digital technologies, and the pace of technological change is aggravating the problem. The global changes caused all higher education environments to move away from traditional teaching and learning that simply no longer adapt to the challenges of a rapidly changing educational environment. This also applies to learning a foreign language. Therefore, the aim of the study was to determine the role of digital technologies in the educational process when building students’ foreign language competencies. The aim was achieved by using the methods of testing, survey, observation and expert evaluation. Statistical methods of analysis were used to interpret the obtained results. The results of the study gave groundsto state that the use of digital technologies when studying a foreign language has a positive effect compared to the results of the control group who studied according to the traditional programme. It was also determined that the students of the control group highly appreciated the usefulness of technology and also noted that the teachers’ support in the learning process is an important factor for successful learning of the material. The novelty of the research is that it was conducted in the conditions ofoffline learning and analysed how it is possible to more effectively stimulate the development of foreign language competencies with the help of digital technologies. The development of a programme using digital technologies to improve the communication skills of foreign language students can become a promising research direction.