ENHANCING STUDENTS’ SOFT SKILLS THROUGH ENGLISH FOR SPECIFIC PURPOSES

Abstract

The role of soft skills for technical students in today's global labor market and high-tech industry has been analyzed. Samples of soft skills’ abilities have been exposed and their role in employment has been highlighted. Approaches to incorporate soft skills into study curricula undertaken in some Western universities have been discussed. As an example, the experience of the Faculty of Computer Science at theNationalUniversity of “Kyiv-MohylaAcademy” in introducing soft skills into study curricula has been mentioned. The global multicultural and multilanguage environment issues specific challenges to technological education. Meeting these challenges a specific role and importance of foreign languages studies and especially English for special purposes in educational curricula of technological higher educational institutions has been emphasized. An approach of integrating soft skill elements into the course of English for special purposes has been stated, based on the author’s experience at the faculty of aerospace systems of the National Technical University of Ukraine “Kyiv Polytechnic Institute”. This appeared possible due to the introduction of modern e-learning technology in the study of English for special purposes. The advantage for students is easy 24/7 access to the content of the course, the advantage for teachers is a possibility to evaluate students’ achievements just in time. The elements of soft skills included in the course are the skills necessary for preparing applications for future employment, internships and student exchanges.