ICT AS A TOOL FOR DEVELOPING NEW ERA COMPETENCIES FOR BACHELOR STUDENTS OF LINGUISTICS

Abstract. Digitalization, understood as the widespread introduction of digital technologies into the life of modern society, creates new requirements for the organization of the educational process focusing on preparing competent specialists capable of successful employment in situations of the transition from an industrial to a digital economy. At the same time, information is one of the driving forces of the digital economy. Once communicated and used, information becomes knowledge, the production of which is the main source of economic growth and competitiveness of any state. However, the transfer and use of knowledge in modern society is impossible without acquisition of the main tool, namely, the “language,” both native and foreign. Therefore, we place our research under the umbrella of teaching a foreign language in the modern conditions of the development of a digitalized multicultural world.

All current global education initiatives (life-skills-based health education, education for sustainable development) are aimed at developing practical skills necessary to find solutions for any practical assignments. These skills produce outcomes to effectively respond to societal challenges, to perform successful professional activity, to be an active, productive and socially included member of society, to build strong and healthy relationships with members not only of your own culture, but also with the representatives of other cultures. Foreign language education is becoming more practical and is characterized by the integration of digital technologies into traditional teaching methods. Particular attention should be paid to the fact that the inclusion of digital technologies in the teaching of foreign languages does not depend on the chosen methodology. Whatever technique underlies the educational process, the fundamental method, the linguistic sociocultural, or communicative, the main task is to use digital technologies effectively.

This paper shows that besides developing digital literacy skills, information skills (work with and evaluate information) and practical competencies required for professional linguistics jobs, the use of ICT solutions helps Social and Emotional Learning by engaging students in educational process and empowering them to manage emotions, attitudes and values, develop willpower, ability to quickly adapt to circumstances. Through activities that promote social inclusion and participation, students develop a sense of being part of a community with shared projects and activities, meaning that we can also talk about soft skills and life skills development, goals that provide strategic direction to educational planning according to a WHO definition, UN strategy for education for sustainable development and RF national project “Education” objectives.

The authors describe their experience of two projects with intensive use of ICTs: collaborative online learning and use of a digital learning platform myhaikuclass.com to create an online course, being forced to shift into online education during the COVID-19 pandemics. Nowadays these software solutions are still used to support traditional place-based education due to the fact that online education format has been cancelled. The results of the study show that the use of these tools confirms a hypothesis that blended learning model with an active use of ICT solutions should be preferred in a new educational paradigm that has emerged in order to develop new competencies demanded by life in digital society. It is also shown that ICTs can be a useful tool for self organization and capacity building, including capacity building for lifelong learning, as well as for developing critical and creative thinking, solidarity and responsibility, emotional intelligence, empathy and teamwork.