Formation of Students’ Foreign Language Communicative Competence in the Process of ESP-Learning in the Context of the Sustainable Development Goals

Abstract

The article is devoted to the theoretical and analytical substantiation of the formation of foreign language communicative competence of students of higher education institutions in the process of learning a professionally oriented foreign language (ESP) in the context of implementing the Sustainable Development Goals and developing social and communicative skills. The purpose of the study is to determine the conceptual foundations of the relationship between foreign language communicative competence, Soft Skills, and the Sustainable Development Goals as an integrative outcome of students’ foreign language professional training. The study employs a set of general scientific and special methods, including analysis, synthesis, systematization, and generalization of scientific sources on ESP instruction, communicative competence, Soft Skills, and education for sustainable development. A comparative analysis of contemporary scholarly approaches to defining the essence of foreign language communicative competence in higher education is applied, as well as theoretical modeling to clarify its structural components in the context of ESP instruction. As a result of the study, modern scientific approaches to understanding foreign language communicative competence are analyzed, and its integrative nature within the higher education system is substantiated. The structural components of foreign language communicative competence in the conditions of ESP instruction are specified, namely linguistic, speech, sociolinguistic, sociocultural, strategic, and professional-pragmatic competences. The existence of a stable relationship between the formation of foreign language communicative competence and the development of social and communicative skills, such as effective communication, teamwork, critical thinking, adaptability, and intercultural interaction, is proven. The key Sustainable Development Goals relevant to students’ foreign language professional training (SDGs 4, 8, 10, 16, 17) are identified, and the corresponding Soft Skills whose formation is ensured in the process of ESP instruction are outlined. It is concluded that ESP instruction serves as an effective integrative educational environment for the formation of students’ foreign language communicative competence and the development of their social and communicative skills in the context of the Sustainable Development Goals. The obtained results have theoretical significance for the development of foreign language teaching methodology in higher education and may be used as a basis for further empirical research and for improving programs of students’ foreign language professional training.