Training of Philology Students at Technical Universities: the Relevance of an Integrative Approach

The relevance of an integrative approach to training students of philology at technical universities has been revealed in the article. The arguments are based on the results of analysing university sites in the context of training philology students, and a survey of the students about the interdependence of learning foreign languages and choosing their future professional activity. Contradictions of university education have been highlighted. These can be caused by the changes of higher education. The contradictions can be overcome by actualizing an integrative approach as a methodological basis of the effective formation of the students’ foreign language competence as a result of studying at a technical university. The traditional educational curriculum is gradually acquiring some innovative features with the focus on the world educational standards. The competition for applicants has been growing among universities, but the competitiveness of school-leavers does not often correspond to the needs of the labour market. The inertness of “verbal” technologies of teaching foreign languages and the lack of proper information and technology support give rise to a huge gap between the knowledge obtained at university and the one the students get independently and more efficiently.