Competences in Specialised German and in The Profession

The article addresses the problem of how competences in a working environment in foreign language learning are combined in the concept of professional communication. It is distinguished from the notions of specialized and professional language by describing the linguistic and extra-linguistic skills needed for a specific work situation. For this purpose, a sample work situation is described by means of GeR descriptors defined for each level. Attention is drawn to the updating of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages and the extension of the concepts of 'speaking' 'writing' 'reading' and 'listening' to 'skills and strategies' for these four skills. Finally, mention is made of the most important trends in professional communication according to some well-known researchers: dynamisation, differentiation and decentralization in language learning processes in work environments.