Hard and soft skills development of higher maritime educational institutions cadets while studying the discipline "Maritime English"

Abstract

The article examines the problem of Hard and soft skills development of higher maritime educational institutions cadets while studying the discipline "Maritime English"; emphasis is placed on the interdisciplinary connections of the disciplines of different training cycles; it is underlined that the process of teaching maritime English future sailors should be based on a communicative approach, which will enable future specialists to realize their needs in acquiring knowledge, skills and abilities directly on board the ship, as they will work in mixed crews. The study also pointed out the group of knowledge and skills, which are necessary for obtaining confirmation of the professional readiness for a higher education applicant, and the group of knowledge and skills, which are necessary for career promotion; it is stated that the discipline "Maritime English" in educational preparation of cadets of higher maritime educational institutions acts as a kind of synthesizer of knowledge and skills, acquired by them in the process of studying the disciplines of the professional cycle (hard skills), and at the same time provides for the formation and development of such knowledge and skills as: critical thinking, creativity, ability to work in a team, cultural awareness, communicative skills, flexibility, etc. (soft skills). Attention is drawn to the fact that the heterogeneity of cadets' knowledge upon admission to a maritime university and their further distribution into subgroups vary the complexity and types of tasks in classes. It has been proven that the discipline "Maritime English" is universal for preparing future specialists for their professional activities (in the aspect of developing hard and soft skills), as it integrates knowledge and skills, acquired from professionally oriented disciplines, and allows their application for the development of soft skills