THE DEVELOPMENT OF SOFT SKILLS OF PRIMARY SCHOOLTEACHERS IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE FOR SPECIAL PURPOSES LESSONS

Abstract

The aim of the article is to reveal the potential of the academic discipline Foreign Language for Special Purposes (FLFSP) in the development of soft skills of future primary school teachers. The objectives of the study are to analyze scientific sources on the topic of the research; to identify the soft skills important for future primary school teachers; to present a lesson sample of how learning FLFSP can contribute to the development of soft skills in students. The research methods that are used in the article include the method of critical analysis of scientific literature – to analyze scientific sources on the problem under study and identify the most important soft skills; the method of studying and summarizing the positive experience of the development of students’ soft skills while learning FLFSP – to provide a sample lesson. The research has revealed that the most important soft skills that Ukrainian future primary school teachers should possess are: communication, problem-solving, leadership, teamwork, adaptability, decision making, initiative, critical thinking and creativity. The academic discipline Foreign Language for Special Purposes has a significant potential in the development of the soft skills mentioned. Studying this discipline involves a combination of different forms of organizing students’ learning activities in the classroom (individual, pair and group work), a combination of interrelated speech activities (listening, reading, speaking, and writing), teaching methods (role play, group debates, discussion, project work, public speaking, maintaining a blog or a discussion forum), and educational materials. The analysis of the impact of different methods of teaching a foreign language on the development of students’ soft skills may be a promising direction for future studies.