BackgroundThe requirements of the international organizations (IMO - International Maritime Organization, ICAO - International Civil Aviation Organization) are aimed at improving the safety of air and sea transport, which necessitates proper foreign language training of maritime and air transport specialists.Purpose: to analyze the current state of preparation of future seafarers for professional communicative interaction at the theoretical and practical levels.MethodsCritical analysis of scientific publications indicates the existence of research: 1) on various aspects of foreign language training of future technical specialists (Patijevych, 2016; Kolodii, 2012; Radvansky, 2012, etc.); 2) specific features of teaching different types of speech skills of future specialists in technical specialties (Mykytenko, 2011; Tarasiuk, 2018, etc.); 3) features of foreign language training of future specialists of the navy (Kulakova, 2006; Kozak, 2001). The analysis shows the absence of a comprehensive study of the fundamentals of professional communicative interaction of future seafarers.While studying the practical aspects of training maritime transport professionals for professional communication, educational resources have been analyzed (Bohomolov, Kyrychenko, 2004; Blakey, 1983; Murrell, Nagliati, Canestri, 2009; Taylor, Goodwell, 2012; Sheppard, Evans, Dooley, 2013) according to the following criteria: 1) compliance with the objectives of teaching and the requirements of the methodology of teaching foreign languages; 2) taking into account the level of communicative training of students, their interests and needs as future professionals; 3) complexity in teaching professionally oriented foreign language communication; 4) the communicative nature of the tasks; 5) the authenticity of the text material. The analysis showed the lack of attention to integrated learning of different types of speech skills, the psycholinguistic aspects of communicative interaction of seafarers.Results The paper identifies the main shortcomings of the modern process of foreign language training of future seafarers and proves the need to develop a comprehensive pedagogical system of training these specialists for professional communication.DiscussionDespite a number of indisputable positives, the available theoretical developments, textbooks and manuals, which are used today by teachers and students of maritime universities, do not fully meet modern requirements. Therefore, there is a need to create a model of preparation for professional interaction, taking into account the integration of the current methodological ideas and specifics of professional communication activities of future seafarers, which raises the need for theoretical substantiation of methods of integrated training of professionally oriented foreign language communication of seafarers with professionally oriented disciplines. It is in this aspect that we see the prospect of further scientific research. Keywords: communicative interaction, foreign language communicative competence, future seafarers, English for specific purposes, professional communicative activity