DEFICITS OF PRACTICAL COMPETENCIES IN LEARNING FOREIGN LANGUAGES (ACCORDING TO A SURVEY OF GRADUATES OF NON-CORE UNIVERSITIES)

Abstract

The relevance of the topic is due to the requirements of the modern labor market for practical knowledge of a foreign language in professional communication. This study is devoted to the analysis of deficits of practical language competencies identified by graduates of non-linguistic universities. The research purpose is to identify and systematize key gaps in practical training in foreign languages. Objectives are the analysis of subjective assessments of graduates; categorization of deficits; interpretation of data in the context of curricula. Theoretical (literature analysis) and empirical (questionnaire survey, quantitative and qualitative data analysis) methods were used. The findings point to a significant gap between academic knowledge and practice-oriented skills, especially in everyday and professional communication. The practical significance of the research is associated with the possibility of applying the obtained results to the modernization of educational programs, the development of practice-oriented foreign language courses, and the implementation of language simulations, speaking clubs, and authentic materials in the educational process. The study concludes that it is necessary to strengthen the communicative and applied orientation of foreign language teaching at non-linguistic universities.