The development of engineering students’ foreign language discursive competence: motivational educational factors

Introduction. The authors study the problem of developing foreign engineering students’ discursive competence. The purpose of the article is to identify the motivational educational factors which ensure the effectiveness of foreign language discursive competence formation of engineering students. Materials and Methods. As a research method, the authors used a comparative analysis of theoretical approaches to studying the problem. In this respect, the methodological basis of the research consists of ideas about discursive competence as a set of skills related to the perception and creation of oral and written texts (M.N. Vyatyutnev, T.V. Vasilyeva, G. M. Lyovina), understanding the structure of discursive competence including formal-logical, functional-stylistic and genre-textual components (L.V. Volkova). The main provisions of the modern communicative-cognitive linguodidactic concept were also taken into account (G. M. Levina, I. B. Avdeeva, T. V. Vasilyeva, S. I. Dosko, etc.). The characteristics of the analytical cognitive style of undergraduate students pursuing a degree in engineering were revealed. They allowed the authors to formulate their approach to establishing the principles for organizing the content of training. The research methods included analyzing the results of the experiment control stage and questionnaires. Thirty nine (39) Chinese students pursuing their engineering degrees at National Research Tomsk Polytechnic University took part in the control stage of the experiment. Nineteen (19) students were in the experimental group. Twenty (20) students made up the control one. The results of the experimental group proved the effectiveness of the identified educational factors. In addition, the survey showed a high degree of satisfaction with the learning outcomes among the students. Results. The authors have identified and clarified motivational educational factors which ensure the effectiveness of developing discursive competence. The authors established the criteria for identifying the level of foreign language discursive competence. The principles of realization of motivational educational conditions in accordance with students’ cultural characteristics have been formulated. The features of the discursive competence formation are determined taking into account the use of e-courses for independent work. Conclusions. The authors summarize the following motivational educational factors contributing to formation of foreign language discursive competence: professional orientation, individualization, and taking into account students’ ethnic and cultural characteristics. Conclusions about the features of their implementation in the educational process of a technical university are made.