Galina M. Borschenko

Business communication is an integral part of professional activities in various fields, however, it continues to be mistakenly associated mainly with the social and humanitarian specialists and its presence in the curricula of IT training programs is insufficient. According to educational standards, business communication skill belongs to the group of universal competences and its development is often correlated with the discipline "Foreign Language", however, the practice of multidisciplinary universities gives the priority to ESP courses within this discipline. The requirements of IT professional standards contain generalized descriptions of proficiency in a foreign language, which complicates assigning the educational objectives. These contradictions confirm the relevance of the presented study, the aim of which is to identify indicators of the development of IT students’ foreign language business communication skills in terms of their future professional activity. To compass this purpose, theoretical and empirical research methods are used: analysis of relevant publications and global trends in the field of communication skills development; comparative analysis of the requirements of educational and professional standards for IT training programs outcomes, as well as their compliance with the concept of (foreign language) communicative competence. The analysis of publications reveals changes in the nomenclature describing learning outcomes. The comparative analysis of standards provides: 1) clarification of the skills necessary for business communication in the context IT specialists’ activities. These skills are subsequently divided into groups related to the components of (foreign language) communicative competence according to Jan A. van Ek model; 2) identifying of the indicators of IT students’ foreign language business communication skills based on activities manifested in the process of IT specialists’ professional performance. The theoretical significance of the obtained results is the specification of meta-educational constructs (competences) in terms of business communication in the context of technologically oriented professions. The practical significance of the obtained results is the possibility of optimizing training programs and developing new means of teaching business communication in areas where business communication is not a core aspect. Prospects for further research – to find methodological solutions for business communication skills development according to IT field requirements while studying the discipline "Foreign Language" within IT training programs.

Despite the long period of development of modular and computerized learning ideas, the concept of microlearning is largely a product of modern times, which meets the requirements of social interaction, the lifestyle of a modern person and the specifics of individual’s cognitive processes. The concept of microlearning is being actively developed by businesses due to specific conditions of organizing training activities in companies. However, researchers note an increasing number of attempts to adapt microlearning by educational organizations (the higher educational institutions in particular) after the period of the COVID-19 pandemic. The relevance of the research is indicated by the high probability of transforming microformats adaptation by universities into a systematic approach to teaching in the future. At the same time, researchers point out the necessity of developing a new didactic model, transforming of educators’ methodological thinking, changing the role of a teacher, and shift teaching style to moderating students’ activities. Therefore, the aim of this research is to outline various ways of implementing the concept of microlearning. The study carried out a comparative analysis of different types of microlearning (bite-sized learning, nano-learning, subscription learning, capsule learning, learning-on-the-go). The information about these types of microlearning was obtained from the business community and experts in the field of microlearning, as well as scientific publications of Russian and foreign researchers in the field of foreign language education based on microlearning and modern educational technologies. The results of the analysis are presented in the table of key characteristics of the mentioned types. The list of description criteria includes: structures, key benefits for students, content design features, content accessibility, feedback, and studying period. Also, we come to the conclusion that "microlearning" becomes an umbrella term for a group of approaches to content design, interaction with students, and learning process organization. Additionally, the polysemy of "content accessibility" (in Rus) in the context of microlearning is noted. It refers to a) content accessibility by means of electronic devices; b) a clear explanation of the subject as briefly as possible. The next step of the research was to analyse the types of microlearning according to the previously indicated criteria in terms of foreign language education at a university. It reveals that bite-sized and mobile learning meet the conditions of university education to a high degree. The study could contribute to finding methodological solutions how to adapt microlearning for teaching foreign languages in higher educational institutions.

Microlearning is a modern trend that is rapidly gaining popularity not only in the field of corporate training, but also in the educational system. However, the lack of a systematic discussion and different approaches to defining this concept make it difficult to develop effective methodological solutions. The purpose of this article is to determine and shape the key principles of the implementation of microlearning for teaching foreign languages under the framework of the competency-based approach as the one guiding educational organizations. To solve this problem, theoretical and empirical research methods are used: analysis of relevant publications and world trends in the context of the digital transformation of education; comparative analysis of the basic elements of the concepts under consideration to determine their compatibility. Reviewing publications, the article compares both the developed concept of the competency-based approach that dominates modern education and the concept of microlearning, which has recently increased the pace of its development. As a result of the study, a matrix of compliance of the basic characteristics of microlearning with the principles of the competency-based approach was compiled and the principles of microlearning were formulated: the principle of self-sufficiency of micromodules; the principle of focusing; the principle of subjective time; the principle of interactivity; the principle of digitalization and mobility. A significant degree of compliance of the microlearning concept with the competency-based approach allows us to draw a conclusion about the applicability of microlearning in educational organizations at different levels (in particular for learning foreign languages). However, there are also contradictions that arise at the stage of practical implementation of the microlearning concept elements into the learning process at a university. To the greatest extent they refer to the principles of self-sufficiency of micromodules, subjectivity of time, and interactivity, which is due to the factors enveloping the process of learning in educational organizations. Prospects for further research are the search for methodological solutions and didactic resources that correspond to the previously mentioned principles, and their implementation in teaching practice.

The issue of teaching foreign language business communication to IT students is a quite challenging task due to a lack of organizational and methodological resources allocated to minor disciplines within curricula, as well as current educational trends: digitalization and the evolution of student-centered approaches. The purpose of the study is to test the effectiveness of the visual novel as a tool for teaching business communication in the context of the previously noted current trends. The research method is experimental learning based on gamification. Visual novels can be a useful tool for developing communication skills. Compared to conventional interactive classes, visual novels have a number of advantages in terms of educational process organization. They do not have such restrictions as the complex and time-consuming preparation of lessons, limited classroom time, the need for a certain number of participants, etc. Responding to modern education trends and social demand they not only productively implement the ideas of alternative teaching methods, but also create environment that evokes an emotional response in a certain target group, stimulates learning motivation, and makes it possible to demonstrate the importance and continuity of business communication in a time perspective. Since IT training in most cases does not include business communication course, it can be included as a part of other discipline and/or a module, and it was decided to conduct the training within a basic EFL course. At the current stage of the experiment, there is generally positive dynamics. The prospect for further development of such educational resources can extend to specialties for which business communication is not one of the core activities, as well as transferring into a public format.