Olga N. Chernoshtan

The application of Stephen Krashen's theory of comprehensible input in the design of short-term courses of a foreign language for special purposes has become especially relevant due to the insufficient number of foreign language classroom hours in many non-linguistic universities. The aim of the study is to develop a model of organizing the process of learning a foreign language for special purposes in a non-linguistic university, based on a natural method of learning using comprehensible materials. Such a model could serve as an effective alternative to the traditional Soviet one, which has been largely preserved by many universities and does not correspond to the modern conditions and is primarily focused on acquiring certain skills. The author proposes a longitudinal and intermittent acquisition of a foreign language within a series of specialized courses following the study of relevant material in the native language within major disciplines. It is argued that learning the language of professional communication intermittently in senior years has several advantages over the traditional approach, because the teacher can rely on students' background ideas about future professional agency, knowledge of many international terms in their native language and higher professional motivation. The texts, corresponding in their content to the topics already covered in the native language, have all the necessary prerequisites of comprehensible input, because their logic and many concepts are a priori known to the students and they are of strictly professional interest. Stephen Krashen's approach, with its emphasis on the acquisition of the language information rather than on active speech activity or theoretical study of language norms, makes it possible to effectively introduce professional terminology to the students within a narrow timeframe. The results of the study, which require further testing, can be subsequently used to reform the process of learning a foreign language for special purposes in a non-linguistic university to meet the challenges facing the modern higher education in the context, when the goals and objectives of learning a foreign language remain unchanged and the classroom hours are often reduced. However, the implementation of this model is impossible without information support of a foreign language teacher by major disciplines specialists and the whole professional community of the university.