Педагогические науки / Проблемы подготовки специалистов

Barvenko O.G., Grigoryeva G.B.

Шахты, Россия South-Russia State University of Economics and Services, Shakhty, Russia

A foreign language as a factor in the successful development of a specialist in the era of globalization

Modern society requires an army of professionals able to work competently in a changing environment and easily be retrained if necessary, making decisions about their spiritual and professional development.

Education, competence, professionalism, ability to self-educate non-stop have become the measure of the importance of a modern person in the society. The range of life goals of a person who continually tries to improve himself, and the probability of achieving them markedly increases, while education is not only a prerequisite for a successful career, but a pass to the other, more saturated and vivid life, a different social environment.

In today's world there is a complex and contradictory process of globalization, in which significant transformation of professional environment occurred. Bazhenova O.V. considers the globalization as a complex, multifaceted phenomenon, encompassing all aspects of the society, the objective tendency of the development of the modern world, the transition process of individual economies into an integrated global system. [1]

For the first time the term “globalization” was used in 1983 by T. Levitt in his article “The globalization of markets” where he described the new economic reality, contributing to the emergence of global markets to meet basic human needs and desires. [2]

The globalization requires a different thinking in terms of perceiving the world as a whole and has a decisive impact on employment in the overall professional space. Education and training throughout life and occupational mobility have become the main requirements of the global labor market.

Currently, there is a new global division of labor. Thus, the intellectual work and the work in the service sphere are the prerogative of the developed countries, and production is the prerogative of developing countries. This fact makes us rethink the content and forms of vocational education. The globalization and information and communication technologies have started the process of developing a global professional environment. The systematic approach to its study allows to balance the processes of globalization and national interests in preserving and increasing highly-trained employees.

The sustainable economic growth in countries, the modernization of the society, improving the quality of life in developing countries are impossible without international cooperation. States are united in seeking collaborative solutions to large-scale problems and achieve common objectives at the global level.

The modern idea of a successful career includes a number of conditions for effective adaptation of graduates in the labor market, namely: to relate to career development adequately, to be informed of employment in certain professional fields, to develop the ability to look for work and develop the competencies demanded in the labor market. One of the most significant of these is the linguistic competence. [4]

The research, conducted by the Economist Intelligence Unit, predicted the major trends of the global labor market in the next 15 years. Thus, the further growth will lead to the need for the efficient utilization of labor resources and establish new economic ties between the participants in the global market, increasing the demand for professionals who speak foreign languages. Employed professionals must possess the following qualities: communication skills, creativity, flexibility, openness and mobility, the ability to respond adequately to the tasks and make the necessary decisions. [3]

We should mention the enhancement of international labor migration, which affected our country as well. Dynamic transformations of social reality in modern Russia produce a number of objective and subjective factors of the order that updates the need to professionals in additional education. Expansion of the communicative environment and the need to incorporate innovative technologies and the Internet into professional tools of a modern person increases the importance of the subjective knowledge of a foreign language.

Changing employers and countries, we leave the main asset - knowledge. English language skills which open the doors of the best companies and universities are particularly valuable. Speaking fluent English, it is much easier to find a well-paid job or choose a specialized education in any country of the world. Many employers are willing to offer an applicant who speaks a foreign language, salary at least 10% higher than an applicant who has the similar resume, but no language skills.

Knowledge of foreign languages provides the graduates’ readiness to work productively in a global educational and professional environment, expands the professional needs of an individual, improves the quality of training provides professional development of a specialist.

A foreign language is a main factor in the success of future specialist training, the formation of his representation of the diversity of the surrounding world and its rapid adaptation to changing conditions of life and work, as well as his self-promotion in the professional environment.

The professional environment of an individual gives him the opportunity to realize himself either on the micro- or the macro-level. In the process of forming a single labor market a specialist with a high educational level and knowledge of foreign languages becomes a defining element of the expansion of professional environment.

References

1. Bazhenova, O.V. The world market in conditions of globalization [Text]: Theses. ... Candidate. Econ. Science: 08.00.01 / - Olga Bazhenova - M., 2005. - 179.

2. Levitt, Т. The Globalization of Markets [Text] // Harvard Business Review. 1983. May. №1.

3. Trends in the labor market in the world and in Russia. 01.03.2008 [electronic resource]. - Electron. text, graph., Sv. lan. and applied. progr. (56 Kb).

http://jobeasy.ru/index.php?fn=show_news&prm=124

4. Zikic, J. Job search and social cognitive theory: The role of career-relevant activities [Text] / Jelena Zikic, M.Alan Saks // Journal of Vacational Behavior. 2009, №74. P.117-127.