Ellina Sidelnik,

Associated professor, Southern Federal University,

Taganrog, Russia

Professional and Language Socialization of Engineering Students

In this article the questions connected with definition of the role and a place of a foreign language in the course of professional and language socialization of students of technical colleges are considered.

Globalization processes, revolutionary changes in the area of information and communicative technologies have cardinal impact not only on economic, scientific, technical and cultural development of society, but also make new demands to professionals, their features and qualitative characteristics. In this context vocational training of future specialists gains an important value. And it covers a lot of problems such as specifics of language and professional socialization, professional identity, professional adaptation, students’ ability to acquire communicative competence and their readiness to start professional activity.

Language professional socialization plays a significant role in the development of future experts in any field of economy. It allows to increase their mobility and competitiveness at the world labour market as the expert possessing besides professional knowledge also good knowledge of a foreign language, especially in the field of the professional interests, has much more chances.

Socialization of any personality happens in the course of an individual’s integration into society, by assimilating its social norms and values. Language (especially a foreign one) is one of the ways of this integration. Edward Sapir in his classical works claimed that "… language is the great lever of socialization probably greatest of all of existing, language is a symbolical key to behavior …” Therefore, language education can be the basis of personality’s self-development and its intellectual growth, an indicator of readiness for productive activity in society.

Language verbal communication can be considered as the basis of professional socialization. Communicative competence gives any person a chance to develop most fruitfully in professional and social fields. Abilities to carry on dialogue, to achieve success in communication process are important components of professional qualities in various fields of activity. The modern expert has to be guided freely in quickly changing information space, possess ability to apply language purposefully and effectively, to be communicative and competent.

In Russian system of higher education it is possible to allocate two levels of language socialization. The first level is devoted to mastering language in the context of the general language. The second level is dedicated to conceptual knowledge (mastering words, terminological system, the category device, professional aspects of language in a context of scientific and narrowly professional language preparation) and directed at acquisition of professional language and professional communicative competence.

At the first level of language socialization in higher education institution (for example, in SFU it is the first and second years) development of a language personality by means of any foreign language is realized not only by translation knowledge of other language, but also by training of cross-cultural communication. Exactly thanks to acquisition of cross-cultural competence language socialization of the personality takes place most fully and harmoniously. We consider the personality as a steady system of the socially significant lines characterizing the individual as the member of the certain society.

The purpose of the first stage of language socialization in higher education system we see not only in assimilation of a verbal code of any foreign language and ability trained to use it in practice, but also in formation "world pictures" inherent to a native speaker as a representative of a certain society and in formation of the valid and positive attitude to the culture of the countries of the studied language.

Language socialization at this stage assumes assimilation of trained values, standards of behavior, installations, peculiarities of the certain society which can't be understood and apprehended out of a language situation and speech.

As it was already noted above in system of higher education it is possible to allocate two levels of language socialization: the level of mastering language in a context of cross-cultural communication and the level of conceptual knowledge aimed at acquisition of professional language and communicative competence.

The aim of the second level of language socialization, which as a rule takes place for example SFU during 3d and 4th years, is to form the professional language personality.

Language professional socialization is carried out by acquisition of professional language and communicative competence. The vernacular influences consciousness, forms professional thinking, is means of orientation in professional activity, helps to adapt to new conditions and acts as the agent of socialization.

Professional socialization means assimilation and reproduction not only of professional culture, (professional knowledge and abilities), but also includes a set of standards of behavior and relationship, and systems of the values. Professional socialization is closely connected with communicative activity; therefore, we can speak about "professional and communicative socialization".

Professional and communicative socialization by means of foreign language can and must help graduates to easily adapt to the professional society and be competitive at the world labour market.

References:

1. Караулов Ю.Н. Русский язык и языковая личность. – М.:Наука, 2003.

2. Сепир Э. Избранные труды по языкознанию и культурологи/ Э. Сепир. - М., 2002.