ICT in teaching communication skills to engineering specialists

Rapid globalization, taking place worldwide, leaves its imprint on all spheres of life. Being on the rise, owing to the constant development of the internet and communication technologies, it influences the societal and industriesꞌ needs. A global engineer faces a challenge in adapting to the changes to meet the needs of today’s global business environment and changing workplace. A professional engineer is expected to effectively cross national and cultural boundaries, being competent in both technical and non-technical skills. Relevant professional and communication skills are essential in building successful communication in their professional dialogue. Modern education, being responsive to the needs of today’s industry standards, is to provide solutions to the new challenges. Information and communication technology (ICT) in education extends educational opportunities, making it learner-centered. The aim of present research is to study the components of intercultural communicative competence of engineering specialists, based on the English as a foreign language course with incorporation of ICT into traditional curriculum. The results of the research prove that integrating cross-cultural situations into the educational content expands professional competence. The additional course, integrated into University engineering curriculum, helps students to understand principles of successful mediation, win-win strategies, leading to greater commitment in working together.