Teaching of Foreign Language in the Educational Process of Public Administration Personnel in Ukraine

Introduction

In the 21st century, every citizen must be able to communicate not only in the native language. Ukrainians have a common language with representatives of other cultures. In the era of globalization, everyone should deepen their knowledge of foreign languages for international cooperation. Social development is impossible without communication, the means of which is, for example, the English language. The problems of adapting the legislation system of Ukraine and its information sphere require public servants' speaking a foreign language since the competence of public administration specialists includes the management of structural divisions of executive authorities, executive committees of local councils, public organizations and other state institutions. Their competence will include responsibility for the development of charters, regulations and work descriptions as a part of the state programs' implementation and programs of international cooperation. So, possession of professional foreign vocabulary in such case is a significant addition to the improvement of public documents, as it can implant all the best from the European experience. Public administration and administrative control are instruments of influence on human life from the side of self-regulatory bodies of state power, as well as large organizations using economic, psychological and administrative methods.

In turn, the priority topic of advanced training of public services for foreign specialists has been certified under short-term programs in 2021. By order of the National Agency of Ukraine for Master's Degree in Civil Service in 2020 No. 154-20 secondary professional (certified) advanced training programs have been approved to increase the level of foreign language proficiency by public services of ministries and central authorities (Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Legislation of Ukraine [VRULU], 2020). The Master's degree program is also designed to improve qualifications and take one of the key positions in the daily educational process. So, at the turn of the knowledge and specialities' list in which the preparation for education management is underway code 28 of knowledge “Public Administration and Management” has been added, before the management of specialities 28” (VRULU, 2020). Specialists who will work in the state, executive, local authorities, public organizations, can provide high-level administrative services on the principles of openness, accountability, professionalism, which, in turn, requires the involvement of English-language legal documents and sources to improve the modern internal administrative system. Also, in the procedure for holding a competition for civil service positions, one of the prerequisites is passing a foreign language test (VRULU, 2021). Therefore, the relevance of teaching a foreign language to specialists in the field of public administration requires special attention from scientists, since Ukrainian universities train specialists who, after receiving their education, work in public administration organizations, and therefore can ensure a high level of administrative services.

This chapter focuses on teaching a foreign language to students of specialities in public administration. It has a character of theoretical description of the existing methods of teaching a foreign language to students specializing in public administration. Thus, the purpose of this chapter is to describe the organizational and methodological foundations of professional education for public servants using modern educational methods.

In the course of this study, the following tasks are set:

• 1.

  To describe the training of specialists in the field of public administration that exists in Ukraine;

• 2.

  To consider the main methods and techniques of teaching a foreign language to students specializing in public administration;

• 3.

  To represent an existing program, in the development of which the author of this chapter has taken part and used it in the educational process for students of the speciality “Public Administration and Management, qualification level - the Master” and teaching methods used in the course of this program.