INTEGRATION OF COMMUNICATIVE AND PROFESSIONAL APPROACHES IN TEACHING ENGLISH IN HIGHER EDUCATION

Abstract

The growing demand for work-ready graduates has intensified the need to align university English courses with professional communication requirements. This article examines how communicative language teaching (CLT) can be integrated with professional and discipline-oriented approaches within higher education. Using a conceptual and methodological synthesis of key frameworks in communicative competence, English for Specific Purposes (ESP), and content-based instruction, the study develops an integrative instructional logic that connects real professional tasks with classroom interaction and assessment. The results clarify the pedagogical conditions under which communicative practice becomes professionally meaningful: when learning objectives are expressed through occupational situations, when linguistic input is organized around genres and discourse functions typical for a field, and when evaluation relies on performance evidence. The discussion outlines implications for curriculum design, teacher roles, and validity of assessment in university contexts where English supports future workplace participation.