Ontology of the problem of professional competence of future foreign language teachers in India

Background. The problem of the professional competence of future teachers of foreign languages in India is complex and multi-faceted. It concerns not only the issues of linguistic training, but also the social, cultural and economic aspects of the country’s educational system.

In the ontological sense, this problem is associated with the concept of professional competence, which implies not just the possession of language, but also a set of knowledge, skills and qualities necessary for the successful performance of pedagogical activities. In the context of India, where multilingualism is the norm and English plays a special role in education and social mobility, the question of competence becomes even more relevant.

The national education policy of India is increasingly focusing on the training of foreign language teachers. However, there are certain challenges that need to be overcome: a sharp lack of teachers in the field of the teaching methodology of foreign languages, the lack of unified criteria and procedures for the assessment of professional competence.

Purpose is to define and study the essence and factors of the indicated problem in the Indian and domestic scientific and educational discussion.

Materials and methods. In this study, a set of theoretical methods were applied: analysis, synthesis, abstraction, aggregation, integration and classification. The use of comparative analysis allowed to identify the key characteristics of the object of the study. The research is based on scientific publications on this topic, as well as the regulatory and legal basis.

Results. The formation of the modern profile of competence of foreign language teachers in India is largely due to the National Education Policy (NEP), approved in 2020. The requirements for the qualification of teachers vary depending on the level of education. At the initial and preparatory stages of learning, the emphasis is made on the development of the oral communication of students in a foreign language. At the end of the secondary education, the formation of reading and writing skills is expected. In the high school, the teacher must ensure that students reach a level of effective communication, including reasoning and argumentation, in both oral and written form.

Despite this, the education system of India faces a number of challenges: class overload, staff deficit, excess administrative burden, priority of written communication, lack of unified policy regarding foreign languages by the educational councils of different states, insufficient attention to the linguistic and cultural aspect in the training of teachers in a number of universities.