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The shipping industry is regulated by international laws with the stakeholders significantly influencing the standards of international transport systems and, therefore, demands highly qualified specialists. The introduction of digital technologies, automatization of working processes, and globalization of international maritime trade create new challenges and increase the requirements for the mariners’ professional competences, thus impacting the training of future specialists. The latest studies on the current trends and the long-term prospects indicate the need to acquire new professional skills to support the shipping industry’s sustainable development. The stakeholders are increasingly recognizing the influence of human factors on the efficiency of the processes aboard ships and emphasize the urgent need for an overhaul of maritime education. The focus on the soft skills training aims to contribute to the formation of future leaders and improve the quality of seafarers’ professional training. Thus, there is a need to substantiate the importance of soft skills for a successful career in the maritime industry and to describe the methods to integrate them into the educational process. The authors acknowledge that the concept of “soft skills” proposed by national and foreign researchers varies in their characteristics. Based on the analysis of scholarly papers, we have formulated the “soft skills” definition appropriate for our research. We define “soft skills” as individual psychological and behavioral properties that are realized in interpersonal interaction and contribute significantly to its effectiveness.The purpose of the article is to present some approaches to integrating soft skills into Maritime English program at a higher educational institution.To determine the primary directions of soft skills development, the authors have analyzed the latest international projects, conducted by maritime experts. We consider the integration of soft skills into the Maritime English course to be one of the most suitable approaches since the teaching methods and the course learning materials are aimed specifically at the development of effective interpersonal communication skills.The information presented in the paper can be useful for researchers and educators, who are interested in soft skills embedding into educational programs.

The article examines the peculiarities of future ship engineers and electricians education by means of competence, communicative and interdisciplinary approaches; emphasis is placed on the interdisciplinary connections of the disciplines of different cycles of training; it is underlined that the process of future seafarers education should be based on a competent, communicative and interdisciplinary approach, which will provide future specialists with efficiency in acquiring knowledge, skills and abilities. The important competencies are defined in research by the educational goals of the competency-based approach that include knowledge and understanding (theoretical knowledge of an academic discipline, the ability to know and understand); knowledge of how to act (practical or operational application of knowledge in certain situations); knowledge of how to live (values as an integral element of perception and coexistence with others in a social context). The interdisciplinary approach is an interdisciplinary movement of knowledge towards integrity, which involves a systematic study of the object and is a logical result of changes in each of the interacting knowledge systems, and is the source of the emergence of new trends towards their integration. The study notes that the use of competency-based and interdisciplinary approaches contributes to the effective planning of professional training of a specialist; the analysis of the situation with the influence of interdisciplinary and competence approaches on the sequence of presentation of educational material when studying the disciplines of different training cycles allows to say that the use of these approaches contributes both to the in-depth assimilation of knowledge and skills by cadets and enriches their horizons allowing to establish relationships and interdependencies in the process of their education. Attention is drawn to the fact that the communicative approach in studying the disciplines of the cycle of humanitarian and socio-economic education will contribute not only to communicative knowledge and skills (frequency, accuracy in formulating statements, the correct use of existing samples and the construction of one's own), but will also produce such universal skills as teamwork, creativity, flexibility, etc. It has been proven that there is a need to apply the principles of interdisciplinary and competency-based approaches in educational and professional programs, training programs, curricula for more effective mastery of the future profession by ship engineers and electricians [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article describes the use of a benchmarking approach as an effective means of assessing and comparing competitiveness and improving the organization`s activities. In the era of the information society, knowledge fast changes and distributes, making it impossible educational institutions to be successful if not have a real competitive advantage. The use of educational technology while Maritime Education and Training improves student outcomes, including grades and test scores. The paper describes the use of educational technology in a variety of ways, including blended learning, flipped classrooms, and personalized learning as a more engaging and effective learning environment. Benchmarking and educational technologies are two intertwined concepts that play a crucial role in improving the quality of maritime education. Research suggests that educational technologies can positively influence Maritime English education of future ship engineers. EdTech tools can be used to simulate different educational scenarios and predict potential outcomes. This can help educators benchmark their current practices against alternative approaches and make informed decisions. Such technologies provide students with access to authentic materials, real-life scenarios, and immediate feedback, enabling them to develop their speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills. Benchmarking can foster a culture of continuous improvement and encourage collaboration among educators to share best practices and develop innovative solutions. The paper concludes with positive impact of benchmarking approach with educational technologies into Maritime English education of future seafarers. The prospects of further research can be seen in the use of benchmarking approach while Collaborative Online International Learning, namely Maritime English online courses on LMS MOODLE.

The article examines the problem of Hard and soft skills development of higher maritime educational institutions cadets while studying the discipline «Maritime English»; emphasis is placed on the interdisciplinary connections of the disciplines of different training cycles; it is underlined that the process of teaching maritime English future sailors should be based on a communicative approach, which will enable future specialists to realize their needs in acquiring knowledge, skills and abilities directly on board the ship, as they will work in mixed crews. The study also pointed out the group of knowledge and skills, which are necessary for obtaining confirmation of the professional readiness for a higher education applicant, and the group of knowledge and skills, which are necessary for career promotion; it is stated that the discipline "Maritime English" in educational preparation of cadets of higher maritime educational institutions acts as a kind of synthesizer of knowledge and skills, acquired by them in the process of studying the disciplines of the professional cycle (hard skills), and at the same time provides for the formation and development of such knowledge and skills as: critical thinking, creativity, ability to work in a team, cultural awareness, communicative skills, flexibility, etc. (soft skills). Attention is drawn to the fact that the heterogeneity of cadets' knowledge upon admission to a maritime university and their further distribution into subgroups vary the complexity and types of tasks in classes. It has been proven that the discipline "Maritime English" is universal for preparing future specialists for their professional activities (in the aspect of developing hard and soft skills), as it integrates knowledge and skills, acquired from professionally oriented disciplines, and allows their application for the development of soft skills [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The transition to a new educational model that will ensure the independence of thinking and speech activity of the future mechanic-officer is a strategic vector of improvement and change in the educational space, which will help maintain the competitiveness of both the teacher and the student. The purpose of this study was to exchange experience of theoretical and practical application of the World Café method as a tool for critical thinking in the context of formation of communicative competence of future ship engineers. To fulfil this purpose, the survey method was used to collect and analyse information on the development of productive critical thinking of education students during discussion in English language classes for professional orientation. The main characteristics and requirements for critical thinking in the professional training of future ship engineers were defined, namely: clarity, accuracy, validity, logic, impartiality. It was proved that the process of forming critical thinking is a necessary condition for independent and responsible actions of maritime specialists in problematic situations. Critical skills such as analysis, evaluation, explanation, and summarisation were highlighted, which are important when discussing professional situations. It was substantiated that critical thinking requires active learning and does not tolerate passive learning, and therefore classes should be interesting and exciting, productive, and motivational. It was emphasised that the main purpose of modern maritime education is not just the accumulation of knowledge and skills, but the training of cadets as independent subjects of educational activities capable of learning and improving their knowledge. The study described the advantages of the World Café method. It was noted that in distance education, “the world cafe” method is widely used in online classes on the Moodle, Zoom, Google Classroom, Whiteboard Miro platforms for group work and knowledge sharing. The practical value of this study is that its results can be used by teachers in preparation for classes in English (for professional purposes), literature, history, etc

Online classes (due to COVID, and then because of the war in Ukraine) require the teacher to make constant changes and to use new forms and methods of learning so that students feel free and more independent. Such a learning model as the flipped class is a type of mixed learning, the peculiarity of which is that students work on new educational material at home and consolidate what they have learned in class by performing practical tasks on the topic. The research aims to describe the process of creation and implementation of flipped classroom lessons for ship engineering cadets of a modern maritime higher education institution. The following methods were used in the research: observation, study of practical experience, verification of creative works and application of tests. The example of a flipped classroom lesson on the Learning Management System platform MOODLE is presented in the article. The priority of such lessons is to redesign the learning model so that the cadets are familiar with new material before class. The set of examples of activities that motivate cadets to get ready before class are given. Fourth-year cadets of the ship engineering department of Kherson State Maritime Academy, Ukraine are the main participants of the experiment. The formation of competence regarding Maritime English using a flipped classroom was analysed. The article presents and substantiates the results of the experiment, confirming the positive influence of flipped classrooms on the communicative competence of future ship engineers. It is shown that, using the flipped classroom the teacher gets the opportunity to work with each student individually and immediately focus on the performance of practical tasks; each student can independently, at the necessary pace, review the material, which is available at any time (for those who attended the class, and for those who were absent for some reason). The practical significance of the article is that it demonstrates how the new pedagogical model allows for increased active learning opportunities for cadets of the ship engineering department.

The paper is devoted to using innovative technologies in the professional training of future ship engineers. It highlights the need for tutors to make lessons interesting and exciting and to create a situation where every cadet can be active. The research emphasises that the main target of maritime education today is not just to accumulate knowledge and skills but to prepare cadets as independent subjects of educational activity who can learn and upgrade their knowledge. The article describes the benefits of digital technologies for online maritime education and training, including various videoconference services. It also discusses the psychological theory of learning based on the psychology of human relationships, which is crucial to interactive learning technologies. The paper concludes by describing various technologies for information visualisation, such as cloud technologies and gamification, and recommends tools like Mentimeter, Aha Slides, and Poll Everywhere for collaborative work and knowledge exchange. The research also suggests that using whiteboard resources during Maritime English lessons can serve cadets as a visual platform for displaying essential Maritime English vocabulary, supporting interactive discussions, conducting simulated exercises and role-playing scenarios.

"Maritime English for professional purpose" e-course based on the LMS MOODLE was created in accordance with the requirements of modern society for the formation of communicative English competence of future maritime industry workers. Our research is devoted to the description and analysis of the work of the future maritime specialists in the e-course. One of the main elements of the course is the Forum (the exchange of questions, answers, messages etc., leaving the message, or creating questions). It is the forum that provides a two-way communication between a teacher and the cadets. The course also contains some elements of gamification (badges, games, Easter eggs, leaderboard, points etc.). Educational content is provided using a system of elements, which greatly enhance the motivation of students to study. QR code quest (a maritime subject chain of activities using two-dimensional code) helps students to find the necessary information, analyze it, organize it, solve tasks etc. Prezi's presentations have additional depth and context, increase students’ motivation to learn. The Quizzes of our course correspond to six levels of Bloom's taxonomy (knowledge, understanding, application, analysis, synthesis and evaluation). The Gradebook has a clear structure: two types of tests, language competencies and additional points in a limited number. In our study, we have produced statistics on the leaders and outsiders of e-course, a comparative description of the groups studying in the course. As a result of our research it was proved that LMS MOODLE e-courses have a potential educational opportunity as an effective means for forming the foreign professional competence of future seafarers. Interactive exercises bring cadets closer to the real-life communication in the absence of a natural linguistic environment and can be used as part of the system of formation of foreign professional competence of future maritime specialists. It was also proved that the system of blended learning helps to master the English language faster and more easily.