GROUP WORK AS A BASIC ELEMENT IN LANGUAGE TEACHING FOR NON-PHILOLOGICAL UNIVERSITIES

Abstract

In the contemporary globalized educational environment, the demand for effective foreign language proficiency among students of non-philological universities has increased significantly. Specialists in engineering, economics, medicine, architecture, and other non-linguistic fields are required to communicate in international academic and professional contexts. However, traditional language teaching methods that rely primarily on teacher-centered instruction and individual learning strategies often fail to develop communicative competence effectively. One of the most promising pedagogical approaches to address this challenge is the integration of group work as a central element of the learning process. Group work enables students to interact actively, exchange ideas, develop collaborative skills, and practice language use in authentic communicative contexts. This study investigates the pedagogical value of group work in foreign language instruction for students of non-philological universities. The research explores theoretical foundations, methodological principles, and empirical evidence related to collaborative learning strategies in language education. Particular attention is given to how group work contributes to the development of communicative competence, critical thinking, motivation, and learner autonomy. The study also examines the challenges associated with implementing group work in higher education settings, including classroom management, assessment strategies, and student participation imbalance. Using a mixed-method research design, the study analyzes data collected from university students and language instructors to evaluate the effectiveness of group work activities in improving language proficiency. The findings demonstrate that group work significantly enhances students’ speaking fluency, vocabulary acquisition, and confidence in communication. Moreover, collaborative learning environments encourage students to take greater responsibility for their learning process while fostering interpersonal and intercultural communication skills. The results suggest that integrating structured group activities into language curricula can substantially improve the quality of language education in non-philological universities. The article concludes by proposing methodological recommendations for implementing group work effectively in higher education language classrooms.