This article examines technologies for developing communicative competence in technical higher education, focusing on engineering. Communicative competence, crucial for technical professionals, extends beyond technical language to encompass effective interaction and clear articulation of ideas. The article reviews common methods: integrated English instruction, Task-Based Language Teaching (TBLT), collaborative learning, and educational technologies (e.g., LMS, MOOCs). The role of professional communication courses and experiential learning is also discussed. While beneficial (contextualized learning, engagement, diverse resources), these technologies have limitations: overly general English courses, TBLT logistical challenges, unequal collaborative participation, the digital divide, and inconsistent experiential learning access/quality. The article concludes by emphasizing the need for future initiatives to address these shortcomings and enhance existing methods, preparing students for evolving communication demands in engineering. Further articles will present a new technology to address this.  

Communicative Competence, Language Learning, Task-Based Language Teaching (TBLT)

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