IMPROVING FOREIGN LANGUAGE CURRICULA IN HIGHER EDUCATION WITH A FOCUS ON DEVELOPING SPEAKING FLUENCY

Abstract

The paper considers the issue of improving foreign language curricula in higher education institutions with a focus on developing students’ speaking fluency as a key component of oral communicative competence. The relevance of the study is determined by the need to train competitive specialists capable of effective intercultural communication in the context of globalization and academic mobility. It is noted that despite extensive language instruction, a considerable number of students experience difficulties in spontaneous oral communication, which is associated with insufficient automatization of speech skills and the predominant orientation of curricula toward mastering the linguistic system rather than communicative performance. The theoretical framework of the study is based on S. Krashen’s Input Hypothesis Theory and B. McLaughlin’s Attention-Processing Model, which explain the mechanisms underlying the transition from controlled to automatic language production. The article substantiates the necessity of integrating the principles of communicative language teaching, social interaction, pedagogical scaffolding and meaningful learning into the process of foreign language curriculum design. On the basis of analysis of the relevant research, key directions for improving foreign language curricula are identified, such as setting realistic learning objectives, provision of appropriate comprehensible input, implementation of context-oriented communicative tasks, and introduction of systematic feedback together with a supportive and learner-centered assessment approach. A cyclical instructional model is proposed, ensuring gradual transition from prepared speech to free communicative interaction. The study demonstrates that speaking fluency develops through regular communicative practice, reduced language anxiety, active learning strategies, and transformation of the teacher’s role into that of a facilitator of communicative interaction. Prospects for further research include experimental validation of the proposed curricula and the integration of digital technologies into the development of spontaneous oral communication skills.