FORMATION OF PROFESSIONAL LEXICAL COMPETENCE OF TOURISM STUDENTS BASED ON A COMMUNICATIVE-ORIENTED APPROACH

This article examines the formation of professional lexical competence among students of tourism specialties on the basis of a communicative-oriented approach in higher education. The relevance of the topic is determined by the growing need for future tourism specialists to use foreign-language professional vocabulary accurately, appropriately and flexibly in real communicative situations. In the context of training students whose future professional activity is connected with international communication, hospitality, excursion services, intercultural dialogue and customer interaction, lexical competence becomes not only a linguistic skill but also an important component of professional readiness. The article considers professional lexical competence as an integrated ability that includes knowledge of terminology, understanding of contextual meanings, correct use of lexical units in oral and written communication, and the ability to adapt vocabulary to different communicative situations in the tourism sphere. Special attention is paid to the communicative-oriented approach, which makes it possible to connect vocabulary learning with practical speech tasks, role-play situations, professional dialogues, case studies, presentations and simulation of real tourism communication. The study emphasizes that effective formation of lexical competence requires systematic selection of professional vocabulary, integration of authentic materials, development of students’ active speech practice, and creation of a learning environment close to real professional interaction. The article also highlights the importance of German language teaching in tourism education, since German-speaking countries represent an important cultural and tourist space, and mastery of German professional vocabulary expands students’ opportunities for academic mobility and future employment. The results of the analysis show that the communicative-oriented approach increases students’ motivation, improves their ability to use professional terminology consciously, and supports the development of intercultural and professional communication skills.