SHOULD `SOFT SKILLS` BE OFFICIALLY INTEGRATED INTO ENGLISH CURRICULUM?

The rapid developments in science and technology have had a tremendous impact on educational pedagogy, which now views the acquisition of knowledge as a lifelong process. In the context of language learning, the teacher`s monolog in the classroom has been gradually replaced by dynamic methods such as PBL and TBL that place learners and their future needs at the center of the learning process. Particularly important are the CEFR standards that have transformed the way language abilities are perceived, and which combine soft skills with language skills in their descriptors. Soft skills, such as oral presentations, negotiation of information, problem solving, team work and report writing, have a crucial role in the modern work environment. Therefore, their acquisition should be a part of students` preparation for future career. While technology core courses rely mainly on one-way transfer of field-related knowledge, ESP courses, on the other hand, use soft skills as a tool for acquisition of language. Thus, simultaneous acquisition of both seems to have a synergistic effect. The purpose of this presentation is to provide examples of soft skills as a vehicle to language development, and thus propose their formal integration into the higher education English curriculum. This proposal is based on ongoing review of the relevant literature* and experience acquired during years of English teaching at academic institutes.