The Problem of the Syllabus Design within the Competence Approach based on the Course “English for Master Degree Students in Economics (Advanced Level)”

Abstract The transition of Russian System of Higher Education to new Educational Standards of the Third Generation challenged the authors of the article to develop the syllabus for Master Degree Students in Economics that would satisfy both the requirements of the Standard and would fit the framework of the English for Specific Purposes (ESP) approach used by teachers all over the world. The main objective of the article is to define methods to be applied to syllabus design for ESP course in Economics. The authors analysed different approaches to ESP and its problems expressed by such authors as Hutchinson & Waters, Crocker and McDonough and came to the conclusion that although teaching of ESP is in many ways similar to that of General English, it still has some specific features especially in the sphere of Economics. The comparative analysis of the attitudes to syllabus design (product-oriented, process-oriented) and the Standard demand for competence approach encouraged authors to develop their own course “English for Master Degree Students in Economics (advanced level)” which has been successfully implemented in the Kazan State University, Institute of Economics and Finance. The role of the needs analysis derived from the idea of communicative competence has proved to be the powerful means of materials evaluation for each professional field. The course design is given as a practical outcome of the study. The way to explore the syllabus design as a link between the present post-graduates’ needs and future employment needs is presented in the article as the result of the research.