Requirements for professional speech competence of special teachers: employers’ view

Abstract

In the paper the professional requirements for the professional and speech competence of graduates of educational programs “Special education” (“Defectology”) were analyzed. The analysis of scientific and methodological literature carried out by the authors revealed that high demands were placed on the speech of teachers, because speech is one of the main means of teaching and upbringing. In recent years, many scientists have noted a decrease in the level of speech development among students of pedagogical specialties. Therefore, as a research task, the authors attempted to assess how significant speech competence is in the professional activities of special teachers and which speech competencies are needed to solve professional tasks. For the purpose of the study, the “Typical qualification characteristics of teachers' positions” were analyzed, for positions that graduates of educational programs “Special Education” (“Defectology”) can apply for. This allowed us to get an idea of the expectations from specialists, regardless of the form of ownership, departmental subordination and the organizational and legal form of the organization and its location. The obtained results showed the high importance of professional and speech competence in the professional activities of special teachers and allowed to formulate the main competencies that are expected from specialists