Distance Learning Course to Support Individual Work on Studying the German Language in a Master’s Program at a Technical University (Case Study)

The article discusses the empirical experience of constructing a distance learning course for master’s students in technical areas of training studying the German language. A review of current literature on the topic is given, and the necessity and possibility of introducing a supporting course for independent individual work of students in conditions of low motivation to study a non-core subject and a shortage of classroom hours for contact work is substantiated. The structure of the developed course is given, covering the language sections (lexical and grammatical, text reading, watching video material, and developing listening skills). Content and language integrated learning (CLIL) and the flipped classroom approach act as the basic methodological principles for constructing training materials. According to the examination of the soft CLIL characteristics, the subsequent steps for incorporating this approach into foreign language instruction were justified: 1) evaluating and choosing the appropriate educational and methodological resources; 2) disseminating the tools and methods of pedagogical communication; 3) integrating CLIL directly into the learning experience. The proposed approach does not require a complete transition to teaching in a foreign language but uses it as an additional tool for the in-depth study of subjects. Learners study specialized subjects in their native language while being able to use a foreign language to obtain additional information and conduct research. This helps develop their language skills while being immersed in the subject area.