Developing Foreign Language Competence of Future Vocational Education Teachers in the Benelux Countries: General Aspects

The issues of language ecology and language policy, alongside the rapid advancement of communication technologies across all sectors of society, have heightened the focus on the quality of human communication.In this context, the development of foreign language competence among future vocational education teachers in Ukraine has gained significant relevance, particularly in light of globalization, European integration processes and the challenges posed by wartime.Examining global experiences, especially those of the Benelux countries, is essential for identifying potential strategies to enhance the effectiveness of professional training for future teachers.Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg exemplify successful foreign language education through their strategies of multilingualism and multiculturalism.A key factor in their success is official multilingualism, which fosters environments where people can more effectively exchange information, cooperate and build relationshipscrucial for successful functioning at both local and global levels.This article explores the strategies employed in these countries to develop foreign language competence among future vocational education teachers.These strategies primarily include implementing content-and language-integrated learning, offering professional development opportunities, leveraging modern technologies to improve language training effectiveness, promoting multilingualism and multiculturalism and collaborating with international partners.Adopting similar strategies could significantly enhance professional training programmes for future vocational education teachers in Ukraine, particularly in developing foreign language competence, aligning them with international standards and boosting the competitiveness of Ukrainian graduates in the international labour market.Future research should focus on studying the experiences of leading European countries regarding the integration of continuing professional development programmes for vocational education teachers in the face of global challenges.