Introduction. The effectiveness of the educational process and the work of the university as a whole is determined by the quality of professional training of teachers [1]. The higher the qualification and the level of knowledge of the teacher, the more effective learning process will be. What kind of teacher does a modern university need? Teachers with deep knowledge of their subject and a broad outlook is able to provide quality and relevant training. Experienced and qualified teachers are able to motivate the student, create an atmosphere that will promote active participation of everyone in the learning process. Professionally trained teachers who apply modern methods and approaches in teaching, adapt learning process to individuality of their students, who use various methods and strategies, are those who determine the success of the educational process in general.  A modern teacher analyzes his experience, evaluates the results of his students, and adapts the program according to the results obtained. A competent teacher knows how to build relationships with colleagues, is able to support students. No less important for a modern teacher is the desire and opportunity to constantly improve, the desire for continuous professional growth [2]. The level of competence and knowledge of the teacher determines how successfully students will master the material, will be interested in the subject and will be able to apply what they have learned.

Universities providing training of deck crew and specialists in maritime transport are guided by International Maritime Organization (IMO) requirements to the training of future seafarers [2, 3]. In accordance with the Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers[1] (STCW), one of the fundamental maritime conventions adopted by the IMO, there are basic requirements and standards of training of shipboard personnel and the main provisions that have to be followed in the training of future seafarers.

The purpose of this pilot study is to outline the structure of professional competence of a maritime university EFL teacher in modern conditions, considering it as a holistic, generalized multicomponent concept (a set of competences), characterizing modern university teachers as specialists who are able to use effectively their personal potential (personal qualities) and apply the knowledge, skills and abilities necessary for professional activity.

Literature review. Analyzing the concept of professional competence of a university teacher, researchers have not come to a single definition [4], but they agree on its complexity and multicomponent nature, and also pay attention to the fact that the professional training of a teacher is a key factor that determines the quality of teaching and educational process in higher education as a whole. Thus, the study by N.P. Yachina et al. [5] notes the diversity of approaches to 

[1] International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarershttps://wwwcdn.imo.org/localresources/en/publications/Documents/Supplements/Russian/QQD938R_PQ.pdf.

understanding the term "professional competence of a teacher". The authors identify seven general directions, approaches to the definition of this concept, the study attempts to systematize them. The proponents of defining competence in terms of culture and personal development (E.V. Bondarevskaya, B.S. Gershunsky) consider this phenomenon through the prism of a person's general culture, his or her "education" and "upbringing". 

Another direction is represented by the thesis that professional competence is a system of qualities and skills (T.G. Brazhe, L.K. Grebenkina, A.I. Piskunov, etc.). The central thesis of the third direction (L.M. Abolin, I.F. Isaev, P.P. Terekhin, etc.).  is the thesis that the concept of "professional competence" is closely related to the concept of "readiness for professional activity. N.P. Yachina et al. [5] connect a separate direction with the concept of psychological readiness of a teacher to use his/her skills (L.M. Abolin, A.K. Markova, V.A. Slastenin). The fifth direction is conditioned by the positions of the direct activity approach in the definition of professional competence (N.V. Kuzmina, L.M. Mitina etc.). The sixth direction presents professional competence as an integrative quality (R.H. Gilmeeva, A.M. Novikov, etc.), combining many characteristics, personal and professional qualities, knowledge, skills of a teacher, his organizational and communicative abilities. The seventh direction, as noted in the study by N.P. Yachina et al. [6] is associated with the understanding of professional competence as a set of competences: spiritual, social, psychological, pedagogical, methodological, subject competences, reflecting the main activities of a teacher (S.E. Shishov, A.G. Shmelev, A.V. Khutorskoy, etc.).

Such a variety of approaches to the definition of the concept of "professional competence of a teacher" by Russian researchers reflects the global trend, which is evidenced by the studies of Slovak colleagues [6], who also note the diversity of its components. In their research, the authors analyzed a significant body of modern international research and cited a number of teacher competences (pedagogical, intercultural, social, research, organizational and managerial competences, etc.) highlighted by modern researchers as the main components of a teacher's professional level.  Blašková at al. [6] also proposed a model of professional competence of a teacher, which is based on the definition of this concept as a set of competences necessary for a modern teacher. Competence, from her point of view, can be defined as a set of key personal skills/talents and behavioral models that a teacher should possess in order to successfully achieve the set professional goals and perform the corresponding professional tasks.

This interpretation of the teacher's professional competence concept seems to us to be quite reasonable, since it is based on the professional activity of a teacher. In our study we will adhere to the definition of professional competence of a university teacher as a set of knowledge, skills and experience, as well as 

personal qualities necessary for the successful performance of pedagogical activities in higher education, as well as the thesis that professional competence is a holistic multicomponent concept – a set of interrelated competences that determine the effectiveness of professional activity of a teacher.

Modern conditions specify certain requirements to the professional profile of a university teacher.  Attempts to determine the structure of university teacher's competences and their hierarchy have been and are being repeatedly undertaken by modern researchers.  Various classifications, models and matrices of university teacher competences are proposed. Having studied and summarized the experience of Russian and foreign researchers, we can list a number of key competences:

1. Subject matter competence (mastery of the subject matter) implies that  teachers must be experts in their field of knowledge to provide qualified  instruction and prepare students for a successful career [7, 8];

 2. Pedagogical competence  is knowledge in the field of pedagogy and related sciences (teaching methods, pedagogical forecasting, evaluation, pedagogical psychology, conflictology, etc.) The teacher can define key terms and elements of any topic and explain them clearly to students; uses and skillfully combines various techniques and methods, able to use effectively methods of assessing students' knowledge, skills, competences, owns learning management techniques, actively involves students in activities, adapts the learning process in accordance with students’ needs [9, 10];

3. Communicative competence involves correct and fluent oral speech, ability to write correctly and coherently (drawing on developed skills of written and oral communication (including business); ability to use language for pedagogical purposes (correct speech patterns, explanations, instructions); active listening, persuasion and metacommunication; prevention of communicative failures (both with students and colleagues); ability to use communication as a tool to build relationships in the pedagogical process, empathy, ability to motivate, maintain the dynamics of motivation of all [11];

4. Information (digital) competence is the ability to use, apply advanced information technologies in professional activity. Modern teachers should be ready to use advanced information tools and technologies in the educational process, work in online courses, virtual laboratories, use multimedia [12, 13, 14];

5. Intercultural competence is the ability to work with representatives of different cultures, which requires from the teacher knowledge of cultural peculiarities and the ability to adapt to different situations in the conditions of intercultural communication [15, 16]; 

6. Organizational and pedagogical competence is the ability to organize teaching and educational activities, skills in the development of software and methodological support, organizational and pedagogical support of students (development, support, organization of research and project activities), interaction 

with colleagues (on the development of courses, teaching materials), time management skills, the ability to effectively plan and distribute time;

7. Research and publication competence is the  ability and readiness  to carry out scientific activities in their professional field, research skills, desire for scientific cooperation, implementation of scientific projects, interest and ability to present the results of their research, which are of interest to the professional community in domestic and foreign publications, knowledge of ethical norms accepted in the academic community, academic presentation skills, public speaking skills, ability to work in the academic community, the ability to publish and disseminate the results of their research, and the ability to publish the results of their research in national and foreign journals [17, 18, 19];

8. Axiological competence is the  desire for professional development; understanding of the learning environment, characteristics of the audience, ability to assess available resources, needs, goals and expectations of the community, understanding of the profession and one's role in it, ability to analyze the experience of colleagues and ability to support and guide young and less experienced teachers, learning from more experienced colleagues, ability to think critically, strategic vision, anticipation of problems and ability to solve them, flexibility, creativity. A faculty member is a mature individual, highly creative and resourceful; always tolerant, empathic, accommodating and responsive to others (both students and colleagues); constantly striving for excellence, nurturing students and colleagues in close cooperation with them, respecting and developing their personalities [20, 21, 22];

9. Motivational competence is the ability to motivate others through every action, every lecture or seminar; the teacher considers motivation as a key element of any work process, relationships, evaluates and supports the dynamics of motivation of both individual participants in the pedagogical process (students, colleagues), as well as groups (student groups, faculties); identifies and strictly eliminates any manifestations of his own and others' unethical, dishonest and de-motivational behavior; has the ability to self-motivate and the ability to overcome obstacles  [23, 24];

10. Academic and institutional competence - understanding of policies, practices, conventions of the educational institution, interdisciplinary links and differences [25, 26]. 

For an ESP teacher in the competence profile, researchers identify a number of essential competences. Thus, Dudley-Evans and St. John [27], based on the approach, theory and methodology of teaching English for special purposes formulated by ESP founders T. Hutchinson and A. Waters [28], see the role of a foreign (English) language lecturer as a  teacher,  course designer and materials provider,  collaborator,  researcher, evaluator. 

Taking into account the activities and functions of the university lecturer as outlined by the researchers and based on the competences defined above, it is possible to outline the following competences of a teacher of English for Specific Purposes: pedagogical competence; organizational and pedagogical competence;

communicative competence; motivational competence; research competence; axiological competence.

E.N. Solovova and S.V. Bogolepova [29], analyzing the competence matrices, standards of competences of a university lecturer and, in particular, a foreign language teacher, studying the competence models proposed by TESOL (Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages) and other international organizations, as well as teacher’s professional standard offer the following list of competences of a foreign language teacher: communicative competence; pedagogical competence; axiological competence (awareness of the system of values; critical thinking); scientific and organizational competence.

M. Knyazhan and O. Khromchenko also point out the importance of another competence – the self-development competence for a teacher of English for specific purposes. This competence implies, first of all, the ability and readiness to acquire new knowledge within the subject area in which the foreign language teacher works (e.g., medicine, economics, engineering, pharmacology, etc.) [30]. We consider this competence as part of the axiological competence in the competences we have identified earlier. From the point of view of teaching «Maritime English» - special English for deck officers and crew members, it is necessary that we  outline some features of the activity of a teacher who trains such specialists. Results and discussion. As mentioned above, the teaching of English to professionals whose future professional activity is related to working at sea, has a number of peculiarities and is related to the requirements of international shipping and is defined by international maritime documents such as the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW), International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS Convention[1])  as well as defined by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) (Model Course 3.17[2]) and other special regulations.  These documents define and set standards for the training and certification of seafarers, including the level of English language proficiency required to work on ships. The objectives and content of training are related to the specifics of professional activity of future maritime specialists:  developing communicative skills in English for professional  communication on board of a sea vessel;training of 

specific maritime terminology; the development of listening skills in special conditions and circumstances; training in reading and writing to deal with technical documentation; developing skills in listening comprehension of commands and instructions in English in the context of ship operation and management; teaching conversational English to communicate with other crew members and guests on board. 

The specificity of using English on board is related to the need to work in the international system Seaspeak – a decision support system for marine vessels helping captains and crews to make decisions based on the data such as weather, ship and cargo conditions, and navigational data. English is the official language of international maritime communication and navigation, so using Seaspeak in English is mandatory. Seaspeak is used on all types of vessels including cargo, passenger and oil tankers. It should also be noted that English plays a crucial role in maritime safety as it is the official language of international maritime communication: English is used to communicate with other vessels, port services and authorities, which reduces the risk of incidents and accidents. 

Taking into account the abovementioned specifics, the issue of immersion in the professional sphere of activity of future graduates of the maritime university for the teacher of «Maritime English» is vital. At the same time, this raises the question of forming additional competences related to the subject area with which the teacher of English is in contact. The problem of lack of knowledge of the teacher of special English from the subject area in this case can significantly affect the quality of training of future seafarers. It does not mean that  the language teacher should be retrained, for example, as a deck department officer or ship mechanic. It is correct, in our opinion, to say that the teacher needs a more in-depth understanding of the specifics of the future maritime specialist's activity, constant immersion in the subject and improvement of qualification in the subject area. That is, in this case additional competences of a teacher ESP «Maritime English» language can be discussed, which should be present in his/her professional competence profile.  Thus, R.V. Drazhzhan [2], noting the absence of specific requirements for a foreign language teacher at a higher education institution in the professional standard "Teacher of professional training, vocational education and additional vocational education", on which we are obliged to rely, insists on the need for additional training for English teachers working with seafarers. She concludes that a teacher of «Maritime English» should, firstly, have a high professional level in the field of theory and teaching methodology, secondly have a thorough training in the field of «Maritime English», and also correspond in their competences to the profile of the university in terms of the requirements of the STSW. Following the above-mentioned R.V. Drazhzhan [2] point out the necessity of self-development and continuous learning ("life-long learning") as one of the necessary components of the professional competence of a teacher of Maritime English.

Defining the competences that make up the competence profile of a teacher of ESP in maritime university, we should speak, in our opinion, about the model of professional competence with the following components: pedagogical competence; organizational competence; subject-linguistic competence (mastery of the subject, professional field of English language application); communicative competence; intercultural competence; motivational competence; research competence; organizational and research (publishing) competence; information (digital) competence; axiological competence; academic and institutional competence.

In this list we also included subject-linguistic competence (mastery of the subject, professional field of application of English), which is the most important component in the context of teaching ESP or «Maritime English».

Thus, the conducted theoretical analysis and the review of relevant studies allowed us to define the concept of a university lecturer professional competence, as well as to identify a number of basic competences necessary for EFL teachers in general and ESP “Maritime English” teachers in our case. It was also noted that there is no single model of professional competence of a university teacher and at the same time there is a growing interest in the issues raised and the need for a systematic approach to determining the professional profile of an ESP teacher.

Taking into account the main objective of this study, which was to determine the structure of professional competence of an EFL teacher of a maritime university, at the preparatory stage, taking into account the analyzed theoretical and practical experience of the researched issue, we conducted a series of semi-structured interviews with the ESP teachers  («Maritime English») at the Admiral Makarov State University of Maritime and Inland Shipping (Russia, Saint Petersburg).   We analyzed the teachers' points of view regarding the set of competences necessary for a teacher.  As a result of this stage, a matrix of competences with corresponding indicators was compiled.

Empirical data for the purpose of competence ranking were obtained at the directly research stage, when in 2021-24 in Admiral Makarov State University of Maritime and Inland Shipping (SUMIS) professional development courses for teachers of maritime universities of Russia "Professional competence of English language teacher in transport educational organization" and "Digital competence of EFL teacher " were developed and conducted. The teachers were trained according to the programs developed by the English Language Department for Navigation and Communication together with the Scientific Methodological Center of the University.  At the final stage of training the teachers were offered to answer closed and open clarifying questions of the questionnaire (the second part). The questionnaire answers were processed automatically in our LMS FARVATER.  

The questions were formulated taking into account the competence matrix obtained at the preparatory stage. The purpose of the survey was to identify the most and least important competences from the teachers' point of view, forming their rating, as well as to identify teachers' professional interests and prospects for further professional training. 

The survey participants ranked the following suggested competences in order of importance: subject-linguistic competence (mastery of the subject, professional field of English language application);pedagogical competence; motivational competence; communicative competence; axiological competence;research competence; organizational and research (publication) competence.

Results and Findings. Table 1 presents the results of the core competences ranking of a «Maritime English» teacher by the respondents participating in the survey. They were asked to rank the competences by their importance from their perspective. Accordingly, each competence received a rating expressed quantitatively (based on the number of respondents who chose it) in absolute values and percentages. The maximum high value (i.e., the maximum number of respondents who assigned this rating to the studied competence) is highlighted in bold in the table.

Table 1.

Competences rating

Таблица 1. 

Рейтинг компетенций

Competences

R 1

R 2

R 3

R 4

R 5

R 6

R 7

Subject-linguistic competence

40 (53%)

11 (14%)

8 (11%)

1 (1%)

1 (1%)

7 (9%)

8 (11%)

Pedagogical

20 (26%)

24 (32%)

12 (16%)

2 (3%)

1 (1%)

7 (9%)

10 (13%)

Motivational

6 (8%)

11 (14%)

15 (20%)

14 (18%)

13 (17%)

9 (12%)

8 (11%)

Communicative

5 (7%)

12 (15%)

8 (11%)

28 (37%)

11 (14%)

7 (9%)

5 (7%)

Axiological

10 (13%)

8 (11%)

11 (14%)

7 (9%)

23 (30%)

9 (12%)

8( 11%)

Research

3 (4%)

10 (13%)

6 (8%)

3 (4%)

12 (16%)

36 (47%)

6 (8%)

Organizational and research (publication)

4 (5%)

6 (8%)

7 (9%)

6 (8%)

7 (9%)

13 (17%)

33 (43%)

Figure 3 visually represents the ranking of each competence, allowing for a clear assessment of their importance from the teachers' perspective. The numbers on the graph reflect the maximum values presented in the table 1.

Fig. 3. Competence ranking by importance (ascending)

Рис. 3. Ранжирование компетенций по степени важности (по возрастанию)

76 teachers took part in the pilot research survey, which included teachers of English of two language departments of SUMIS, teachers of the Voronin Arctic Maritime Institute, Belomorsko-Onezhsky, Voronezh, Kotlassky branches, as well as teachers of the Department of Language Training of Admiral G.I. Nevelskoy Maritime State University, the Department of Social Sciences of Murmansk State Technical University and Admiral Kuznetsov Naval Academy.  The questionnaire and the results of the survey can be found in LMS FARVATER (farvater.gumrf.ru). The LMS automatically calculated the rating results. The respondents' data are shown in Diagrams 1, 2.

Fig. 1.  Age and total teaching experience of survey participants

Рис. 1. Возраст и общий педагогический стаж участников опроса

Fig. 2.  Academic degree and work experience of survey participants in higher education

Рис. 2. Наличие ученой степени и стаж работы в вузе участников опроса

The survey results highlighted the importance of various competences in teaching Maritime English. The Subject-Linguistic Competence was rated as the most crucial by 40 respondents (53%), emphasizing its central role in the field. Pedagogical Competence was ranked second, with 24 respondents (32%) underscoring its significance. 15 respondents (20%) highlighted Motivational Competence in R3. Communicative Competence was notably prioritized by 28 respondents (37%) in R4, underscoring its critical role in effective teaching. Axiological Competence was highly rated by 23 respondents (30%) in R5, indicating its growing importance. Research Competence showed a strong emphasis with 36 respondents (47%) in R6, highlighting its increasing relevance. Lastly, although considered less critical, Organizational and Research (Publication) Competence was still recognized as valuable by 33 respondents (43%) in R7.

The analysis of the answers to the open-ended questions allowed us to determine the professional priorities of teachers of ESP, which are primarily related to the mastery of special knowledge in the taught field (maritime terminology, peculiarities of teaching listening comprehension in difficult conditions), which corresponds to the ranking of subject-linguistic competence as the leading, basic competence in the structure of professional competence of a «Maritime English» teacher. Methodology issues are also in the center of respondents' attention. It is important for teachers to master new tools and technologies, modern approaches to language teaching. It confirms the fact of high rating of teacher's pedagogical competence. Teachers also noted the importance of the motivational component of the learning process - many teachers are concerned about how to motivate students with poor language skills to learn ESP.

It is worth mentioning that the survey made it possible to record a number of points that revealed some discrepancies between the answers to the qualifying questions and the results of competence rating. For example, 67% of respondents state that they are engaged in scientific work, while placing research and organizational-research competences on the penultimate and last place in the competence rating. Clarifying questions revealed that only 34% of teachers regularly publish the results of their research activities, while 39% do not publish at all. At the same time, 89% confirmed that research competence is an important component of a teacher's professional competence. It seems possible to assume that the answers to the qualifying questions indicate that despite the fact that teachers consider this competence to be an important component of their professional activity, many of them lack the ability or desire to publish the results of their research. Undoubtedly, these assumptions need to be verified and clarified in the course of further deeper study of individual teachers’ competences. In general, the analysis of the answers to the open and clarifying questions allowed us to establish that the ranking results correspond to the interests and problems identified with the help of the second part of the questionnaire.

Conclusion. The study allowed us to determine the structure of professional EFL teacher competence in general and, in our case, ESP teacher of a maritime university based on the opinion survey of teachers from the major maritime universities of the country. Theoretical analysis and empirical data obtained in the course of the study helped to identify the most important and significant competences in modern conditions in the structure of professional competence of an ESP "maritime English "teacher, considering it as a holistic, generalized multi-component concept. We also determined that some competences and their place and importance in the professional paradigm require special attention and study.  It remains undeniable that modern university faculty should possess a whole set of the necessary competences for effective implementation of pedagogical activity. They should be able to use their personal potential, skillfully apply the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary for professional activity and development.

[1] International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea https://entirelysafe.com/159-solas-consolidated-edition-imo/

[2] IMO Model Course 3.17 https://www.academia.edu/34839973/Model_Course_3_17