A fundamental flaw in FL training is the fact that it is based either mostly on the principles of General Language, thus leaving graduates unprepared for their occupational-specific language needs, or predominantly concentrated on a Language for Special Purposes field, thus leaving general language competences basically underdeveloped. Prospects of implementing integrated educational approaches in the contemporary conditions of a peripheral university are basically determined by the lack of resources (mostly human).

Our primary concern is developing available teaching staff, their preparedness to upgrade their professional level and possibilities for further education. We conducted a study among teachers and students, which demonstrated higher motivation of the former to improve language skills, however both groups were rather pessimistic with regard to CLIL implementation in the university.

The paper summarizes challenges of the current situation: (1) system-related problems: lack of mutual preparedness of all learning-teaching process participants for interaction; (2) staff-related problems: extremely few FL teachers with a second degree and very small number of content teachers with sufficient level of FL competence. (3) curriculum-related problems: current curricula were not basically designed for bilingual training. To improve the situation adaptation of education programmes is required for wider coordination between FL-courses and content courses, introducing more content component in FL courses: including studying particular modules, preparing course projects or parts of graduation projects, linguistic support in the form of language courses in specific areas of study. The particular tasks for FL-teachers in course coordination include identifying and developing concrete linguistic competences.