this study is focused on analysing further education as an integrative pivot of lifelong learning. Modern universities are currently undergoing changes in terms of transformation into entrepreneurial units aimed at commercialization of educational services including further educational programs. The topicality of the research is stipulated by the global urge to stay competitive in the saturated educational services market due to the increasing number of institutions both state and private rendering educational services. The aim of the study is to reveal the needs for further education of representatives among young and academic audiences and devise a course syllabus within further educational programs relevant to the detected requirements of potential listeners. The authors put forward a hypothesis suggesting that there are courses whose unique selling points might be attractive to learners. The results obtained through the questionnaires demonstrated that students and academic staff envision an ideal course to meet all their educational needs in a different way which gives momentum to reconsider the format of rendering educational services and recompose further educational programs making them client-friendly in terms of duration, group size, location, range of courses available and flexibility regarding program contents. The results of the study are of significance due to the fact that further educational programs will be far more susceptible to the needs and requirements of the target audience possessing such features as adjustability, flexibility and modularity.

This article considers the prerequisites and perspectives of individual learning path (ILP) development in the framework of a student-centered educational paradigm; it defines the rationale of ILP and examines the introduction of project learning technology (PLT) into ILP modeling in higher educational institutions. We claim that identification of students' individual features and compliance with their requirements becomes feasible via the integration of project learning technology into the educational process with relevant pedagogical and computer support. The special emphasis is put on the idea that ILP framing is aimed at enhancing students' autonomy and responsibility for their education, fostering cooperation skills in a close dialogue with other participants in out-of-class projects and teachers. In this scenario an individualized approach is to be implemented in a harmonious solidarity with principles of cooperation and collaboration. To verify the above-mentioned ideas we conducted an experiment based on cognitive, diagnostic and empirical methods. Two groups of students participated in our research project at the Plekhanov Russian University of Economics in September -November 2015. They are second-year undergraduate students majoring in Economics and studying English as a second language. We designed individual study routes (ISR) for each student and handed them out. The ISR contained progress steps of the project, a set of assignments and deadlines for project submission. The students were provided with opportunity to play an active role devising and altering an ISR. Research findings show that ILP modeling boosts student's motivation to learn English as a second language, enables students' reflexive skills, identifies their individual features while simultaneously developing cooperation and collaboration skills.

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The article analyses current problems of ecotourism development in Severobaikal region and studies the perspectives of tourist-recreational complex foundation. The creation of special economic zones will undoubtedly require the development and implementation of strategic plan related to personnel education and training with the participation of national and foreign experts and specialized companies, taking into account marketing research and poll results. To ensure the realization of Russian governmental tasks there has been created a pilot program of linguistic training for hospitality and tourism staff basing in the Centre of linguistic support for eco-touristic education development. This program has been developed within the framework of current requirements concerning foreign languages teaching, tendencies of permanent lingual education and in the context of hospitality industry professional standards requirements. Considering new touristic routes creation, closely connected with the interregional project “Big Baikal path” and high level of tourist-recreational attractiveness of region, for promotion of small cities in Baikal region, demand for highly-qualified specialists for the hospitality and tourism sectors will grow. The identification of necessary competencies for each working unit will allow to develop lingua-didactic base including practical tasks which are obligatory for the personnel universal education. Moreover the methods and assessment forms in the framework of each competency will play an integral part in the creation of one algorithm as a main component of the educational process. Thus the abovementioned educational algorithm will serve as a dynamic factor of higher professional education and the system of advanced personnel training.