The article discusses the issue of teaching a foreign language teaching for professional purposes. The analysis of foreign language training manuals for engineering students and professionals is carried out. The requirements for the selection of scientific educational authentic material based on the linguistic and logic nature of creation of a course in a particular science are defined. The comparative analysis of approaches in professionally oriented foreign language training of engineering students and professionals is carried out. The sequence and procedure for conducting professionally oriented foreign language training for specialists with high professional skills are described. Learning a foreign language for specific purposes is considered in the article as a means of transmission to the professionals of socially and professionally relevant information, developing of skills to use foreign sources in their professional activity, training them to life-long learning.