Introduction. The article deals with the realization of the visualization principle in the development of the students’ professional competence in the course «Methods of teaching English». The aim of the article is to show the need to apply this principle in the education process to optimize the professional development of future teachers.

Materials and methods. The main research methods are the analysis of regulatory documents and scientific literature on the problem, generalization of innovative practices in education and the authors’ own teaching experience, empirical (observation, questioning, testing) and interpretative (qualitative and quantitative analyses) methods.

Results. The main results of applying the principle of visualization to develop the students’ professional competence include: activation of the cognitive processes; intensification of knowledge transfer; development of information competence; specification of abstract methodological concepts; development of creative thinking; awareness of the possibilities of the educational environment as means of reaching subject, meta-subject and personal outcomes; increasing motivation to study teaching methods; increasing interest in the future professional activity; creating conditions to solve professional problems.

Discussion. The results of testing and students' self-assessment at the end of the course «Methods of teaching English» allowed to establish the fact of an increased level of professional competence after the implementation of visual aids.

Conclusion. The relevance of the problem determined the development and testing of visual technologies as part of the course «Methods of teaching English», which had a positive effect on the dynamics of the formation of the considered competence.

The problem of the formation of professional competence is relevant for the higher school;

Visual technologies were developed and tested as part of the course «Methods of teaching English»;

The diagnostics after the implementation of visual aids showed a positive dynamics of development of the professional competence.