The integration of Russia into the international common space of research and education accompanied by modernization of the national system of education puts forward new demands to postgraduate education. The processes of integration and modernization increase the importance of learning a foreign language for a future scientist. The article deals with the methodological content of a foreign language lesson, the components of which are individualization, speech orientation, situatedness, functionality and novelty. Those components define the features, structure, principles and techniques of a modern foreign language lesson. The aim of this paper is to describe how the above-mentioned components are implemented during foreign language classes with postgraduates. In the end, we come to the conclusion that individualization, speech focus and novelty at foreign language lessons are fully implemented through specific lesson arrangement models, based on personal involvement into the learning process in the context of scientific activity. The use of socially-oriented technologies promotes active involvement of postgraduates into speech activity, enhancing the interactive character of scientific communication.