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Abstract: The article singles out the issues of the methods of conducting classes and out-of-class activities in a foreign language with the base level students of non-linguistic universities based on the results of analysis of methodological and pedagogical studies. Under the modern conditions, the problem of reduction of the number of academic hours and the increase in the number of students in a group comes to the forefront. The authors of the article suggest elements of the problem solution via the development of the students’ creative activity using interactive methods of teaching foreign languages, and specifically: reading and translation of topical texts; listening comprehension; role-play games; topical dialogues; projects; case-study; portfolio; self-presentation. The aim of the article is to search for the ways of intensification of the process of teaching, optimization of the work of the students and teachers, organization of independent work and fast acquisition of the academic material. The results described were obtained in the course of experimental work conducted in various academic groups of students of the base level of study of a foreign language in four higher education institutions of Sverdlovsk Oblast and Saint Petersburg. All the students receive higher technical education and take a course of foreign language study with elements of e-learning with the purpose of better acquisition of knowledge on the platform of distant education (lms.spbgut.ru.). Naturally, at the beginning of their study, the students demonstrate approximately the same level of knowledge of the foreign language (basic level of secondary education). The authors identify the ways for further development of the methods of teaching a foreign language at different stages of higher education at a modern highly technological level. The suggested elements of the method are specifically characterized by the organization of the students’ work in the academic group and the solution to the problem of lack of academic time allotted to in- and out-of-class activity. The authors also suggest using electronic resources to raise the level of teaching. The general principles suggested by the authors may help organize the academic process in practically any discipline.