The article presents a competency-based approach to the professional development of Biology students in the process of learning English language by involving students in project work on the example of a study of the selection of roses named after prominent people. The concepts of «competence», «professional competence» and «intercultural competence» were described. The author gives some examples of forming competencies in students (according to Recommendation 2006/962 / EU of the European Parliament and the Council (EU), studying the roses «Emily Bronte» and «William and Catherine» bred by English breeder David Austin.The author points out that the competence of a future Biology teacher is an integrated structure, which is determined by a dynamic combination of general and special competences, which determine the effectiveness of professional activity of a specialist. Presented the outcomes of an investigation whose main goal was to implement the methodology of project work and a process approach in order to form competencies in students. Project-based learning is more than the simple incorporation of a project; it is experiential and meaningful learning and vehicle for fully integrated language and content learning. The author states that project work is a learning experience which seeks to provide students with knowledge from various areas of learning, which can be critically and creatively applied to real life situations. Students are not only learning a language, but are also learning through a language. In other words, this process involves multi-skill activities which focus on a theme of interest rather than on specific language tasks. The author stresses that project work requires an active role in which students are doing authentic and motivational tasks in order to reach a common goal where the language is the means rather than the end since an end-product is not the only goal when implementing project work.