Педагогические науки/5. Современные методы преподавания

Николаенко О.В.,

Ушатая Т.А.,

Черниговский государственныйинститут економики и управления

Up-to-date approaches to TEACHING FOREIGN LANGUAGES AT THE HIGHER EDUCATIONAL ESTABLISHMENTS

The National doctrine of the educational development in Ukraine in the XXI century has defined the main goal which is to create conditions for personal development and creative self-perfection of every citizen of Ukraine, a generation which is capable of learning throughout life, create and develop the values of civil society capacity to consolidate the Ukrainian nation, Ukraine's integration into European and world space as a competitive and prosperous state. An important role in solving these problems a teacher plays. Therefore, an important condition for the modernization of education is to train teachers.

As far back as the history of language instruction goes, conscientious teachers have sought new and better ways to facilitate and accelerate language learning. Challenging questions have always confronted them: What else can we do in our language instruction programs, beyond or beside what we are already doing, to promote more efficient learning for more learners? What principles, beyond or beside those we now base our teaching on, could better guide our instructional approaches? Which of the present assumptions that underlie what we teach and how we teach might be faulty? What new techniques, new insights, new ideas, new emphases or new aims could increase the rate and quality of learning of our students [5].

Our purpose here is to briefly look at certain of the new methods that have attracted the attention of the profession in recent years, to show reason for interest in them, in what they are exploring, in what they accomplish, the principles and ideas that guide them.

The problem of professional competence of future teachers of foreign languages is highlighted in many fundamental studies (L.V. Anan'eva, A.L. Berdichevsky, O.B. Bihych, G. Melnichenko, Y.I. Passov, V.V. Safonov, T. Tambovkina, S.V. Hmelkovska and others). Scientists examine notions diversified, distinguishind in its structure three main components: linguistic, speech and methodical. The concept of methodical competence review in the context of T.Y. Tambovkina's research, where the author determines the ability to plan their teaching career, possess a wide range of techniques and skills to use them appropriately according to the students' age and the goal of training, the ability to navigate the modern methodological literature, make the appropriate selection criteria manuals and other means of training, readiness and ability to raise the professional level [6].

Innovations in methodology used in the educational process of higher institutions are connected with the use of new technologies. Interactive training as a new methodological approach to the foreign language teaching gives a chance to solve communicative-cognitive tasks through foreign language communication [3, 4].

So, in terms of methodology, the meaning of a category interactive training will be considered as: a) a dialogue training in the course of which interaction between a teacher and a student occurs; b) training the purpose of which tackles linguistic, communicative and action tasks. Interactive training activity involves the organization and development of dialogue speech aimed at mutual understanding, interaction, solving of modern and general but significant tasks for every participant of the educational process.

The major principles of co-operative learning within the interactive training system are:

1. positive interdependence – when each student performs his (her) job well, the group succeeds;

2. individual responsibility – when working together in a group each student has a different job;

3. equal participation – each student is given the same amount of time to speak or complete a task;

4. simultaneous interaction – when all students are involved at the same time [5].

In the process of dialogue training the students learn: to solve complex problems on the basis of analysing the circumstances and corresponding information, to consider alternative opinions, to take well-considered decisions, to take part in discussions, to associate with different people.

It’s necessary to organize different forms of activity at the foreign language classes that is individual, pair, group and team. Among the most well known form of pair and group work the following kinds should be mentioned: inside (outside) circles, brain storm, line-ups, jigsaw reading, think-pair-share, debate, pair-interviews etc. E. g., jigsaw reading is an activity which involves the splitting of a text into different parts or the use of different texts on the same topic. The parts are given to different learners to read. They must communicate with each other in order to find out the whole message or different views on the topic.

It is necessary to point out that all above-mentioned form of interactive training are efficient in case a problem is discussed as a whole in class and the students have previous experience and ideas which they have acquired earlier at their classes or in a course of their private life. In the process of work the teacher should take into consideration the fact that the topics which are to be discussed in the classroom must not be limited or very narrow. One of the most common peculiarities which are characteristic of the interactive forms are those that these forms of training motivate the student not only to express their own opinion but after some argumentation of their partners in the process of work to change the point of view.

The following advantages of interactive co-operative learning are determined: friendly atmosphere and relationships between learners are formed; learners have the opportunity to be more independent and self-confident; they are not afraid to make mistakes; it’ll help the learners to overcome the problems of language barrier confidence and fear of making mistakes; learners talking time is longer, it’s good for communication; teacher doesn’t dominate; a teacher has an opportunity to give the task to every student. All learners are involved in the work; it’s good for individual work; shy and weak students have the opportunity to rely on their partners; learners can use their background knowledge.

So, interactive methods of teaching foreign languages give us a chance to solve some problems simultaneously. The main purpose is to develop communicative skills, to help establish emotional contact with the students, provide with realization of educational task, that is: to train them to work in a team, to consider somebody’s opinion. As seen from experience the use of the above mentioned methods helps to avoid a student’s nervous tension, to change the forms of activity, to draw attention to the main questions of the lesson [6].

To summarize the interactive methods of teaching give the foreign language teachers the possibility to master some new techniques of communicative methods of foreign language training. Risk taking and conversational interaction play a major part in language acquisition. It is hoped that this brief survey will encourage many language teachers to learn more about the interactive methods of training. Such knowledge will give some healthy perspective in evaluating the innovations or new approaches to methodology that will continue to emerge over time.

We believe that the professional competence of teachers is an integral formation of personality, which includes a set of social, multicultural, autopsyhological, cognitive, technological and personal components needed for successful implementation of educational activities to the specific subject matter taught. The specific competence of foreign languages teacher is available to form foreign language communicative competence, which is a part of cognitive-processing component.

Therefore, we emphasize the different methodological aspects of professional training of teachers of foreign languages including possession of a wide range of methods and techniques of teaching foreign language, including the method of projects, an ability to use them in practice, skillfully plan lessons and to teach in general, aimed at teaching students of intercultural foreign language communication. An important aspect is to provide students skills to form a complex system of communication in students' knowledge, skills and abilities as the basis of their foreign language speech habits.

For further research on this issue we believe it appropriate to study teaching systems that are enable effective use in the training of foreign language teachers the new information technologies opportunities.

Литература:

1. Крючков Г. Гуманістичний підхід у навчанні іноземних мов. // Іноземні мови в навчальних закладах. – Педагогічна преса, 2003.

2. Куликова В.Г. Комунікативно-прагматичні особливості спонукальних мовленнєвих актів. // Вісник КЛУ. – Сер. Філологія. – 1999.

3. Stern, H.H. (1983). Fundamental Concepts of Language Teaching Oxford: Oxford University Press.

4. Blair, R.W., ed. (1982). Innovation approaches to language teaching. New York: Newbury House.

5. Celce-Murcia, M., ed. (1991). Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language. Heinle & Heinle Publishers. Boston, Massachusetts.

6. Betty Schampfer Azar (1999). Basic English Grammar. Longman.