Beksaeva Nina
Reduction
of classroom hours, changes in learners’ lifestyles and work patterns, the
concept of lifelong learning and new possibilities of e-learning facilities
have given a new impulse to self-access learning. It has been given more
attention, more resources in recent years.
It is
assumed that educators the world wide, need to be more proficient in
educational technology, more aware of the theoretical and practical aspects of
foreign and second language teaching, as well as to increase recognizing the
need to build further awareness of how teaching methodologies, learning
strategies, and learning may be changed based on this new medium of e-learning.
Saratov
State Technical University (SSTU) being a participant of TEMPUS Joint European
Project (JEP) started the programme promoting effective foreign language
learning in technical university. SSTU department “Foreign languages and intercultural
communication” uses the offered opportunity to take part in a three-year project
with three university-level institutions on the Volga. This is the first time
in our experience that multimedia material is prepared for students. It is
tailor-made for the needs of those who study engineering.
In a
rapidly globalizing world, it is evident that English is the de facto
international language of international communication today. The dominance of
English serves to facilitate globalization. In situations where English
dominates, non-English-speaking people are inevitably disadvantaged. They
become, in a sense, deaf and mute and cannot fully participate in
communication. In contrast, speakers of English are in a position to control
communication to their own advantage, while those who cannot speak English
fluently may be seen as incompetent or even inferior. Although this linguistic
discrimination and social inequality cannot be ignored, reality dictates the
use of one language over another in international communication.
Thus,
proficiency in English is seen as essential for participation in the global
arena. In addition, the global spread of the English language is further
facilitated by American media products of mass communication such as videos,
music, news, magazines, TV programs, and so on. English is the most widely used
and taught language in the world, and it is accepted easily almost anywhere.
In the
current state of affairs, the global dominance of English in commerce, science,
and technology has created the need for an ever increasing number of people to
learn to communicate in the English language. There is a market demand for
English courses on a global scale, and the English language teaching industry
is thriving.
Thus, businessmen,
tradesmen, engineers, scientists and scholars all over the world must know
English and other major languages because it is the international means of
exchanging information and experience.
We
assume that educational terminology is changing with the rapid growth of
e-learning courses. One of the
challenges in training and supporting self-access learners is to help the
students to develop the skills they need without overwhelming them with theory
or paperwork. The trick is to get the balance right. The establishing and
functioning of Self-Access Centres is one of the possible solutions that can
help Russian higher education institutions to adapt to the needs of both the
changing student population and employers.
The
successful work of any SAC depends on the provided materials. They can take a
variety of forms in technical universities, e.g. skills-based (with a syllabus
structured around strategies for developing skills such as reading, listening,
speaking, writing, grammar and vocabulary), project-based (written file, poster
or spoken presentation); customised (tailored to the individual needs of each student);
or blended (combining different approaches, possibly within a conventional
course). At the moment we are developing CD programmes meeting the needs of
technical students. Therefore, the crucial point for SAC sustainability is a
stock of self-access language learning materials. E-learning as it has come to
be known, makes use of the Internet and digital technologies to deliver
instruction synchronously or asynchronously to anyone who has access to a
computer and an Internet connection. Although it is too early, and the research
too little, to explore the strengths and weaknesses of e-learning, it
nevertheless appears that its advantages are many.
An
approach to language learning referred to as content-based language learning
assumes that students acquire a language not by studying its structure, but
rather through employing the new language in rigorous, sophisticated ways with
a view toward learning a specific content-area. The instructional designer must
balance subject-matter learning requirements with sound second language
development. E-learning networks offer a richly motivating context for
content-area learning while enhancing language development. E-learners
can take advantage of the asynchronicity and the greater time available for
reflection and revision, and they can capitalize on assistance from native
speakers of English locally and internationally. The new LSP courses based on
e-learning are being designed now using the problem-based approach which is new
in the Russian higher educational system. This makes the educational process
more intensive and effective, and gives students real practical language skills
while studying at the university.
The
crucial point for SAC sustainability is a stock of self-access language
learning materials. Without a doubt, today's world is knowledge-based and depends on the
rapid exchange of information. Countries that are equipped with the technology
and knowledge to participate in the new electronic world are major players in
its socio-cultural and economic developments. Education is changing, too. With
the advent of multimedia technologies and the Internet, it is now possible to
reach people who would otherwise have no access to certain courses or
educational opportunities.
E-learning
as it has come to be known, makes use of the Internet and digital technologies
to deliver instruction synchronously or asynchronously to anyone who has access
to a computer and an Internet connection. Although it is too early, and the
research too little, to explore the strengths and weaknesses of e-learning, it
nevertheless appears that its advantages are many.
An approach to language learning referred to as content-based language
learning assumes that students acquire a language not by studying its
structure, but rather through employing the new language in rigorous,
sophisticated ways with a view toward learning a specific content-area. The
instructional designer must balance subject-matter learning requirements with
sound second language development. E-learning networks offer a richly
motivating context for content-area learning while enhancing language
development. E-learners can take advantage of the asynchronicity and the
greater time available for reflection and revision, and they can capitalize on
assistance from native speakers of English locally and internationally. The new LSP courses
based on e-learning are being designed now using the problem-based approach
which is new in the Russian higher educational system. This makes the
educational process more intensive and effective, and gives students real
practical language skills while studying at the university.
E-learning
is both an opportunity and a challenge. It provides the opportunity for
teachers and students to overcome the constraints of inadequate physical
teaching resources and in many cases not enough qualified teaching staff.
However, it is also dependent on infrastructure, which is unlikely to be
accessible.
As the
course designers, we must consider e-course objectives, the e-content, the
e-policies and e-procedures, the e-evaluation, the e-office hours and of course
how to deal with e-problems, which will arise during the on-line course. Beyond
the basics listed above the language teachers when designing a course must also
consider how they will deal with the emotional, psychological, and learning
style of the perspective SAC user. As an the course designer, other factors
such as the cyber learners’ linguistic knowledge, motivational barriers,
language systems, e-course expectations, affective factors, language learning
anxiety and the representation or background knowledge about topics taught or
available in the e-learning course must again be examined or discussed before a
solid course can materialize.
References:
Gardner, D., Miller, L. Establishing
Self-Access. From theory to practice.-Cambridge University Press, 2005.
Bexaeva N.
E-Learning in ESP Teaching / N.Bexaeva // Languages for Specific Purposes:
Searching for Common Solutions (2007). - Cambridge: Cambridge Scholars
Publishing.- P. 95-102.