Kungurova G.G.

Tyumen State University, gymnasia, Russia

VOCATIONALLY-ORIENTED TEACHING TO FOREIGN LANGUAGES AT THE SENIOR STAGE OF COMPREHENSIVE SCHOOL

In our complicated modern conditions it is very important for school-leavers to define the future profession and to get such education that is in demand in their adult life. That is why our modern education should work ahead of schedule. Our school should give knowledge, form methods of activity that will be useful in the future. There is the problem for pedagogical community how to define the content of education aimed at the future of each child, and how to use this content during the process of learning, studying foreign languages in particular. It should be taken into account that knowledge of the foreign language becomes more and more important for employment and professional activity. And it is connected with the processes of globalization and integration of the modern world.

That is why a teacher should include topics and vocabulary in the programme of the English language learning that could be useful for pupils during their continuation of studies at the university, getting the future profession. How is it better to do? Some options of solving this problem that proved its effectiveness in practice at work with senior pupils of the Tyumen State University gymnasia we point out in the following article.

1. Integrated lesson in the profile classes is the optimum option. For organising such lessons it is necessary to do the following:

· to define vocational interests of pupils;

· to approve (with the teacher of the foreign language and teachers of profile subjects) the content of the most important topics that are basic for school subjects;

· to work out the content of the integrated lesson;

· to include special vocabulary (vocationally-oriented) in the schooling process.

Such lessons prepare pupils for reading specific literature in the foreign language at the university.

The intensive use of intersubjective links is the basis for integrated system of teaching. Psychologists who study the process of teaching think that during integrated teaching similarity of ideas and principles is more vivid than during teaching to different disciplines because it gives the possibility to use acquired knowledge simultaneously in multiple spheres. Moreover, such integration helps to decrease pupils’ fatigue due to switching to various activities during the lesson. For example, to warm up pupils during the integrated lesson of Psychology and English devoted to love and marriage, they were asked to fill in the divergent map (graphic representation of logical and associative links) with adjectives, verbs and idiomatic expressons for the word “love”. After check of their home task (the monologue about love symbols), pupils listened to the song “Love and marriage” by F.Sinatra, filling gaps in the lyrics of this song. Then pupils were choosing the most important factors, influencing on the success and stubility of family relationship, giving reasons to their choice.

As a home task, pupils were asked to prepare the dialogue in the format of the unified state exam: to choose the place of wedding from three options, watching video of the wedding ceremony from the film “The parent trap” beforehand.

Integrated lessons have some advantages: the increase of pupils’ motivation, formation of cognitive interest and the integral scientific picture of the world, development of verbal and written speech, linguistic abilities and skills. For instance, the lesson of Physics and English allows to systematise the basic knowledge, presenting Physics as a core. The teacher of English chooses the main terms with the help of the teacher of Physics in order pupils can freely use them during the integrated lesson: density, pressure, penetration, volume, friction, emission, compression, motion, speed, acceleration, etc.

Integrated lessons are considered to be non-traditional. Integrated approach allows to teach to mixed in the real world communicative functions in the range of the speech act showing how speech is used in the every day situations. For example, for excuse (sorry), praising (well done), asking for information (excuse me, could you tell me), doing Math (to multiply, to divide, to add, to subtract, infinity). During traditional lessons the teaching to the foreign language presents the process of knowledge acquiring. During non-traditional lessons (integrated) systematic knowledge about the language and surrounding world are formed. Studying of foreign languages is not only the aim of such lessons but the method of relationships understanding with other spheres of knowledge and life. Intersubjective links are used as means of additional motivation of those pupils who are not interested in foreign languages.

2. The day of foreign languages when all school subjects are taught in foreign languages. The role of teachers is played by pupils – winners of Olympiads in English and pupils speaking good English. They work out plans of lessons together with teachers of school subjects and teachers of English for different school subjects. Simple topics familiar to pupils are chosen for discussion. The work starts long before the declared day of foreign languages. The teacher of English prepares the basic vocabulary for the topic approved by the teacher of some subject. The most complicated terms are printed on the cards and distributed to pupils. Then the work with explanatory dictionaries starts to form the skill of giving explanation of this or that notion in the foreign language. Understanding of the special vocabulary is checked by preliminary testing, different exercises, multiple choice tasks, crosswords, quizes, etc. The teacher of Geography proposed such topic as “Modern political map of the world. Variety of countries according to the level of economical development.” “Solution of linear fractional equations” in Math. “The life of the cell” in Biology. “Comparative analysis of translations of A.S.Pushkin’s poems” in Literature. “The motion of bodies with acceleration” in Physics.

It is impossible to organise such lessons without interactive equipment, a computer and a projector, in particular, that significantly decrease some linguistic difficulties. As for feedback, pupils themselves assessed lessons of their classmates impartially. There were not only victories but failures because it was not enough to have some knowledge in this or that sphere. It is nessesary to be able to explain simply not in the mother tongue but in the foreign language. But even not rather successful lessons, from the point of view of teacher’s experience lack, have positive effect because pupils want to improve their language experience and to repeat it with their classmates.

3. Preparation of pupils for presentations at the scientific-practical conference on the topic including special vocabulary. For instance, choosing the theme in History is impossible without such key words as ancient, сontemporary, middle ages, сentury, authentic,etc.

It helps not only to form research skills of pupils but also it gives the opportunity to develop linguistic erudition and art of speaking. The topic of youth problems is one of the most popular among pupils because some of its aspects are very familiar and clear for young people. Moreover, it is possible to carry out a comparative analysis on the basis of questioning of pupils of our gymnasia and other schools. During investigation of such topics pupils are recommended to use not only national but also international sources of information. Such practice will help them in the future when they study at the university. And collected terminology can be used for professional promotion. Pupils, who are successful in learning foreign languages at our gymnasia and having basics in vocational vocabulary, differ from other students during studying at the university. First of all they take an active part in some projects on students change with different foreign universities. And moreover, they are very interested in project activity together with foreign partners in their professional sphere.

List of literature

1. Degtyarev S.N. Strategy of teaching on the basis of creative invariant: monograph. Tyumen. Publishing house of the Tyumen State university, 2010. 84p.