The use of computer software in teaching foreign language elementary school learners

Размещено на http://www.allbest.ru/

THE USE OF COMPUTER SOFTWARE IN TEACHING FOREIGN LANGUAGE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL LEARNERS

Umit I. Kopzhasarova, Marina Y. Vaslyayeva, Aida K. Shakimova, Togzhan B. Mukanova

Academician E. A. Buketov Karaganda State University

28, Universitetskaya st., Karaganda, Kazakhstan, 100028, marina_elegant@mail.ru

This article deals with the problem of using computer software in teaching foreign languages elementary school learners. Authors emphasize that the use of computer software in teaching foreign languages allows to realize self-oriented approach in teaching, provides an individualization and differentiation of teaching process taking into account age specific peculiarities of learners, their level of knowledge and skills. On the base of theoretical analyses and within the particular work results on the given problem, the authors prove the effectiveness of the computer software use in elementary school foreign language classes.

Developing integration processes within the last decade, increasing the professional and academic exchanges as well as intensification of intercultural collaboration have stimulated progressive development of foreign language education. In these conditions foreign language gets the status of the effective tool of formation of an intellectual potential of our society which becomes one of the main resources of the development of a new state at the modern historical stage.

Such scholars as D.A.Andreyev, M.U.Buharkina, J.A.Vagramenko, A.P.Ershov, E.I.Dmitrieva, K.K.Kolin, M.V.Moiseyeva, E.S.Polat, T.S.Nazarova, V.G.Leonov, and S.G.Grigoriev have made considerable contribution to the theory and practice of using informational technologies in teaching foreign languages. In works of these authors the ways of raising productivity of education process with use of various means are considered.

Foreign language lesson has its own specificity, unlike other school subjects; the main objective of a foreign language lesson is the formation of intercultural communicative competence of learners. At the present moment the global aim of teaching foreign language is involvement to other culture and participation in dialogue of cultures. This aim is gained by the way of formation the ability to intercultural communication. The process of teaching foreign language is organized on the basis of communicative character tasks; teaching foreign language communication using all necessary for this work means is a distinctive feature of a foreign language lesson.

Activity essence of communicative-based teaching foreign languages is realized in conditions of humanistic approach. Such approach creates positive conditions for active and free development of a person.

G.V.Rogova and I.N.Vereschagina in their handbook for teachers noticed that: "At the humanistic approach in teaching foreign languages the cognitive barriers, specific for the educational process disappear that reduce the motivation of learners inducing them to irritability" [1, 2].

The cognitive activity of elementary school learners takes place mainly within teaching process. Great importance value has also the broadening of the sphere of learners' communication. It's also necessary to take into consideration learners' qualities which are necessary to form and develop in the process of whole educational activity.

This period is characterized by the development of speech, thinking and perception abilities. Within educational activity of elementary school learners such particular features as writing, reading, and work on computer, graphic activity, and constructive-compositional activity are also formed. The most productive activity is work in pairs and in collaboration of the partners.

The essential physical feature of elementary school learners is the growth of muscles. Raising muscular force and common development of motor apparatus are the causes of strong mobility of elementary school learners, and incapability to stay in the same pose for the long time. In this context it is rather important to practice different types of educational work at the lessons, such as: to alternate writing and reading, with various types of exercises and other activities, use demonstrative material, methods of explanation combine with conversation and physical exercises.

Y.A.Komensky was the first who insisted on taking into account age peculiarities of children in teaching process and educational work. He offered and proved the principle of "adaptability" according to which education should correspond age specific features of development. "As in the nature all processes occur on time so in education all should also go on time. Only that way we can form learners' naturally moral qualities and achieve full mastery of notions for understanding of which their mind is ready. All information for them to learn should be distributed in relation to age peculiarities in order to study only things accessible for perception in accordance with" - czech sophist-humanist wrote [3].

Hence, the consideration of age peculiarities is one of the basic pedagogical principles. So guiding by this principle teachers regulate the academic load, establish well-founded volumes of various kinds of work, and define a daily routine optimum, the terms of work and rest. The age peculiarities oblige to solve correctly different questions of selecting and regulating teaching material arrangement in each school subject. They also determine the choice of forms and methods of educational activity.

The initial period at elementary school is understood as a period of studying foreign language which allows forming the basis of communicative competence, necessary and sufficient for their further development. In the given article under initial period of teaching foreign language we understand I-IV grades of comprehensive secondary schools. There is a lot of time necessary for formation of communicative competence basis because learners need to familiarize the studied language, as means of communication from the first steps. It means they should understand foreign speech on hearing (listening), express their thoughts by means of studied language (speaking), read which means to understand foreign text and write, i.e. they should be able to use graphics and spelling of a foreign language in doing written tasks directed on mastery reading and oral speech or be able to express their thoughts in a written form. To form the basis on each of the listed kind of speech activity, we definitely need the accumulation of the language means providing functioning of each of them at elementary communicative level, allowing them to turn qualitatively new step of their development further.

Recently, the question of using new information technologies at elementary school is being raised. It's not only modern means but also new forms and methods of teaching, new approach to the teaching process. Use of multimedia means helps realize self-oriented approach in teaching, provides an individualization and differentiation of teaching process taking into account age specific peculiarities of learners, their level of knowledge, skills. Teaching foreign languages by means of computer software fix students' interest [4].

Modern computer represents an effective tool of optimisation the conditions of brainwork in any case. So R.Williams and K.Makli in the article "Computers at school" write: "There is one feature of computer which is revealed when we use it as a device for teaching others and as an assistant in acquisition of knowledge it is its inanimateness. Computer can "friendly" communicate with the user and "support" him in any moment, however it will never show signs of irritability and boredom" [5].

Uniqueness of didactic characteristic of computer technologies consists in: on the one hand, in productive consideration of all possible aspects (from linguistic to applied), on the other hand, in realisation both traditional and distance methods and means of development, mastering foreign speech activity [6].

Teaching foreign language by means of computer software has some advantages. First of all, teaching foreign language by means of computer software carries huge motivational potential in it. Under condition of correctly made program computer can help teacher, and learners will feel constant presence of the benevolent instructor as a computer is. To make teaching more interesting for children, programs should include elements of known computer games and even completely repeat game model, skillfully changing it for the educational purposes.

Computer guarantees confidentiality. In the case when the results of learners aren't registered, only the student knows what kind of mistakes he has made, and isn't afraid that schoolmates or the teacher will learn his results. Thus, the self-appraisal of the learner doesn't decrease, and psychologically comfortable atmosphere is created at the lesson.

So computer provides the high degree of interactivity of teaching, than the work in the class or in the language laboratory. It is provided with a constant and direct reaction of the computer to answers of learners during their performing of exercises. As learners themselves define speed of work, teaching by means of computer in the best way corresponds to the principles of individual teaching. Learners can make any number of mistakes, without testing patience of computer, and waste their time only on correction, and analysis of mistakes and may not listen as a teacher again explains already known material.

Each teacher understands huge value of practice in the process of teaching foreign language. In educational process it is not enough to say a phrase once, it is necessary to repeat some times; it is desirable to change its language registration and more accurately reveal the content. Irreplaceable computer possibilities are: programs which include databases, allow repeating similar constructions, changing only separate components or a context.

Simultaneously according to the same principle the programs of checking grammar and spelling were created. As for oral speech, which long time have been a weak point of computer-based teaching foreign languages for longtime the sharp change was outlined in this area after creating multimedia - a variety of the devices considerably expanding possibilities of computer. Particularly, use of removable media, such as flash-cards, allows saving and using much more information, than earlier, that is why computer can reproduce record of separate words, phrases and the whole texts.

Graphic possibilities of computer point to it even more advantages this method of teaching in comparison with traditional and allow presenting any kind of activity in the form of pictures or animation. It is especially important at the stage of introduction of a new lexicon, because images on the monitor allow associating a phrase in a foreign language directly with an action, instead of a phrase in a native language. Besides, animation attracts the interest of learners and motivates them to learning foreign languages.

It is necessary to notice that computer software has some advantages as compared to traditional methods of teaching foreign languages. They allow teaching various kinds of speech activity and relate them in different combinations, help realize the language phenomena, generate linguistic abilities, create communicative situations, train language and speech actions, and also provide realisation of individual approach and intensification of independent work of learners.

Use of computer at foreign language lessons helps in solution of different didactic problems such as:

* improving pronunciation;

* formulating and developing skills and abilities of reading;

* improving abilities of writing;

* enriching the lexicon of learners;

* training grammar;

* forming steady motivation to studying foreign language [7].

In teaching listening each learner has an opportunity to hear foreign speech. Teaching speaking each learner can say a phrase in a microphone. Studying grammar phenomena learners can perform grammatical exercises, and train their skills. Teaching writing students have a possibility to solve crossword puzzles, do game exercises.

Sounds, words, word combinations and sentences are perceived by learners in hearing and visually. Learners have possibility to wail articulation on the computer screen and listen to correct intonation. Thus, in virtues of high abilities to imitation of elementary school learners, the correct samples are embodied in their memory.

Hard disks of computer software existing today allow displaying information in the form of the text, a sound, video and games. Teaching foreign language by means of the computer gives the chance to organize independent work of each learner. Computer programs allow to realize an individual approach to students, computer engage in work every student as much as it is necessary. It is possible to pay special attention to learners lagging in studying.

The general feature of computer software is possibility of their use, both for group work, and for individual studies. Moreover, convenience of computer software is in high quality of self-examination in the process of doing exercises, operative character of similar practice. It is necessary to take into account possibility of using double attempts of searching correct variant, and at the final stage is "prompt". Reduction of time for checking the task is one more positive sign of using computer software because the distinctive color code separates the sentences with the committed errors.

Thus, innovative information technologies take an important place in our life. Its use at the foreign language lessons raise the motivation and informative activity of elementary school learners expand their outlook.

There are different points of view on the problem of using computer software in teaching foreign language. Besides pointing positive moments experts mark also some faults. First one is absence of the qualitative software, and second is impossibility of direct oral dialogue with the computer. But, despite these faults, computer software exists and is successfully used in teaching different school subjects. So, for example in introduction and work with thematic lexicon, for example purchases, foodstuff, clothes etc., it is possible to use computer software such as "Triple play plus in English", "English on holidays", "English Gold" and others. By means of the program "Magic Way" students get the skills in translation of words.

In summary, it is necessary to underline that the role of the teacher consists in the organisation of productive educational process in elementary school and maintenance of constant aspiration to intellectual development. In the course of work learners not only train the basic user skills, but also develop abilities of independent work. Such lessons are more productive and more interesting. Use of computer software in educational process is an effective means of developing cognitive activity of elementary school learners. Computer gradually becomes the tool, which allows to solve the problems of developing language, informative and communicative abilities of a child.

The fact that teaching foreign language by means of computer software possesses huge potential, but in practice it is applied not completely, is connected with relative modernity of this method. First of all, as it was noticed earlier, it is the lack of the qualitative software because accurate standards aren't developed yet. Also, the basic disadvantage of computer software is an impossibility of direct oral dialogue with computer.

It is necessary to notice that using of some computer programs in teaching foreign language elementary school learners (which choice depends on the objectives and problems of the lesson) in a combination with traditional tutorials is the most preferable way in practicing the language activities. It is connected with the fact that computer won't replace communication so important for the full mastery of foreign language. Second, control is necessary in the process of doing exercises, with the main purpose of developing serious attitude to the studied subject.

Scientific progress, both in the field of informatics and in the sphere of education increases opportunity of creating computer software which will enable students and computer to carry on dialogue on a certain theme in a foreign language.

We believe the moment occur when scientific progress can adapt possibility of direct oral dialogue with the computer which will turn it into widespread means of education.

foreign language computer software

Bibliography

1. Lukyanchikova N.V. Teaching foreign language at the initial stage//Nachal'naya shkola. 11 (2001), P. 49-51.

2. Rogova G. V, Vereschagin I.N. Methods of teaching English language at the initial stage in educational institutions: Rukovodstvo dlya uchitelei i studentov padagigicheskih institutov - 3-d edition, Мoscow: Education, 2000.

3. Komensky Y.A. Velikaya didaktika /Pedagogicheskie sochineniya - Moscow: 1982.

4. Medvedev E.V. Use of computer software "Way Ahead" at the lessons of English language of III grade// Inostrannie yaziki v shkole. 3 (2005), P. 9-11.

5. William Р, Makli K. Komputeri v shkole /osnovnaya i otredactirovannaya statii. Rubtsova V.V. Moscow: Progress, 1988.

6. Greidina N.L., Mirakyan Z.H. As computer software "Professor Higgins" helps to study English language// Inostrannie yaziki v shkole. 6 (2001), P. 96-97.

7. Greidina N.L., Mirakyan Z.H. As computer software "Professor Higgins" helps to study English language// Inostrannie yaziki v shkole. 6 (2001), P. 97-98.

Размещено на Allbest.ru