Approaches and effective methods of instruction in the foreign language for special purposes

Анотація

О. Кузнецова, канд. психол. наук, доц. В. Златніков, канд. пед. наук, доц. Київський національний університет імені Тараса Шевченка

ПІДХОДИ ТА ЕФЕКТИВНІ МЕТОДИ ВИКЛАДАННЯ ІНОЗЕМНОЇ МОВИ СПЕЦІАЛЬНОГО ПРИЗНАЧЕННЯ

Існує багато підходів до викладання іноземних мов, розроблених наприкінці минулого століття, які широко застосовують при викладанні іноземних мов для спеціальних цілей у вищій школі на сучасному етапі навчання. Спектр методів навчання варіюється залежно від того, на яких аспектах засвоєння мови вони наголошують - від викладання граматики до лексикографічного компонента сучасної англомовної культури ділового та професійного спілкування, які розглядають як елемент комунікативних навичок молодих військових і цивільних фахівців. Оскільки існує широкий спектр різних підходів і методів викладання іноземної мови для професійних цілей, що використовують на уроках, то чи доведено, що деякі методи більш ефективні для набуття та збереження набутих навичок. Представлено практичні рекомендації щодо мотивації студентів до вільного усного (письмового) спілкування іноземною мовою з урахуванням професійних потреб; передбачено послідовність етапів, на яких логічно виконують нові програми для вивчення іноземної мови спеціального призначення, а також пропозиції щодо словникового запасу. На сучасному етапі розширення міжнародних контактів у різних сферах діяльності для студентів більш важливо розширити свої знання мов поза повсякденною іноземною мовою (англійською). Вивчення іноземних мов має ряд переваг, зокрема, сприяння ефективному спілкуванню та побудові партнерських відносин, ділових і військових відносин з людьми з інших країн/культур. Оскільки існують фактори, які впливають на ефективне засвоєння іноземної мови в контексті двомовності, то сучасна методика викладання іноземних мов має свої особливості з урахуванням цільових сфер і стандартів. Проведено оцінку та аналіз останніх тенденцій у методиці викладання іноземних мов, що забезпечує основу для ефективного вивчення іноземної мови в професійних цілях з урахуванням комунікативної спрямованості ділового та професійного спілкування.

Ключові слова: загальні навички, комунікативний досвід, професійне/ділове спілкування, міжособистісне спілкування, природний спосіб викладання, комунікативний метод.

Statement of the problem

At the present stage of accelerated development of international military, business and personal partnerships, the situation requires the training of diverse specialists with already established competencies of communicative experience. Communication skills are a common skill for success that needs to be developed in vocational education, but today it primarily requires mastery of skills in professional communication, to be able to communicate orally and in writing, considering the lexicographic component of communication culture [3]. Regardless of the work performed by the specialist, whether it is self-development of a special task / project, or personal participation of the unit in workshops, or drafting a document, the young officer/specialist must know how to express himself effectively orally and in writing in a special setting [2].

Analysis of recent research and publications

Well- known methods which are widely used, namely: the method of grammar translation, direct method, communicative approach, learning the language of the community and the method of clear input, etc. have been studied for decades. These methods are well recognized by many scientific societies as reliable methods of foreign language education that have been used within the past years. They are all widely used and accepted by the European Center for Modern Languages [4, 6]. But there are many other methods that are commonly implemented when teaching a foreign language for special purposes, and have a practical output but are not discussed, and not but some of them contain detailed notes on educational activities, as well as practical recommendations and suggestions for vocabulary in the specialty [7].

A special attention is paid to communicative language teaching, a method of language teaching developed in the end of the century that focuses on teaching language in context. If dialogues are used, they are used in context, and the focus is not on memorization of specific texts, but on effective communication. Effective communication encompasses as speaking/listening and reading/writing skills. With this model, the language should not be separated from the meaning and context when it is taught in professional communication classes, using special terminology.

The purpose of the article - is an assessment and analysis of recent trends in the methodology of teaching foreign languages, which provide a basis for effective study of a foreign language for professional purposes, taking into account the communicative orientation in a professional context through targeted military, business, and professional needs; investigate widely practiced modern attributes of communicative experience, components of modern vocational education, qualities used by a young officer/specialist in military/business communications, and which should be possessed by graduates of higher education institutions.

teaching foreign language professional

Presentation of the main research material

In order to help teachers in their efforts to best provide students with the necessary tools to effectively master a professional foreign language, it is important to analyze and compare the various approaches of foreign language education that have been developed, and which are used in higher education institutions in teaching a foreign language for special purposes [11]. The essence of the latest techniques is to identify the best approach or a combination of approaches to promote the effective study of foreign languages. Nearly all the task-centered communication activities are based on exercises done with students [5]. They may be used as they stand, or serve as bases for further original variations. In either case, lecturer will find them effective.

As the aim of these discussions is fluency practice for special purposes, it is in general assumed that the participants already know enough English to produce the structures and vocabulary necessary. But where the activities are appropriate for more elementary levels, some of the language items are to be revised before beginning the discussion. Lecturer who wishes their students to practice certain structures can of course direct them accordingly before the talking begins. This alters the character of the activity somewhat: the emphasis moves from spontaneous fluent talk to specific grammar-practice, albeit communication-based. If, for example, participants in a guessing game are instructed beforehand to use a certain type of question rather than any other, then this question will probably be very effectively practiced; but the game as a whole will have lost some of its value as an opportunity for free interaction in the foreign language.

Task-centered discussions are composed of one or both of two elements: the brainstorm and the organization. Broadly speaking, these represent the creative and analytic aspects respectively; 'brainstorming' is the technique whereby members of the group let loose a hail of possible solutions or suggestions, in random order as they occur to them; it can be followed by the processing of this material into an order and shape which will constitute the eventual answer(s) to the original problem ('organizing'). Sometimes the list of brainstormed ideas may be enough in itself; sometimes the raw material is given and all the group has to do is organize it. Sometimes the two processes may be merged into one another or follow one another [10]. But in any case, it is convenient to divide the activities into three sections: brainstorming, organizing, and compound. The activities are roughly in order of difficulty, with the simplest at the beginning and the most sophisticated towards the end.

Many of the ideas are borrowed or adapted from different books [11, 12]. Many excellent books and periodicals give advice and ideas. Each activity is described as follows: a general opening section gives its basic form and procedure, with notes on language input where relevant; specific variations are then described in detail, with examples of material that might be used. An exception to this is the first activity, Guessing games, whose different versions, though simple in themselves, are very varied and numerous; therefore they are described under four headings: organization, variations, subjects and language input.

The activity of guessing is one of the simplest and most well-known brainstorming activities that exist, and is very easily transformed into a group discussion game, using discussion in the wide sense defined earlier. There are many variations, but in its essence, the guessing game is a process of discovery by one individual or group of an item of information known to another, with some limitation on its transmission for instance, that the knower may only say 'yes' or 'no'. There are always two sides, called here the knower and the guesser. Sometimes, in its crudest form, a game may just consist of a sequence of random guesses until the right answer is hit on. In more sophisticated versions, the field is gradually and systematically narrowed until the solution is inevitable. The guessing game lends itself to use by classes whose English is comparatively limited, since it is based on the simplest types of utterances: simple questions or statements, brief phrases, single words.

The activity of organization: It is preferable, in a guessing game based on questions, that only one or two of the participants are knowers and the majority guessers, because nearly all the verbal activity in a game of this type is the asking. It is all too easy even for experienced lecturer to overlook this point: where only one student guesses, all the others are limited to 'yes', 'no' or simple stereotyped agreements or disagreements, while the luckless guesser has to rack his brains for a sequence of questions and their correct formulation -with long gaps while he tries to think what to say next.

The guessing game usually needs to be stimulated not only by the knowledge that there is something to be guessed, but also by some hint as to its nature: the first letter of its name, its colour, function, or material, or just any random hint at the discretion of the knower.

Another addition that may improve tension and enjoyment is the limiting of the number of questions or negative answers allowed. However, this may in some cases lead to long pauses for preparation or formulation of maximally useful questions, in which case it is, for us, counterproductive [8]. In general, such stipulations are more appropriate for adult or advanced classes.

As to the presentation and beginning of the game: if the majority are knowers, then the guesser is asked to close his eyes or absent himself for a short time while the subject is displayed or decided; if there is only one knower, then he may be given a piece of paper with the answer written or drawn on it. If the subjects are to be thought up by the students themselves, then it is a good idea to give the whole class a minute or two to think of subjects before the game begins: this saves gaps later, particularly if each successful guesser is to become the next knower.

Option # 1. One excellent variation on the guessing game is based not on questions but on statements. In this, most of the groups are knowers, and only one a guesser. The latter does little actual guessing; the bulk of the work is done by the knowers who throw out hint after hint about the solution, in the form of simple positive or negative statements. The number of conjectures finally allowed to the guesser is limited to three, and made only when he is fairly sure he is right. If, for example, the group has thought of a horse, then hints might be: 'It's an animal', 'It has four legs', 'It doesn't usually live in water', 'Many people think it intelligent', and so on. This is really an exercise in finding things to say, more or less at random, on a subject, but supplied with a purpose by the presence of a guesser. Again, it can be played at all levels.

Guessing games can also take the form of group competitions. A pool of pieces of paper with suitable subjects written or drawn on them is placed at an accessible point in the classroom. One member from each group draws one piece of paper and returns with it to his groups who have to guess its subject in the shortest possible time. When they have guessed it, they retain the paper, and another member goes to draw the next subject. If they fail, they return the paper to the pool. The winning group is the one with the most pieces of paper at the end.

Option # 2. Another variation can be played in fours, bridge-style, and one couple versus another. A pool of pieces of paper bearing the names of the subjects to be guessed is placed face-down on the table. One participant picks a piece of paper at random and defines or describes its subject. If his partner can guess the correct answer, the couple wins that paper; if not, it is discarded or returned to the pool. It is now the turn of the other couple. The partners take it in turns to be guessers and knowers; and, again, the ones with the most pieces of paper at the end are the winners. Another refinement which can be introduced into most guessing games is to forbid the knower to use the words 'yes' or 'no'. This forces more flexible and sophisticated use of the language, and adds further tension.

Subjects:

It is sometimes not realized quite how wide the range of subjects is which can be used for guessing games. Professions, things, weaponry, devices are frequently used; but interesting guessing processes can be based also on actions or locations, and others on combinations of some or all of these subjects, and on undefined, mixed topics.

The most well-known guessing game is that based on the guessing of things: common objects, sometimes even abstracts or events. These may be physically present or represented by a graph or the written word. Hints to focus thinking may be of various kinds. "I am an officer" for example, combines two hints: that the subject is visible to the knower, and that it begins with a certain letter "I work at the Ministry of Defence". In the knower gives a broad definition of the material from which the subject is made. Or the colour, his attitude to it, or whatever he likes. He may then amplify this hint if the.

Finding suitable subjects for such games is sometimes a problem. If one does not wish to take advantage of the imagination of the students themselves, but to give arbitrary subjects they have no way of knowing, it is time-consuming and wearying trying to think up enough original and appropriate ideas. It is sometimes useful to think in terms of categories.

A. Subjects for intermediate and advanced students: Classroom equipment: PC, light bulb, felt-tip pen, transparency...

Outdoors: cliff, estuary, lava, plateau.

B. More difficult are subjects or parts of items:

More complex or comprehensive subjects, 'happenings': this lesson, the rush-hour traffic, a meal, a University, the Second World War, etc.

C. Abstracts or semi-abstracts: anger, sadness, beauty, advice, pleasure, democracy, authority, love, dancing, etc.

Guessing professions, e.g. military ranks, is also fun, especially when the knower role-plays his subject. If it is a military rank, the hint can consist of a mime and/or the usual sex of its practitioner. If it is an actual profession/position, then it is usually enough to give the sex.

It would be of little value to give a suggested list of public person/celebrities for guessing; as such lists are too dependent on time and place. A list suitable for a class studying in an English-speaking country in 2010 would not fit their peers in Ukraine and would be outdated by 2020.

At the elementary level: young man of arms, policeman, prisoner, psychologist, client, doctor, nurse, engineer, teacher, farmer, secretary, manager, professor, shopkeeper, student, soldier, pilot, scientist, driver, factory worker, artist, baker, musician, president, writer, builder, dressmaker, painter.

At the intermediate and advanced levels: officer, agent, solicitor, barrister engineer, chiropodist, foreman, bricklayer, fishmonger, social worker, radio operator, commando, frogman, caretaker, sculptor, cellist, shorthand-typist, receptionist, minister, bee-keeper, confectioner, interior designer, architect, dustman, photographer, mathematician, physicist, pianist, air-hostess.

Actions can also be guessed. In the simplest version of this, the knower mimes something, which may be as straightforward as reading a newspaper, or as complicated as carrying out repairs on a car. Or he may imagine doing it or having done it: the questions may thus be in the past or the present. It is useful to have a ready-made list available, whether in the form of graphs, as described or as written notes. On the whole, the actions are based on very specific, or dependent on individual professions.

It will also be essential to teach language in a way that focuses not only on communication, but also on comparisons, cultures, connections, and communities. Discussions are the best vehicle for fluency practice in a foreign language: the question is how to make these maximally effective. Interesting topics, group-work, and roleplay can facilitate student interaction. A task which cannot be done without verbal communication supplies learners with a reason to speak, and thus makes for a higher degree of naturalness and enthusiasm in their discourse. Discussions can be made very much more efficient and enjoyable if attention is given to their organization [12].

Conclusions

The curriculum should provide cadets/students with the opportunity to learn about different methods and types of classroom teaching, and to explore current controversial issues and research findings. Then, practicing teachers should be free to make their own choices and teach as they see fit in a specific learning setting in order to achieve optimal results from short-term specialized foreign language learning programs.

Список використаної літератури

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