Using a communicative approach to teaching foreign languages to university students

Ivan Oryshchyn, Senior Lecturer at the Department of Economics and Marketing

The article states that at the present stage, it remains relevant to create such conditions in foreign language classes and to set such communicative tasks that would stimulate students to the conscious acquisition of knowledge and the creative application of acquired skills, which is possible only when modelling problem situations in education.

The author notes that by actively using speech patterns and models, terminological vocabulary, lexical and grammatical structures, students learn to express their thoughts and intentions on solving a business issue, as well as to construct and reproduce moments of professional activity, such as telephone conversation, business meeting, presentation, etc. In addition, in business games, non-standard thinking develops; business qualities and features of future specialists are formed.

The article contains some samples of a role-play that can be used when studying various topics related to business communication.

The results obtained during the use of the communicative approach indicate its effectiveness in the acquisition and application of a foreign language by future specialists in their professional field.

Key words: interactive learning, collective communication, communicative approach, main features of the communicative approach, role-play.

Іван Орищин, старший викладач кафедри економіки та маркетингу Інституту підприємництва та перспективних технологій Національного університету «Львівська політехніка»

У статті використано досвід автора та досвід інших викладачів-практиків. Широко розкрито історію виникнення комунікативного методу, а також його основні ознаки. Вказано на роль інтерактивного навчання, оскільки при цьому відбувається перенесення акценту з навчаючої діяльності викладача на пізнавальну активність студента, що сприяє розвитку його активності, творчості, ініціативності, розвитку особистих здібностей, гнучкості. Наголошено на тому, що ефективно реалізувати основні принципи комунікативного підходу допоможе атмосфера колективного спілкування, активне спілкування студентів, координування викладача, взаємодія викладача зі студентами. Викладач залучає студентів до творчої співпраці на занятті через пошукові, творчі, зорієнтовані на особистість студента завдання, на проектну діяльність.

У статті зазначено, що актуальним на сучасному етапі залишається створення на заняттях з іноземної мови таких умов та постановка таких комунікативних завдань, які стимулювали б студентів до усвідомленого засвоєння знань і творчого застосування набутих умінь і навичок, що є можливим лише при моделюванні проблемних ситуацій у навчанні.

Автор зазначає, що активно використовуючи мовленнєві зразки та моделі, термінологічну лексику, лексико-граматичні структури, студенти вчаться виражати свої думки й наміри щодо розв'язування ділового питання, а також конструювати та відтворювати моменти професійної діяльності, такі як розмова по телефону, ділова зустріч, презентація тощо. Крім того, у ділових іграх розвивається нестандартне мислення, формуються ділові якості та риси майбутніх фахівців.

Стаття містить декілька зразків ділових ігор, які можна використовувати при вивченні різних тем, пов'язаних з діловим спілкуванням.

Результати, отримані під час використання комунікативного підходу вказують на його ефективність у засвоєнні та застосуванні іноземної мови майбутніми спеціалістами в їхній професійній сфері.

Ключові слова: інтерактивне навчання, колективне спілкування, комунікативний підхід, основні ознаки комунікативного підходу, рольова гра.

Introduction

Problem statement. The current state of international relations of Ukraine in various spheres of life, its entry into the European and world space, new political, socio-economic and cultural realities require certain transformations in the field of education as an important state institution, including in the field of teaching foreign languages. Nowadays, it is necessary to study foreign languages, because today the status of a foreign language has a tendency to constant growth. All this determines the main strategic directions for improving the goals, content, methods, techniques and means of teaching a foreign language.

According to L. A. Evdokimova-Lisohor, modern requirements for the training of a qualified specialist primarily require him/her to be a participant in intercultural communication and to have the necessary communication capabilities in the areas of professional and situational communication in oral and written forms, skills of practical knowledge of a foreign language in various types of speech activity in the scope of topics due to professional needs; and to be able to master the latest professional information through foreign sources. All this increases the demand for qualified graduates who are fluent in a foreign language, in particular the language of international communication (Evdokimova-Lisohor).

Analysis of researches. Recently, most teachers have been asking themselves what approach in teaching a foreign language will be the best. It is necessary to emphasize the communicative approach, because its main direction is speech learning in a communication environment. This approach was determined as a result of comprehension of scientific achievements in the field of linguistics, in particular communicative linguistics, psychology and the theory of activity, which was reflected in works on psychology and methods of teaching foreign languages (O. O. Leontiev, O. Zimnya, Yu. I. Passsov, S. F. Shatilov, G. V. Rogova and others).

The purpose of the article. Since the problem of using the communication method in teaching university students is insufficiently studied, the author tried to solve it. According to the all-European recommendations of the Council of Europe, the goal is not just to learn any language, but to communicate freely in that language, that is, to form a foreign- language communication competence in students. This can be achieved through a communicative approach to teaching foreign languages. Therefore, the purpose of this article is to summarize the use of a communicative approach to the study of foreign languages by university students. As many teaching practitioners affirm, the communication approach is quite effective, so it needs to be further studied and developed.

The presentation of main material

A communicative approach to language learning was formed in the late sixties of the twentieth century in the United Kingdom, when English began to acquire the status of a language of international communication. It turned out that the traditional methods of teaching the language (audio-lingual, grammar-translation) common at the time ceased to meet the needs of most of those who studied English as a foreign language. The reason was not the teaching methods themselves, but a pragmatic approach to language learning as a communication tool. At that time, society did not need systematic mastery of the language studied, which was focused on traditional academic programs, but the possibility of immediate practical application of the acquired knowledge. As it turned out, persons who studied language for the purpose of communication, did not have modern spoken speech, had no idea of speech etiquette, that is, felt helpless in a situation of real communication (Shvets, 2014: 87).

In the modern world, foreign language training is conducted according to the communicative methodology, which is considered the most effective and widely recognized in the whole world. Already since 1953, it has been used by many foreign language schools, and recently most Ukrainian schools. What is a communication technique and how is it used in training? In advertisements of many newspapers and magazines, we often find the phrase: `we teach foreign languages according to communicative methods'. What is its essence and how to learn the language with its help - not everyone knows it. Language learning is not known to be a miracle. Therefore, any methodology should be supported, first, by regular classes, a desire to learn the language and a belief in success.

The main features of the communicative approach:

• the main task is to teach students to speak a foreign language at the level necessary for further work

• the main means of learning are business games that model real communication situations

• mastery of means of communication (phonetic, lexical, grammatical), as well as types of speech activity (speech, listening, reading and writing) occurs during the practical application of these means and types of speech activity in the process of communication

• limited use of the mother tongue during foreign language training

• the study of the system of language (grammar) is mainly intuitive, that is, in contrast to the traditional method, where grammar and vocabulary are the main subject of study, when learning using the communicative method, grammar is necessary only for the correct construction of sentences, but students are required not to study grammatical rules mechanically, but an intuitive sense of correctly constructed speech fragments

• vocabulary is not studied in isolation (without context) as in the traditional method, but only in context during its application.

Speech orientation and situation determine the main essence of the communicative approach and at the same time are its principles. It is emphasized that the atmosphere of collective communication, active communication of students, coordination of the teacher, interaction of the teacher with students will help to effectively implement the basic principles of the communicative approach. In this regard, a pedagogical process focused on communication as a goal can be effective only if the means of learning is also communication.

One of the forms of organization of cognitive activity is interactive learning, the purpose of which is to create comfortable learning conditions that allow students to feel their intellectual capacity, to feel equal subjects of learning, to understand what they do, to reflect on what they know, are able and carry out. The process of interactive learning foresees the shift from the teaching activity of the teacher to the cognitive activity of the student, which contributes to the development of his/her activity, creativity, initiative, development of personal abilities, flexibility. communication teaching foreign language

Actively using speech patterns and models, terminological vocabulary, lexical and grammatical structures, students learn to express their thoughts and intentions on solving a business issue, as well as to construct and reproduce moments of professional activity, such as telephone conversation, business meeting, presentation, etc. In addition, in business games, non-standard thinking develops; business qualities and features of future specialists are formed. When studying the topic `My Future Career', we used the following role-play `Telephone conversations':

When studying the topic `Selling online', it is advisable to conduct the play that teaches how to conduct negotiations:

In order to train students to conduct meetings and discussions, we use the following role-play:

Conclusions

In summary, it can be noted that the modern method of teaching foreign languages is flexible information and educational environment that is constantly expanding and updating, and the modern approach to finding the optimal and effective method of teaching foreign languages in a non- linguistic university is to combine traditional and intensive teaching methods. Thus, the active use of a communicative approach in the process of teaching a foreign language gives a positive result in the acquisition and application of a foreign language by future specialists in their professional field.

The conducted research does not exhaust all aspects of the problem. In the future, we will create such conditions in classes and set such communicative tasks that would stimulate students to the conscious acquisition of knowledge and the creative application of acquired skills, which is possible only when modelling problem situations in learning.

Bibliography

1. Євдокімова-Лисогор Л. А. Комунікативний підхід до вивчення іноземної мови. URL:https://confcontact.com

2. Швець Т. А. Методика навчання іноземних мов у вищій школі. Переяслав-Хмельницький, 2014. 295 с.

3. Cotton D., Falvey D., Kent S. Market Leader. Pearson Education Limited, 2002. 160 p.

References

1. Yevdokimova-Lysohor L. A. Komunikatyvnyi pidkhid do vyvchennia inozemnoi movy. [Communicative approach to a foreign language learning]. URL:https://confcontact.com [ in Ukrainian].

2. Shvets T. A. Metodyka navchannia inozemnykh mov u vyshchii shkoli. [Methdods of foreign languages teaching at higher school]. Pereiaslav-Khmelnytskyi, 2014. 295 p. [in Ukrainian].

3. Cotton D., Falvey D., Kent S. Market Leader. Pearson Education Limited, 2002. 160 p.

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