The role of learning a foreign language in the globalization process of higher education institutions

Размещено на http://allbest.ru

Размещено на http://allbest.ru

THE ROLE OF LEARNING A FOREIGN LANGUAGE IN THE GLOBALIZATION PROCESS OF HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS

Zapadynska Iryna Georgiivna

PhD in Pedagogic, Associate Professor of the Foreign Philology and Translation Department, Vinnytsia Institute of Trade and Economics of SUTE, Vinnytsia, Ukraine

Abstract. The article substantiates the expediency of globalization of higher education institutions and the role of foreign language learning in this process. Four main justifications for globalization are outlined: academic, socio-cultural, political and economic. Current trends in the internationalization of higher education in European countries have been identified, and aspects of the institute's activities related to the development and implementation of the globalization strategy have been investigated.

Factors determining its successful implementation and factors hindering this process are determined. The impact of globalization on the competitiveness of Ukrainian universities and the professional risks associated with a low level of language proficiency are described. The role of the institute's language policy in the implementation of the internationalization strategy is defined. The regulatory and legal documentation in the field of development and reform of higher education is studied. The prerequisites for reforming the English language teaching methodology are considered. The method of globalization of higher education in foreign language classes is proposed. It is concluded that the process of globalization, the main goal of which is to improve the quality of education and scientific activity, has become the strategic direction of higher educational institutions. In this regard, considerable attention is paid to supporting the provision of pedagogical conditions for the formation of all intercultural competences of students. The results of the empirical study indicate that the key areas of activity of universities in the context of internationalization are the development of students' academic knowledge, mobility, creation of joint educational programs with foreign universities, development of international scientific activity. It is found that the main factors that stimulate these processes are the development and monitoring of the implementation of the globalization strategy. The problems of implementing this strategy, as before, are of a financial nature and are associated with a low level of foreign language proficiency and insufficient motivation of students and teachers to participate in academic mobility programs and international scientific projects.

Key words: internationalization, higher education, international cooperation, foreign language, mobility, Bologna process, pan-European recommendations.

globalization higher education institutions foreign language learning

1. INTRODUCTION

Globalization of higher education institutions in Ukraine is a relatively new phenomenon that is dynamically developing today due to evolutionary academic, socio-cultural, economic and political factors. These factors take on different characteristics depending on the geographic region, institution of higher education, and specific educational program. There is no single universal model of globalization of higher education institutions. Approaches to globalization differ, which is explained by differences in the methods of implementing the strategy of higher education, the different effectiveness of the work of professors and teaching staff, the unequal creative potential of teachers of departments and structural divisions, their desire to introduce innovative learning technologies into the educational process. The study of national strategies for the internationalization of higher education in Ukraine and abroad gives reason to consider it as a means of improving the quality of professional training. Modern Ukrainian higher education institutions do not remain aloof from globalization processes. Responding to requests from teachers and students, they look for opportunities to establish international cooperation, introduce internationalization into the strategy of educational development, and attract new resources and partners. As a result, management seeks to develop systemic institutional tools to support globalization.

Expanding globalization is motivated by a number of factors, among which the need to gain access to advanced knowledge, new opportunities for the development of intercultural interaction skills and building partnership relations, the need to strengthen civil society, train specialists capable of working in globalization conditions, increase the reputation of higher education institutions, etc.. Proponents of the globalization of higher education institutions are guided by certain motives: teachers and scientists are interested in opening up new opportunities for conducting scientific research, improving production practice, professional skills and competence in accordance with European standards, gaining advanced international experience; students - to increase the level of international mobility, receive scholarship support and employment guarantee; heads of higher education institutions - to attract additional funding, increase the competitiveness of their graduates and the reputation of the university at the global level. The main obstacles to the successful internationalization of higher education institutions include the insufficient amount of information, funding, differences in the organization of the pedagogical process and curricula, but the biggest obstacle is considered to be the language barrier.

The variety of approaches to the interpretation of globalization and the development of mechanisms for its introduction into the educational process of institutions of higher education differ and do not bring clarity to the understanding of its essence, which determined the purpose of the article: to justify the feasibility of globalization of institutions of higher education and to reveal the role of foreign language learning in this process.

To understand why many institutions of higher education seek internationalization, it is necessary to examine its rationale and main aspects. The justification can be characterized as a motivation for the integration of the international aspect in the field of higher education. Having analyzed the latest publications [1-7; 13], we came to the conclusion that there are four main justifications for globalization: academic, socio-cultural, political and economic. Academic substantiation covers the international aspect of teaching and conducting scientific research, expanding the academic horizon, improving the quality of education in accordance with international academic standards, specialization and rating, organization of the pedagogical process. Socio-cultural justification is based on national and cultural identity, formation of civic consciousness and reconciliation, social and public development of intercultural understanding. Political rationales include foreign policy, national security, technical assistance, peace and mutual understanding, and national and regional identities. The economic rationale is based on economic growth and increased competitiveness, development of the labor market, and creation of financial incentives for institutions and governments [3, p. 5-6].

Globalization of higher education is the process of creating a new international educational environment, where the national interests of not only the participants of this process can be most effectively realized, but also joint searches for solutions to urgent problems of all mankind can be carried out. Globalization of education encourages recognition of cultural pluralism, intensive dialogue of cultures, formation of multicultural competence, education of tolerant attitude towards other peoples and countries. It is seen as a future-oriented process that allows achieving interdisciplinary and multispectral leadership, changing internal dynamics, establishing connections with foreign partners, and fully adapting to an ever-changing multicultural environment. An important sign of the internationalization of education is the increase in the number of foreign students. The presence of foreign students in higher education institutions is an indicator of the integrated development of the state's higher education, which indicates a high level of quality of educational services, the prestige of the university and the recognition of the country in the world market of educational services [3, p. 101].

The effectiveness of the globalization of higher education institutions in Ukraine is closely related to the elimination of the shortcomings of professional training of students for the implementation of foreign language communication (insufficient focus of education on the education of bilingual personality; low level of motivation of students to learn foreign languages and establish intercultural interaction; insufficient use of innovative teaching methods; unclear awareness of the role of internationalization in the spiritual and intellectual self-development of the individual), which made it possible to determine pedagogical measures aimed at improving foreign language knowledge, abilities and skills, such as: discussions, didactic, business, imitation roleplaying games, problem lectures, lecture-dialogue, lecture-consultation, lecture-visualization, quizzes, talk show, “round tables”, “brainstorming”, language portfolio, interpretation of works, improvisation, writing of own creative projects, presentation of theses of reports, press conferences, etc. [5].

Today, professionally oriented foreign language learning in the context of the internationalization of higher education institutions is difficult to imagine without the use of special computer programs for the development and improvement of foreign language knowledge, skills and abilities of students. The scientist classifies software products into four main categories: 1) electronic dictionaries (ABBYY Lingvo, Cambridge Dictionary, Longman Dictionary, Macmillan English Dictionary for Advanced Learner s, Oxford Dictionary, Webster's Dictionary, etc.), which allow to quickly find words, get acquainted with the features of their use in a certain professional context and, if necessary, listen to their pronunciation; 2) electronic translators (Linguee, Magic Goody, Prompt, Reverso Context, etc.) for translating a large volume of text that does not always comply with all syntactic and stylistic rules of the language; 3) programs for mastering a foreign language, focused on a certain level of foreign language training of students and step-by-step training in the application of various lexical and grammatical units; 4) programs for checking the level of formation of foreign language competence, namely: electronic testing with IELTS (International English Language Testing System), TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language), TOEIC (Test of English for International Communication) [13, p. 69]. The advantages of computer technologies in education include communication by e-mail, creating simulations of classroom classes, developing an educational electronic portfolio, organizing discussions on the Internet, webinars, video conferences, virtual consultations, tutorials and coaching, conducting offline or online laboratory work, practical classes, lectures, master classes, educational expeditions, mentoring, development of presentations, project-analytical session, work with cases, independent work, online internship or production practice, training, participation in international projects, etc. So, since the introduction of e-learning, the form of work has undergone changes. Blogs, chats, forums, audio and video conferences, computer games, business games, creation and storage of links to educational resources, joint design and editing of resources, participation in network community projects, interactive translation, voting, polls, linking events, processes to coordinates, computer control of knowledge, skills and abilities [2, p. 123-124].

The methodology of internationalization of higher education in foreign language classes is based on the concepts of linguistic multicultural education, the relationship between language and culture, multi-perspective learning, cultural differences, social learning, the theory of selfdetermination, the theory of developmental learning, the provisions of competence and cultural approaches, modern approaches to the management of educational systems, ensuring the quality of education, taking into account the peculiarities of the functioning of national and regional educational systems, theoretical aspects of the internationalization of higher education, provisions for the development of academic mobility and multicultural educational space, bilingual education and teaching of foreign languages, provisions of intercultural communication, historical and pedagogical studies of the internationalization of the educational process [5].

It is worth noting that the language barrier is not a problem only in the case of cooperation between countries that use the same language. Therefore, the majority of international programs are language courses. Today, internationalization in higher education is gaining momentum due to the growing status of the English language as a means of international communication. European countries have taken a course towards globalization, introducing advanced English language courses at higher education institutions to organize international exchanges of students and teachers.

There is no doubt that the most important condition for international cooperation is to ensure mutual understanding by teaching and learning a common language and providing foreign students with educational programs in a language they understand. Such a vision of education is quite new and aims to create a motivational environment for students in the process of learning a foreign language, since the transition of the higher education system of Ukraine to market economic relations requires the professional training of students to take into account global trends in the development of the labor market, and, therefore, mastery of a foreign language at a high level. It follows from this that the main task of teaching a foreign language in the context of globalization is to teach students to use it as a means of intercultural communication in all types of professional activity.

The quality of education, international orientation and mobility serve as the main dimensions and aspects of globalization in Ukrainian higher education institutions. In this context, education includes joint study and research programs, international master classes, full-time and part-time education in English, foreign language courses. International orientation is based on cooperation, memorandums of understanding (MOU), bilateral agreements, exchange programs for students and staff, double degrees, electronic networks. Accordingly, the quality of education is evaluated by reputation (ratings), and mobility is determined by the number of students and employees who have come or gone to study, the level of distance learning, campuses.

The mobility of teachers and students is significantly stimulated by various regional and state programs. The most famous include ERASMUS SOMETT, LINGUA, LEONARDO, SOMENIUS, SOCRATES and TEMPUS. The basis of all educational programs of the European Union is to promote the study of foreign languages. Their goal is to create a single European model of higher education. Ukraine is also actively involved in the processes of globalization of higher education institutions, improving foreign language training of students, recognizing the important role of a foreign language in European integration and opening new horizons for graduates of domestic higher education institutions. Thorough knowledge of a foreign language and in-depth study of the social, cultural and economic conditions of life and mentality of other peoples gives access to many sectors of the international labor market [6, p. 210].

The Law “On Higher Education”, which was ratified by the Verkhovna Rada in July 2014, can be briefly characterized as a condition for the implementation of a number of reforms that will bring Ukrainian higher education institutions into compliance with the Bologna Agreement, simplify bureaucratic procedures, implement the decentralization of education, give universities more control, promote transparency, expand student self-government and recognize foreign educational diplomas [12].

Although Ukraine joined the Bologna process in 2005, the higher education sector has not yet achieved full compliance with the process. In the context of this study, it is worth noting that the movement towards greater autonomy of higher education institutions will most likely make it difficult to reform the field of professional English teaching and professional disciplines in English at the national level. In this regard, the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, together with the British Council, even launched a project aimed at radical reformation and expansion of the curriculum on English language teaching methods for future teachers at all levels.

In 2018, the Times Higher Education Supplement included five Ukrainian universities (Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Ivan Franko National University of Lviv, Lviv Polytechnic National University, Kyiv Polytechnic Institute of National Technical University, V.N. Karazin Kharkiv National University) in the list of 1000 the best world higher education institutions [14]. In general, the level of English proficiency in Ukraine is low. According to the rating of Education First English Proficiency Index (EF EPI), in 2018 Ukraine took 43rd place [10], in 2017 - 47th place among 88 countries [9] covered by the study. This result is worse than the indicators of 2015 and 2016, when Ukraine was in 34th and 41st place [8]. In the ranking of 32 European countries, Ukraine is among the last (28th position) [11].

According to the scale of the Pan-European recommendations for language education, the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine established requirements for English language proficiency for all university teachers at the B2 level, but did not determine their level of foreign language competence. Meanwhile, the Ministry recognizes that the level of English language teachers after graduating from the university is proportional to the scale of the Pan-European recommendations for language education. We believe that the reasoning of R. Bolaito and R. West regarding the inaccuracy of this connection is correct, since the requirements for the foreign language competence of SZOSH teachers and ZVO teachers are different. Teachers who are just starting to work are expected to have a level of foreign language competence of 5, which roughly corresponds to level C2 on the scale of the Pan-European recommendations for language education. However, these requirements are not put forward to university teachers of English, but they are quite justifiably expected to have at least the same level as secondary school teachers [7].

2. RESEARCH RESULTS

So, analyzing the results of testing a small sample of English teachers from 15 universities (Taras Shevchenko Kyiv National University, Lviv Polytechnic National University, Kharkiv Polytechnic Institute National Technical University, Yuriy Kondratyuk Poltava National Technical University, Yuriy Fedkovich Chernivtsi National University, Odesa National University named after Ilya Mechnikov, Donetsk National University named after Vasyl Stus, National Mining University, Cherkasy State University of Technology, Ternopil National Technical University named after Ivan Pulyui, NTUU “ Kyiv Polytechnic Institute named after Igor Sikorsky”, Uzhhorod National University, Luhansk National University named after Taras Shevchenko, Zaporizhzhia National Technical University, Chernihiv of the National University of Technology) obtained with the help of the Aptis test, it can be stated that the majority of test takers (61%) achieved level C, a large part (39%) did not achieve it, and the level of several teachers (4%) was rated as B1 or A2. Oral communication turned out to be the weakest skill among all higher education institutions: only 61 (40%) of the 153 teachers who were evaluated reached level C according to the scale of the All- European recommendations for language education, and the average indicators of 14 out of 15 higher education institutions did not overcome level C [7]. The overall figure of 61% of participants with a C level appears to be positive, but it indicates that many of the tested teachers (39%) did not achieve the pass level of C that is required even of SSOES English teachers. Most likely, this noticeable shortcoming will affect the quality of foreign language teaching and the process of internationalization in higher education institutions.

3. CONCLUSIONS AND PROSPECTS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH

On the basis of the conducted research, we came to the conclusion that the development of modern higher education is subject to the laws of the market economy and requires constant replenishment of the content of education with the latest materials, the introduction of innovative pedagogical technologies with a high level of informatization of the educational process, the development of higher education in the context of European educational systems. European integration opens up new horizons for graduates of higher education institutions. Knowledge of a foreign language and a thorough study of cultural, social and economic living conditions, the mentality of other peoples and the basics of business etiquette give access to many sectors of the international labor market. The internationalization of social life encourages students to learn a foreign language. It determines the socio-economic, scientific and technical general cultural progress of society. All this raises the status of a foreign language in higher education, because the state needs competent specialists with a sufficient level of knowledge of a foreign language, professionals capable of absorbing new and progressive experience, ready to generate and implement original ideas, as well as for active international cooperation and the formation of better attitudes to Ukraine on the world stage.

References (TRANSLATED AND TRANSLITERATED)

[1] Verbytska A.V. Internatsionalizatsiia yak osnovnyi napriam rozvytku vyshchoi osvity. Molodyi vchenyi : nauk. zhurn. 2017. No 11 (51). S. 160-164.

[2] Havryliuk N.M. Dystantsiina osvita yak zasib profesiinoi samorealizatsii studentiv vyshchykh navchalnykh zakladiv SShA. Pedahohichni nauky :zb. nauk. prats Khersonskyi derzhavnyi universytet. Kherson, 2018. Vyp. LXXXIII, t. 2.S. 121 -124.

[3] Hryshchuk Yu. Orhanizatsiia navchannia inozemnykh studentiv v Ukraini yak chynnyk internatsionalizatsii vyshchoi osvity. Neperervna profesiina osvita: teoriia i praktyka : nauk.-metod. zhurn. Kyiv, 2016. Vyp. 1-2. S. 101-105.

[4] Debych M.A., Sikorska I.M. Obgruntuvannia internatsionalizatsii vyshchoi osvity v pratsiakh zarubizhnykh naukovtsiv. Innovative solutions inmodern science. 2016. No 1. S. 1-14.

[5] Kravets R. Metodolohiia formuvannia polikulturnoi kompetentnosti maibutnikh fakhivtsiv ahrarnoi haluzi na zaniattiakh inozemnoi movy. Molod i rynok : shchomisiachn. nauk. -ped. zhurn. Drohobych : DDPU imeni Ivana Franka, 2016. No 9(140). S. 62-67.

[6] Nitenko O.V. Internatsionalizatsiia vyshchoi osvity yak faktor rozvytku universytetu. Osvitolohichnyi dyskurs : elektronne naukove fakhove vydannia. 2015. No 2 (10). S. 205 -215.

[7] Bolitho R., West R. The Internationalization of Ukrainian Universities: the English Language Dimension. Kyiv: “Steel”, 2017. 124 p.

[8] EF English Proficiency Index. Toronto: Education First Ltd., 2016. 44 p.

[9] EF English Proficiency Index. Toronto: Education First Ltd., 2017. 48 p.

[10] EF English Proficiency Index. Toronto: Education First Ltd., 2018. 52 p.

[11] EF English Proficiency Index. URL: https://www.ef.com/ca/epi/regions/europe/ukraine.

(datazvernennia: 08.06.2019).

[12] New Law On Higher Education Effectively Brings About Higher Education Reform. URL: http://www.usubc.org/site/member news/new law on higher education. (data zvernennia: 09.06.2019).

[13] Tymoshchuk N. Professionally oriented teaching of a foreign language at the agrarian university. Molod i rynok : shchomisiachn. nauk.-ped.zhurn. Drohobych : DDPU imeni Ivana Franka, 2019. No 1 (168). S. 66-70.

[14] World University Rankings 2018. URL: https://www.timeshighereducation.com/world-university rankings/2018/worldranking/page/0/length/ 1/sort_by/rank/sort_order/asc/cols/stats (data zvernennia: 07.06.2019)

РОЛЬ ВИВЧЕННЯ ІНОЗЕМНОЇ МОВИ В ПРОЦЕСІ ГЛОБАЛІЗАЦІЇ ЗАКЛАДІВ ВИЩОЇ ОСВІТИ

Западинська Ірина Георгіївна

кандидат педагогічних наук, доцент кафедри іноземної філології та перекладу, Вінницький торговельно-економічний інститут ДТЕУ м. Вінниця, Україна

Анотація. У статті обґрунтовано доцільність глобалізації вищих навчальних закладів та роль вивчення іноземної мови в цьому процесі. Окреслено чотири основні обґрунтування глобалізації: академічне, соціально -культурне, політичне та економічне. Визначено актуальні тенденції інтернаціоналізації вищої освіти в країнах Європи, досліджено аспекти діяльності інституту щодо розробки та реалізації стратегії глобалізації. Визначено чинники, що зумовлюють його успішну реалізацію, та фактори, що перешкоджають цьому процесу.

Описано вплив глобалізації на конкурентоспроможність українських ЗВО та професійні ризики, пов'язані з низьким рівнем володіння мовою. Визначено роль мовної політики інституту в реалізації стратегії інтернаціоналізації. Досліджено нормативно-правову документацію у сфері розвитку та реформування вищої освіти. Розглянуто передумови реформування методики викладання англійської мови. Запропоновано методику глобалізації вищої освіти на заняттях з іноземної мови. Зроблено висновок, що стратегічним напрямком діяльності ЗВО став процес глобалізації, основною метою якого є підвищення якості освіти та наукової діяльності. У зв'язку з цим значна увага приділяється підтримці забезпечення педагогічних умов формування всіх міжкультурних компетенцій студентів. Результати емпіричного дослідження свідчать про те, що ключовими напрямками діяльності університетів у контексті інтернаціоналізації є розвиток академічних знань студентів. мобільності, створення спільних освітніх програм із зарубіжними ЗВО, розвиток міжнародної наукової діяльності. З'ясовано, що основними факторами, які стимулюють ці процеси, є розробка та моніторинг реалізації стратегії глобалізації. Проблеми реалізації цієї стратегії, як і раніше, мають фінансовий характер і пов'язані з низьким рівнем володіння іноземною мовою та недостатньою мотивацією студентів і викладачів до участі в програмах академічної мобільності та міжнародних наукових проектах.

Ключові слова: інтернаціоналізація, вища освіта, міжнародне співробітництво, іноземна мова, мобільність, Болонський процес, загальноєвропейські рекомендації.

Размещено на Allbest.ru