Digital transformation as a factor of professionaly oriented foreign language teaching improvement

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Digital transformation as a factor of professionaly oriented foreign language teaching improvement

Vitalina Nikitenko

Abstract

The article analyzes the processes of digital transformation as a factor of professionally oriented foreing languge teaching improvement. It is highlited, that economic changes in society have become the main reason for the emergence of new requirements for the professional training of graduates, who are rightly considered to be the intellectual elite of the state. It is detected, that a specialist with higher education is a broadly educated person in a particular field, who has fundamental training and is capable of continuous professional development. The article emphasis that a foreign language for such a specialist is a necessary condition of professionalism, allowing him to work with information available to the world community in the modern conditions of digital transformation. The specifics of foreign language training students of economic specialties under the conditions of digital transformation are studied. The modern tools for training future specialists, aimed at improving their competence and development of professional qualities, are substantiated. The main approaches, including person-oriented approach in professionally oriented foreign language teaching, modern methods of digital learning, methods of intercultural communication, regional oriented study and personaly oriented motivation. The choice of those or other approaches to the organization of educational activities and tools of foreign language teaching for direct work with students is largely determined by the specifics of their future work and the requirements for training specialists for various spheres of economic activity. Thus, today, economic education is represented by a wide list of specialties, each of which has a certain division by specialization, taking into account the specifics of functioning and development of individual sectors of the national economy and it must be conciedered in tne process of foreign language learning. These features predetermine the specificity of the specialists' activity, its type orientation and form the list of knowledge, abilities and skills, which they should possess under the conditions of digital transformation.

Key words: digital transformation, professionally oriented teaching, teaching approach, intercultural communication

Анотація

Нікітенко, Віталіна - доктор філософських наук, доцент, професор кафедри менеджменту організацій та управління проектами, Інженерний навчально-науковий інститут ім. Ю.М. Потебні Запорізького національного університету (Запоріжжя, Україна)

Цифрова трансформація як чинник удосконалення професійно-орієнтованого навчання іноземній мові

У статті аналізуються вплив процесів цифрової трансформації як чинника удосконалення професійно орієнтованого навчання іноземній мові. Підкреслюється, що економічні зміни в суспільстві стали основною причиною появи нових вимог до професійної підготовки випускників, яких справедливо вважають майбутньою інтелектуальною елітою держави. Підкреслено, що фахівець з вищою освітою - це широко освічена особа у певній галузі, яка має фундаментальну підготовку та здатна до безперервного професійного розвитку. У статті наголошується, що іноземна мова для такого фахівця є необхідною умовою професіоналізму, що дозволяє йому працювати з інформацією, доступною світовій спільноті в сучасних умовах цифрової трансформації. Досліджено специфіку іноземної мовної підготовки студентів економічних спеціальностей в умовах цифрової трансформації. Обгрунтовано сучасні засоби підготовки майбутніх спеціалістів, які спрямовані на підвищення їх компетентності та розвиток професійних якостей. Основні підходи, зокрема особистісно орієнтований підхід у професійно орієнтованому навчанні іноземній мові, сучасні методи цифрового навчання, методи міжкультурної комунікації, регіонально орієнтоване навчання та особистісно орієнтована мотивація. Вибір тих чи інших підходів до організації навчальної діяльності та засобів навчання іноземній мові для безпосередньої роботи зі студентами значною мірою визначається специфікою їх майбутньої роботи та вимогами до підготовки фахівців для різних сфер економічної діяльності. Таким чином, сьогодні економічна освіта представлена широким переліком спеціальностей, кожна з яких має певний поділ за спеціалізацією, враховуючи специфіку функціонування та розвитку окремих галузей національної економіки, і це необхідно враховувати в процесі вивчення іноземної мови. Актуалізовано, що саме ці особливості зумовлюють специфіку діяльності спеціалістів, її видову спрямованість і формують перелік знань, умінь і навичок, якими вони повинні володіти в умовах цифрової трансформації.

Ключові слова: цифрова трансформація, професійно орієнтоване навчання, навчальний підхід, міжкультурна комунікація

Main part

The relevance and formulation of the problem in general and its connection with important scientific or practical tasks

The relevance of the research is in the fact, that in the modern world the efficiency of functioning of the national economy depends on many factors among which a special place is given to the quality of training of specialists for its branches and sub-complexes. After all, even the availability of necessary resources, funds and technology in the absence of highly qualified personnel will not be able to ensure the effective functioning of the enterprise and com - petiveness. Only in the complex these factors can improve the activities of economic entities, thereby contributing to the development of the economy of industries, regions and the state as a whole. In this regard, the study of the problems of improving the quality of training economic specialists, including through the use of innovative learning technologies, is of particular relevance. And in mentioned aspect foreign language competence is a priority.

Analysis of the latest research and publications, from which the solution of this problem was initiated and on which the author relies.

The topic of is quite widely researched, there is a significant number of scientists who have devoted a significant number of scientific works to this topic, among them the following works should be noted in particular: conceptual aspects of digitalization of education and society (V. Voronkova, V. Nikitenko,

N. Metelenko, R. Oleksenko), intercultural communication and modern aspects of foreign language teaching (N. Bilan, A. Bilotserkovets), foreign language learning motivation (T. Honcharenko), regional study aspects and their geographic basis (O. Topchiev, D. Malchikova, V. Yavorska), IT in professional competence formation (L. Skaliy). However, there are still a certain number of gaps in this topic, one of which this article will try to fill.

Presentation of the main material of the study with justification of the obtained scientific results

In modern conditions a foreign language becomes an obligatory component of the professional characteristic of a specialist of any profile. An integral part of international business contacts is intercultural interaction, so the development of intercultural and communicative competences in foreign language students is the main goal in teaching language and culture. At present, during the transition of higher education institutions to a new period of diital era teachers are faced with new problems related to the organization of teaching and control of student learning. Teachers need to introduce new methods of professional language training in the process of teaching students. During the process of student learning, teachers need to implement new methods of professional language training. The content of professional language training is seen as the development of specific professional competencies and preparing students for professional intercul - tural communication. Nowadays, in the conditions of globalization, a foreign language becomes an obligatory component of the professional characteristics of a specialist of any profile, which is dictated by the need to successfully carry out their professional activities within the framework of both native and «foreign» culture. Knowledge of a foreign language provides a real opportunity to join the world culture, world education and science, to travel, work and grow professionally.

Contemporary socio-economic changes in society have become the main reason for the emergence of new requirements for the professional training of certified specialists, who are considered by all means to be the intellectual elite of the state. At present, a specialist with higher education is a well-educated person in a particular field, who has fundamental training and is capable of continuous professional development in the process of digital transformation (Voronkova, 2022). Knowledge of a foreign language for such a specialist is a necessary condition of professionalism, allowing working with information available to the world community. It should be noted that at the present stage the student of a university is required to master the widest range of knowledge, abilities and skills, which focuses universities on training not only a high - level professional, but also a multicultural personality, capable of comprehensive and systematic analysis of reality, with humanitarian literacy and a complete world outlook. In this connection, the disciplines of the humanities block, an essential component of which is language training, are of particular importance in the system of training a graduate of a non-linguis - tic university (in our case, an economic university). Taking into account the society's demand for a specialist with a foreign language, at the modern stage of higher professional education development a foreign language is considered to be an obligatory component of professional training of a university graduate. Considering the specificity of our educational institution, we are of the opinion that the future economist should have the communication skills, determined by the ability to communicate in a foreign language, as modern business leaders attach special importance to such qualities of economic university graduates, as the ability to speak a foreign language with knowledge of traditions and ways of thinking of partners in professional contacts. It seems to our opinion that it is possible to teach a student to speak a foreign language within a limited study period by combining traditional and innovative methods, but focusing on the communicative principle. Using this principle helps to teach students to build a line of speech behavior in business partnership situations, gives knowledge about the specifics of business behavior and business image, as well as helps to correctly express their thoughts in a foreign language in accordance with the situation of business communication. Language training of students, especially in the specialty in a non-lin - guistic university, is a complex and labor intensive process. When developing the skills of oral speech in a foreign language in the specialty it is necessary to remember that the monological component is not inferior to the dialogical one. Therefore, one should go for increasing the volume of monological remarks in dialogue, and then to monological forms of oral speech - summaries, abstracts, annotation. This goal can be achieved by using communicatively oriented textbooks and teaching materials in the work. Another effective way to develop oral speech is the method of pair work or work in small groups. The use of this method in our classes showed the effectiveness of mastering the material with this type of work. Also, the method of double work increases the amount of spoken material, which contributes to the activation of each student's speech activity. The role of students' independent work in language training should not be overlooked. The aim of this type of activity is to form the skills of working with foreign-language professionally oriented information sources (reading, translation, creative rethinking of information, personal evaluation) as well as to form the skills of oral speech within the framework of professional topics. Application of independent work helps to optimize the process of foreign language learning in terms of saving classroom instructional time, as well as intensifying students' search for new knowledge. Besides, independent work in foreign language classes helps to familiarize students with research activities, develops such important skills as searching for necessary information, analyzing it, singling out the main point, assessing the informative value of the material. In conclusion, we should emphasize the role of modem information technologies in students' language training. These technologies currently provide many opportunities for teaching and learning a foreign language. Now it is already difficult to imagine a foreign language class without the use of multimedia, as they are an integral part of the learning process. Thus, in the modern methodology of teaching foreign languages, there are various forms of language training. The task of the tutor is to choose and offer students the optimal types of work aimed at high-quality and effective foreign language teaching.

Another actual task in foreign language teaching of economically oriented students is a regional component (Topchiev, 2015). It currently takes into account the regional component of the content of education less than in other disciplines. However, the special nature of the foreign language, updating the goals and content of language education at the present stage in line with the personality-oriented paradigm of education suggest the inclusion of the component in foreign language teaching. The developing, teaching, and educational potential of the regional component of the content of education is quite great. In this connection linguists single out two groups of didactic functions of the given component in the educational process of an educational institution: 1) general (for all subjects); 2) specific (only for a foreign language), which include: - providing a substantive basis of foreign language communication, which meets the requirements of personality-oriented approach to foreign language learning; - creation of situativity as one of the obligatory characteristics of the process of communication; - formation of motivation of learning activity; - formation of socio-cultural competence of students; - providing a dialogue at the cultural level. Thus, foreign language is an integrator of regional knowledge from other subject areas and prepares for international communication. Foreign language is not included in the disciplines of the regional component of the university, but the principle of regional education should be taken into account when teaching a foreign language (Topchiev, 2015). The necessity of foreign language teaching taking into account the principle of regionality of the of Economic Profile students is dictated by the fact that the professional activity of future specialists in the field of economics requires a good knowledge of their region and the ability to carry out information exchange with foreign partners. Lack of terminology knowledge, typical for the region's foreign trade activities, can be a source of misunderstanding, miscommunication and an obstacle to communicate in the process of intercultural communication on professional topics. At present, it is possible to distinguish two main directions of regionality principle implementation in foreign language teaching. The first direction in the realization of this principle can be realized through the establishment of substantive (on the level of vocabulary) interdisciplinary links (ILC) between the foreign language course and the courses of the regional component of the general professional and special disciplines' cycles. The second direction can be realized by introducing into the foreign language course content the vocabulary reflecting the specifics of the region's foreign economic activities. For any region this activity is determined by financial, economic, trade relations of machine building, petrochemical, military-industrial complex enterprises with foreign partners from America and such European countries as Germany, Poland, Netherlands, Finland, France, Belgium, Switzerland, Sweden, Austria, Luxemburg, Slovakia, etc. Thus, the regional principle in teaching foreign language to economics students is realized on the level of lexical content and is determined by establishing relationships with general professional and special disciplines of the regional component of the curriculum, as well as with the main directions of foreign economic activity in the region. Let us consider possible implementations of the regional principle as applied to the three-level structural and content model of a foreign language course. The first level is the basic basic course, which implements the continuity of school and university foreign language courses. At this level the school knowledge is updated and the formation of phonetic, grammatical and lexical skills of oral and written speech is continued for the study of a foreign language at the second level. The second level - the basic course of a business foreign language (profiled course). It forms new knowledge, develops abilities and skills of foreign language possession at a level of business communication (oral and written). The third level are aspecial foreign language courses. This level implies studying special courses in the chosen educational direction (management, commerce, etc.). These special courses are aimed at further professional activity. The first and second levels are characterized by episodic and transversal inclusion of regional material at the level of lexical content by establishing interdisciplinary links with general vocational and special disciplines of the regional component of the curriculum. At the third level it is possible to use special courses and elective courses which are entirely based on the regional material, i.e. introduction of the regional terminology minimum is systematic block character and conditioned by the main directions of external economic activity of the region. It is necessary to point out the possibility of implementing the regional principle in scientific research work. At all stages of foreign language teaching within the framework of the mentioned courses of higher education institution of economic profile scientific research work of students can also take into account the principle of regionality (Topchiev, 2015). For example, samples of business letters and documents the enterprises performing foreign trade operations could be offered to the students as the material for linguistic research. The comparative stylistic analysis of advertising slogans from English-speaking sources and slogans used also contributes to the realization of the regional approach in teaching. In the conclusion it should be noted that new economic conditions of society development predetermine the necessity of systematic interconnection of professional education with the leading branches of regional economy. The indicated directions of realization of the principle of regionality are reflected in the introduction of regional material in the basic and business foreign language courses, as well as in the development of special courses of this orientation and the organization of research work of students. Such approach to foreign language teaching helps to increase the level of foreign language professional communicative competence of university students, to form their appreciation of regional culture and economy, as well as readiness for intercultural interaction with foreign business partners in the conditions of digitalization (Voronkova, 2022).

Another important direction of professional foreign languge teaching in the conditions of digitalization is intercultural communication aspect. Thus, the development of intercultural and communicative competence in English language students represents a major goal in teaching language and culture. In the process of teaching foreign languages it is necessary to aim at forming a minimum of cultural background knowledge in students, providing the strategy and tactics of the subject's cultural modus operandi with regard to different situations; modeling of speech/ non-speech behavior in a given context and development of an appropriate image in intercultural communication (Bilan, 2012). Now it is not a secret that intercultural interaction is an integral part of international business contacts. But a high level of foreign language proficiency does not guarantee effective intercultural communication because cultural differences, reflected in the consciousness and existing on a subconscious level, which sometimes are not realized by the participants of communication, lead to misunderstanding and inefficiency of business cooperation. Modern teachers of foreign languages strive to build their classes in such a way that students have an opportunity not only to learn and practice the necessary language material. Students should be able to apply cultural and speech patterns of communication and behavior typical of the given language environment. Thus, we are talking about the need to develop students in foreign language classes not only communicative skills and abilities. Professional knowledge of a foreign language implies the formation of a «secondary linguistic personality» capable of intercultural communication, comprehending the worldview of another social community. The professional task of a foreign language teacher is to teach the system of a foreign language and the principles of its use in various situations of speech communication situations. Future specialists must be able to conduct conversations and negotiations in a foreign language at a high level, conduct business correspondence, have skills of professional oral and written translation. Specialists involved in intercultural communication must be able to correctly analyze and adequately interpret the speech and non-verbal behavior of the interlocutor - a native speaker of another culture, find acceptable solutions and resolve conflicts, taking into account, among other things, the characteristics of local culture (Bilan, 2012). Specialists negotiating with representatives of other cultures must be tolerant in order to avoid possible failures at the pragmatic level of communication. In the case of communicative errors, communicators should be able to cope with them, be psychologically prepared to correct them, that is, to solve the problems encountered at the level of interpersonal relations. That is why foreign language teachers should initially encourage students to simulate different communication situations within the learning environment. Preparing students in English classes for intercultural communication as a process of communication (verbal and non-verbal) between communicants, who are bearers of different cultures and languages, or otherwise - a set of specific processes of interaction of people belonging to different cultures and languages. It is possible only when they get an opportunity to go beyond their native culture, to get in touch with a different view of the world, with a different worldview, to look at themselves from the position of a carrier of another culture, understanding the difference or the conflict of cultures (Bilotserkovets, 2017). Communicative competence of students develops on the basis of their educational and life experience. It is quite realistic to develop communicative competence through teaching theoretical foundations and further elaboration of functions, speech patterns, discourse structure; gradual complication of discourse structure; through setting tasks for students distinguished by great functional diversity; through analysis and explanation of practical tasks performed; through continuous study of pragmatic rules of the language under study and continuous practice of communication in a foreign language with regard to these rules. However, nowadays in the transition of universities to a new system (undergraduate and graduate) teachers are faced with new problems concerning the organization of teaching and control of student learning. The need to emphasize the effective organization of independent work in the study of foreign languages has emerged. Students should be focused on expanding and deepening their knowledge, acquiring skills and abilities in mastering foreign language communicative activities. Thus, foreign language teachers are faced with the new challenge of finding ways to stimulate students' interest in learning languages and cultures. This task can be solved by increasing the creativity of the educational environment, as well as through creative interaction with students. On the way to the set goal it is important to pay attention to the peculiarities of strengthening motivation to learn foreign languages, and students should be aimed at practical mastery of speech activity and increasing their active vocabulary. The content support of the structural and functional model of professional language training largely depends on the teaching materials used and the training of the teaching staff, since it is through teaching materials that teachers form professionally important competences in students, prepare them for intercultural communication, carry out language professionalization and use innovative pedagogical technologies (Bilotserkovets, 2017). The level of teachers' professional training and the effectiveness of teaching materials influence the creation of educational professional-linguistic communicative environment, in which professionally significant competences of future specialists are formed. In order to achieve the objectives, teachers need to take the selection of appropriate teaching materials with special seriousness. Nowadays the training courses by the famous foreign publishing houses «Macmillan», «Oxford» and «Cambridge University Press» of different complexity level are very popular, their undoubted advantages are the following: the content of authentic language materials; the possibility of teaching a living modern language; a communicative-oriented approach to language teaching; extensive use of means of visual representation of the material and multimedia: providing the teacher with additional teaching materials on the course and methodological recommendations for working with the course by placing this information on specially designed Internet sites of foreign publishers; increasing students' motivation and interest to professional intercultural communication.

As we can see from the results of this study, the intensive tempo of digitalization and the information base of science and technology, the expansion of business and cultural ties with medical, scientific, and economic circles on an international scale force us to reconsider the requirements for a highly qualified specialist. The ability to combine deep professional knowledge and skills with information technology literacy and a high level of professional foreign language proficiency acquires special significance. In the modern educational process of digital technology, it is appropriate to use a model that successfully combines traditional methods of teaching a foreign language with modern methods of digital learning, methods of intercultural communication and regional oriented study. The new vision of digital education aims to create a highly motivational environment for students in the process of professionally oriented foreign languages learning. Modern digital technologies help to implement a person-oriented approach in education, provide individualization and differentiation of education, taking into account the capabilities of students, their level of language training concentrating on professionally oriented approach.

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