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Particularities of the impact of relations within the group and the teacher upon success dynamics of foreign language learning

Kret M.V.

Theoretical analysis of works dedicated to the teaching methodology showed that the contemporary methods of teaching a foreign language suggest teaching through social interaction between a teacher and a pupil and interaction between pupils, because «it is not the indirect information which has the strongest influence with us, but the personal contacts with people» [3, p. 330]. They actualize the phenomena and effects discovered in the frame of the social psychology, such as, the social facilitation effect, group decision making, building a context. That's why in order to increase the motivation, it is very important to introduce such socio-psychological techniques as the alternation of social roles and social situations, to develop relation system in the group. Thanks to the activization of these factors some communication skills are improving: listening to a partner, conveying ideas, choosing correctly linguistic means (verbal and nonverbal) in correspondence with the situation of communication [2] and cultural-linguistic intuition [1].

It is known, that a lot of people after the long-term studies of the foreign language continue to experience difficulties due to the lack of self-confidence, assessment fear, unwillingness to make mistakes, hostile relation towards other cultural realias, unpreparedness to the creativity, existing ethnical stereotypes [4, 5, 6]

The aim of this work consisted in finding particularities of the impact of the participants' relations towards the group, teacher and teaching methods upon success dynamics of foreign language learning.

Taking into consideration all stated above, we tried to discover the subjective assessment of relations, existing in the educational group in the process of foreign language learning and prepared a special questionnaire: «Assessment of the relations in the group while learning a foreign language», which consists of the 3 blocks of questions. The first block of questions shows how pupils assess verbal and non-verbal communication of the teacher, his communication style. The second one - which group they consider comfortable for learning a foreign language. The third one contains questions about how the participants of the group are satisfied with teaching methodology, which the teacher uses during the classes, objectives which students pursue while learning a foreign language, and desire to continue the education.

The empirical object of the study was adults from the age of 17 up to 50, 21 men and 32 women who studied at the linguistic center. In order to establish success dynamics, we used the methodical technique of testing the knowledge of students in correspondence with learning stages. All the respondents according to the results of standard tests were divided into three groups:

1) group with low indices of learning dynamics;

2) group with stable indices of learning dynamics;

3) group with high indices of learning dynamics.

After several lessons in the group, completing the questionnaire, all the respondents found the teaching methodology interesting and would like to continue learning. however 34 % of students with low learning dynamics haven't finished three months' learning course, all the students of the group with stable indices of dynamics have successfully terminated it. In the group with high indices of learning dynamics 10 % of respondents have quitted the course before the end of studies.

We have found the differences in description of the existing relationship between group with low indices of learning dynamics and group with stable indices of learning dynamics.

Students from the group with stable indices of learning dynamics, feel relaxed during the classes (100 %), it was easy to join the group for them (90 %). 50 % think that everyone in the group minds his own business and doesn't disturb the others. They don't conflict (80 %) with other members of the group and they have friendly relationship (90 %). 40 % of them are sure that their labor is highly appreciated by other members of the group.

In the group with low indices of learning dynamics only 39 % feel relaxed in the group, 43 % easily joined this group. 43 % have friendly relations with other members of the group and 48 % of students do not conflict with other members of the group. 22 % of them think that everyone in the group minds his own business and does not disturb the others, and that their labor is highly appreciated by other members of the group.

Thus, the members of the group with low indices of learning dynamics do not consider this group as that one which they want to belong to, without conflicting and finding common language with the others, adapting in the group.

Between the second and the third groups we haven't discovered any differences.

Let's pass to the analysis of the attitude of group participants towards the teacher. The differences of the attitude towards the teacher were found in the three groups of students. In the group with low indices of learning dynamics the appearance of the teacher are considered as attractive by 39 % of the students, 34 % feel a sympathy for the teacher. 48 % believe that the teacher can listen, conduct a dialogue, hold discourse with them, 43 % think that the teacher can explain, give reasons for his suggestions, remarks. Assessing nonverbal characteristics, 34 % believe, that the teacher can “read” their feelings on their face, intentions, and can also express the relation with gestures, intonation and facial expressions.

40 % of the students of this group consider the style of communication as democratic one. 38 % think that the teacher can stop the communication in time, taking into consideration the situation and the state of another person. The data of the assessment of the verbal and nonverbal teacher's behavior demonstrate that the students with low learning dynamics have the hostile attitude towards the teacher. They badly understand his behavior and have a small desire to identify with him.

In the group with stable and high learning dynamics, teacher's appearance find attractive (100 % and 58 % correspondingly), they feel a sympathy for the teacher (100 % and 71 %). They think, that he can explain, give reasons for his suggestions, observations, he can also listen to, conduct a dialogue, беседовать (80 % and 65 %). The teacher is able to express his attitude with the help of the gestures, facial expressions, intonation (70 % and 65 %) is able to «read» according to the face my feelings and intentions (60 % and 65 %). While they assess the teacher's communication style as democratic (90 % and 64 %) and think that the teacher is very attentive to them (90 % and 70 %), 10 % and 18 % of participants of these groups believe that the teacher regards them domineeringly. The teacher can quit the conversation in time, this is the opinion of the participants of these groups. It is clear that the students of these groups sympathize with the teacher, they treat the teacher more positively, they assess higher his verbal and non verbal skills, then the students with low level of learning dynamics.

Thus the results of the research showed that the positive relation towards the group and the teacher improve success dynamics of the foreign language learning.

language learning psychology teacher

References

1. Bogatikova L.I. Speaking about development of the cultural-linguistic intuition // Foreign languages at school. - № 3. - 2007. - P. 34-38.

2. Zhimnia I.A. Psychology of the optimization of the foreign language learning at school // Foreign languages at school. - № 4. - 1986.

3. Myers David g. Social psychology. - SPb.: «Piter», 2000. - 688 p.

4. Poddoubnaya Т.К., Kostina D.М. Process of the building ethnical stereotypes in student's conscious while learning a foreign language // conference materials «communication psychology: socio-cultural analysis». Rostov-on-Don- 2002. - P. 262-263.

5. Popova I. I can't start speaking a foreign language // Psychology, December 2006. - P. 128-133.

6. Gail F. Tallefer The professional language needs of Economics graduates: Assessment and perspectives in the French context // English for specific purposes. - Volume 26. - Issue 2. - 2007. - P. 135-155.

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