CC BY
30
ADAPTING OF INDIVIDUALIZATION TECHNIQUE IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE TEACHING
V.N. Smirnova, Candidate of Philosophical Sciences, Associate Professor A.A. Zemskov, Student A.A. Lovkov, Student
Penza State University of Architecture and Construction (Russia, Penza)
DOI: 10.24411/2500-1000-2020-10225
Abstract. The article deals with the problem of the individualized activities in foreign language teaching. In this aspect, an individual educational task on the example of the discussion of personality-oriented issues in the process of classroom work of future engineers is considered as appropriate solving the problem of forming communicative competence. The authours come to the conclusion that individualization techniques approach proves to be an effective way of developing communication skills for work in small classes in the absence of an authentic environment at non-language faculties of higher education institutions.
Keywords: foreign language individualized learning task, individualized foreign language teaching.
As we have already mentioned in the previous works, the contemporary educational standard implies the requirement that a foreign language can be widely applied in the field of both every day and professional communications [4, p. 82; 5, p. 5]. Among contributory approaches to that aim the concept of individualization is one of the optimistic foreign teaching techniques. There are certain basic assumptions regarding learning in the context of individualization. According to G.E. Logan's concept, five assumptions - different learning styles, a variety of sources, the teacher as facilitator, integrated learning tasks, different learning goals - lead to indi-vidualization [2, p. 65].
Another perspective is added by H.B. Alt-man, who clearly talks of three basic tenets of individualized language teaching: a syllabus that meets the needs, abilities, and interests of each learner, personalized goals, means, and expectations for learners, teaching methods tailored to the needs of the learners. The four Rs of individualization offered by H.B. Alt-man as "Reeducation, Responsibility, and Relevance" have a certain meaning. Reeducation means reconstructing the role of the teacher as facilitator and the learner as the active agent in the process of learning. Responsibility implies that the learner takes charge of his own learning. Relevance implies
the fact that as most of the glossy and readily available material is devised for the non-native learner studying English, there is need for materials relevant to the learners [1, p. 28]. Z. Sarwar suggests one more R: that is Rapport [3, p. 203], and presents some individualization methods of large class management with non-native learners: voluntary learning, background questionnaire, grouping, name tags, profile cards, lending library. Such cas-es as radio news, self-created cloze, group projects are adapted for self-learning programmes as typical individualizing learning tasks [3, p. 206].
Considering the four Rs of individualiza-tion on the example of the classroom work with students of construction engineering academic programme implies the task of speaking about the motives for choosing future professional activity.
Topic "Choosing the right profession" is offered to students. Before the discussion the following text may be offered for reading and translation: "It is common knowledge that it is very difficult for a person to choose the right profession. Many young people do not know for sure what kind of occupation they will choose after finishing school. There are many trades and professions and all of them are important and useful. To choose the right occupation one should take into account
many factors: his gifts, capabilities, tastes, turn of mind. For example, for those who have a practical turn of mind it is better to choose the profession of an engineer, or a worker or a technician. For those who love children it is better to become a teacher or a children's doctor. People choose their occupation in different ways. Some are ready to take up a profession in which they can help other people. Others prefer to follow their parents' example and take up their professions. As for me I decided to become an engineer. I am sure it is one of the most useful professions. I want to become a good specialist. I do my best to get good knowledge of all subjects. I read books and magazines with special information about my future profession. My parents approve of my choice". Then the teacher suggests thinking of individual reasons and finding answers to the following questions to each student on the base of the text analyzed in the group before: 1. Why is it difficult to choose the right profession? 2. What factors should you take into account while choosing your occupation? 3. What is the right way to choose your future profession? 4. What is important for you in your career: money, experience, challenges and opportunities? 5. What do you do to become a good specialist and to succeed in life? 6. Do you plan to choose science for your career? Before answering the learners are offered to study some useful phrases and models for practical use: I would like / want / plan ... to become a good specialist, to start my own business, to learn how to drive, to earn a lot of money, to buy a luxurious car, to become famous, to design a unique building. The interaction phrases are as follows: 1. finding things in common: me too/neither, that's the same for me, so/neither do/have I; 2. finding differences: oh, I'm the opposite, on the contrary.
In our case reeducation shows itself as the class work is managed the way when every
speaker. The discussing the questions motivate students' speaking in the aspect of presenting personal reasons of choosing the right profession. Responsibility reveals in that the learner takes charge of his own way of studying and doing his best due to cognitive capabilities. It also implies that the teacher's responsibility to set up clearly discussion tasks and formulate questions can be monitored by learners on their own and corrected in the class. Relevance of the "Choosing the right profession" discussion is in the topic itself and in the appropriate difficulty level of the language material. As for Rapport it can be achieved because of considering the individualized reasons of choosing the profession. Thus, discussion of personal-orientated questions is a good example of the individualized tasks that to make learners psychologically motivated to speaking. The solutions for individualized activities may be variable and defined by the language material of a module, not only in the form of "My profession" discussion, but also in learning topics "All about you", "Life stories", "My daily routine", when spontaneity speaking may arouse from dialogues which predetermine personal interests and circumstances. The method of observation proves that for each task including in-dividualization there is a motivated outcome and each task helps to develop the students' communication ability in small classes in the absence of an authentic English language environment at non-language faculties of higher education institutions.
In conclusion it should be noted that once we become accustomed to viewing speaking as the platform of individualized themes for interaction on the example of future engineers, the classroom becomes an exiting place for acquiring communicative skills. In this aspect the individualization tasks approach can be viewed as a potential instrument of effective developing communi-cation skills for multi-purpose usage.
student is not a passive learner but an active
References
1. Altman, H. B. 1980. Foreign language teaching: Focus on the learner. In Languge teaching: Meeting individual needs, ed. H. B. Altman and C. V. James, New York: Pergamon.
2. Logan, G. E. 1980. Individualized foreign language instruction: American patterns for accommodating learner differences in the classroom. In Languge teaching: Meeting individual needs, ed. H. B. Altman and C. V. James, New York: Pergamon.
3. Zakia Sarwar. 1994. Adapting Individualization Techniques for Large Classes. Teacher Development: Making the Right Movies. Washington, D.C.: United States Information Agency, pp. 201-211.
4. Smirnova V.N., Sivkov G.G. Foreign language real use teaching // Международный журнал гуманитарных и естественных наук. - 2019. - № 1-1. - С. 81-83.
5. Смирнова В. Н. Обучение научно-техническому переводу в условиях электронной информационно-образовательной среды в строительном университете // Открытое образование. - 2019. - Т. 23. №2. - С. 4-13.
АДАПТАЦИЯ МЕТОДА ИНДИВИДУАЛИЗАЦИИ В ОБУЧЕНИИ ИНОСТРАННОМУ ЯЗЫКУ
В.Н. Смирнова, канд. филос. наук, доцент А.А. Земсков, студент А.А. Ловков, студент
Пензенский государственный университет архитектуры и строительства (Россия, г. Пенза)
Аннотация. В статье рассматривается проблема индивидуализированной деятельности в обучении иностранному языку. В этом аспекте рассматривается индивидуальное учебное задание на примере обсуждения личностно-ориентированных вопросов в процессе аудиторной работы будущих инженеров как решение задачи формирования коммуникативной компетенции. Авторы приходят к выводу о том, что подход с использованием методов индивидуализации оказывается эффективным способом развития коммуникативных навыков для работы в малых группах в условиях отсутствия аутентичной среды на неязыковых факультетах высших учебных заведений.
Ключевые слова: иностранный язык, индивидуальное учебное задание, индивидуализированное обучение иностранному языку.
