CC BY
7UDC 81:372.881 Submitted: 07.11.2018
LBC 81.19 Accepted: 24.11.2018
DIDACTIC SPECIFICITY OF DEVELOPING FOREIGN LANGUAGE COMPETENCE IN BUSINESS EDUCATION
Tatiana Nickolaevna Astafurova
Volgograd State University, Volgograd, Russian Federation
Abstract. The paper emphasizes distance education with its innovative technologies as a means of intensifying foreign language acquisition and presents methodological advantages of this form of learning in general and within the frame of MBA program.
Key words: distance learning, innovative technologies, MBA program.
УДК 81:372.881 Дата поступления статьи: 07.11.2018
ББК 81.19 Дата принятия статьи: 24.11.2018
ДИДАКТИЧЕСКИЕ ОСОБЕННОСТИ ФОРМИРОВАНИЯ ИНОЯЗЫЧНОЙ КОМПЕТЕНЦИИ В РАМКАХ БИЗНЕС-ОБРАЗОВАНИЯ
Татьяна Николаевна Астафурова
Волгоградский государственный университет, г. Волгоград, Российская Федерация
Аннотация. В статье акцентируется внимание на дистанционном образовании с его инновационными технологиями как средстве интенсификации овладения иностранным языком и представлены методические преимущества данной формы обучения в целом и в рамках программы МВА.
Ключевые слова: дистанционное обучение, инновационные технологии, программа МБА.
Introduction
Modern societies pose high requirements for the quality of graduates' professional training at higher educational institutions, and in this respect, teaching at universities focuses on developing individual cognitive potential of learners, increasing their ability to master new knowledge systems and developing their creative abilities. The program of Master of Business Administration (MBA program) meets the ever-increasing requirements of learners since specialists trained within this program become oo more prepared for efficient implementing financial and human resources of the company, ^ making decisions on its future and policy-making ^ in order to achieve company's objectives in § the international market.
To acquire qualification and skills of Master of Business Administration, trainees should develop © a high level of foreign language communicative
competence that will enable them to cooperate both in intra- and intercultural contexts. Institutions of higher education, specializing on teaching Business English -within the frame ofMBA program, determine the content and form of language studies (full- or part-time), the amount of classroom hours required for developing intercultural communicative competence. The course of Business English meets requirements of learners due to the preliminary analysis of their specific needs in language acquisition that helps to define types of communicative competence in English relevant for their professional performance.
Distance learning as a means of intensifying language acquisition
Competence is traditionally considered as an ability to mobilize declarative and operational knowledge, skills and personal qualities in order to solve particular problems or perform activities
that provide correct orientation in professional sphere [6]. The results of the course on Business English suggest that learners have to master their self-development, reach a high level of language competence acquisition and be capable of performing an efficient professional activity.
Teaching a Business English course can be carried out as distance learning, in the form of optional studies, the amount of which varies from 100 to150 classroom hours. To maximize monitoring of trainees' independent work within the language course teachers should actively employ innovative distance technologies based on the Internet and resources of the worldwide hyper-textual space (World Wide Web). The developed multi-faceted model of mastering intercultural communicative competence with implementing innovative computer-based informative technologies, including distance education, can help learners to realise full potential and didactic aims of MBA program.
The didactic peculiarity of acquiring Business English in the form of distance education is trainees' independent learning which constitutes 70 % of the curriculum. The content of distance language learning varies due to the initial level of trainees' language acquisition, which helps teachers to realize full potential of an individual approach to learners and work out independent educational trajectory vital for every trainee. Learners have opportunities to choose indispensable aspects of speech activity and ways of their mastering. As a result, the choice of informative, interactive or perceptive aspects of intercourse in Business English determines effectiveness of their learning process. This explains the fact why distance language learning within MBA program rests upon electronic textbooks and manuals, training sessions and tutorials, which provide synchronic cooperation of multi-faceted interaction, adding different types of tests and information (text, graphics, audition, video, animation, games) to basic functions of a teacher. To reach this aim in practice is rather a complicated task since one should manage not only learners' cognition but their perception and interaction as well.
Distance learning basically realises the informational aspect of intercourse, which being vitally important is not yet sufficient for fully-fledged education [1]. To compensate a deficit
of interaction and perception in distance language learning developers of a language course try to structure teaching material in such a way that it could promote fully-fledged active communication among trainees. Special stimulating tasks imitate situations of interpersonal communication in English, intensifying class-room exchange of speech acts. In distant learning communication occurs in three subsystems "learner-information", "learner-learner", "learner-teacher", among which the most important one is "learner-learner" since basic motivation in language training is personal self-realisation.
Methodological advantages of distance language learning
The undeniable advantage of distance language learning is its focus on intensive methods of teaching since the hyper structure of didactic material enables to develop an open system of intensive learning, which offers trainees a choice of relevant programs and learning techniques. This implies the fact that the system tends to adapt to individual opportunities of trainees making education more flexible, not adjusted to rigid curriculum and obligatory classroom events. Concurrently with the process of mastering distance technologies functions of a teacher are being minimized to practical managing language learning, but do not reduce his / her influence on the cognitive activity of trainees or oust him / her from educational process.
Language learning within the frame of the MBA program actively employs the methodology of CLIL (Content and Language Integrated Learning), which focuses on consolidating two approaches:
1. To study a foreign language through a major professional subject.
2. To study a major professional subject through a foreign language.
For this reason, integrated subject-language teaching poses on a definite balance between language and subject learning. The undeniable advantage of this methodology lies in concurrent developing language competence, mastering oral speech skills and broadening intercultural interests and knowledge.
Distance learning is particularly effective if content of language education is founded
on trainees' knowledge and experience, and a learner becomes a subject of studies, who poses himself in such learning conditions which promote his / her independent managing perception, interaction and communication for the sake of professional and social self-realization. It is this specificity of integrated subject-language learning, which becomes a basis for developing or mastering communicative competence in English (depending on the initial level of trainee's language acquisition).
Organization of distance learning in various education systems involves development of carefully thought-out methodological aspects of specific structuring info-educational environment. Speaking about linguo-didactic properties and functions of computer technologies within MBA program, it is important to keep in mind two factors. First, language training implies interaction of learners and a teacher since participation of a teacher in the learning process is mandatory and stipulated by his / her function of managing educational process. Secondly, each system of training is based on a certain didactic concept that determines selection of content, methods, means and forms of training [5].
Distance language learning within the frame of MBA program
Modern course of distance language learning within the frame of MBA program is being developed on the conceptual linguo-didactic provisions. Independent cognitive activity of a learner in natural or recreated (by computer technologies) language environment is the center of the learning process. Information-oriented society regards self-acquisition and implementation of knowledge as an imperative need of its members within the frame of life-long learning. Therefore, a more flexible system of education is needed, which enables to acquire knowledge at the place and moment convenient for a learner [1].
Acquisition of MBA program implies no less important skills of processing information in English, mastering diverse modes of cognitive performance in a target language. Self-acquisition of knowledge implies its active implementation for problem-solving in an "alien" professional sphere. In the process of distance education trainees (of any age and social status) learn to look for and find the
necessary means and sources of information, process and implement it in English.
Independent learners' activities in distance education, whether individual or group in form, imply distance technologies as well, as they stimulate learners' cognitive potential and their social activity which tend to focus on developing team spirit in solving complicated research objectives, implementing problem- and project-oriented methods as well as module teaching.
Distance education, individual in its nature, offers real opportunities to communicate with a teacher, other trainees, cooperation in research and creative work [2]. Systematic monitoring knowledge acquisition, modes of cognitive activity and skills of applying the received knowledge in problem-oriented situations is based on:
1. Effective feedback, incorporated in texts of didactic material.
2. Real opportunity of contacting a teacher.
3. Time-delayed control and assessment (tests).
Effective implementing programs of distance learning imply more thoroughly thought-out planning learners' educational activity and its organization, clearly set-up tasks and aims of training, delivery of learning material.
Key notion in business education is interaction, which provides all trainees with close group cooperation and feedback [4], which are of primary importance, since distance education within the frame of the MBA program implies further education abroad and business internships of different kind, professional contacts with peers both from English-speaking and non-English-speaking countries where English has the status of 'lingua franca", close interaction with overseas affiliates, which imposes certain requirements for the level of language proficiency of MBA trainees. Therefore motivation in learning Business English is one of the most important peculiarities of this form of education.
Any course in distance education is based on module principle to enable trainees to realize their progress while acquiring modules' linguodidactic material: curriculum, electronic manuals, readers, a system of tests. A course of Business English within the MBA program is distinguished by:
1. Developed hypertextual structure in the notional section of the course.
2. Logical and clear presentation of information (strict sequence and interdependence of parts).
3. Friendly-user system of managing structure of the course as a teacher can present any sequence of modules and in any form of speech activity (reading, writing, listening and speaking).
4. Interactivity that provides the maximum possible discourse between the learners and the teacher, feedback between trainees and teaching material, group cooperation.
5. The modular structure of the course that enables learners to realize their progress from module to module, to choose the modular succession depending on their level of language and socio-cultural knowledge [3].
Conclusion
The role of a teacher in distance learning is gradually changing. Unlike traditional learning environment where the teacher directs educational process, i.e. gives students recommendations at all stages of the curriculum and controls the quality of their knowledge, distance education delegates this function the learner. There exist two possible ways to partially compensate for absence or lack of direct / physical communication between the teacher and the trainee. The first one is to organize their communication through network technologies (e-mail, chat, video- and audioconferences), among which the most effective and close to face-to-face interaction is a video conference. The second way is a tutorial as a system of support and maintenance of educational process through tutors (teacher-consultants).
Functions of tutors in distance learning are to maintain and support learners in their professional self-determination and managing educational and cognitive activity, developing creative potential and encouraging in correct and effective use of educational and methodological material of the course, organizing group and individual consultations on methodological support of the course, monitoring the schedule of educational process and providing training and social contacts between trainees [7]. Hence, a Business English course for students of ABM
program can be effectively implemented in the framework of distance learning due to a set of innovative computer-based technologies that ensure delivery of linguo-didactic material to trainees, interactive online intercourse between trainees and their teacher, providing learners with an independent trajectory of developing intercultural communicative competence.
REFERENCES
1. Astafurova T.N., Myakisheva T.S. Obuchenie inostrannomu yazyku slushateley programmy delovogo administrirovaniya: monografiya [Foreign Language Training in the Frame of the Program of Business Administration: Monograph]. Volgograd, 2013. 190 p.
2. Derevyashko B.Yu. Sistemy distantsionnogo obucheniya v rossiyskom obrazovatelnom prostranstve [Systems of Distance Learning in Russian Educational Space]. Telekommunikatsii i informatizatsiya obrazovaniya [Telecommunications and Informatisation of Education], 2005, no. 5, pp. 52-56.
3. Khutorskoy A.V. Nauchno-prakticheskie predposylki distantsionnoy pedagogiki [Scientific-Practical Presuppositions of Distance Pedagogy]. Otkrytoe obrazovanie [Open Education], 2001, no. 2, pp. 30-35.
4. Myakisheva T.S. Metodika obucheniya magistrantov yazyku delovogo administrirovaniya: avtoref. dis. ... kand. ped. nauk [The Methods of Teaching Master Students the Language of Business Administration. Cand. ped. sci. abs. diss.]. Nizhniy Novgorod, 2007. 23 p.
5. Polat E.S. Organizatsiya distantsionnogo obucheniya inostrannomu yazyku na baze kompyuternykh telekommunikatsiy [Organization of Distance Learning of a Foreign Language on the Basis of Computer Telecommunications]. Distantsionnoe obrazovanie [Distance Education], 1998, no. 1, pp. 29-32.
6. Porshneva E.R. Mezhdistsiplinarnye osnovy bazovoy lingvisticheskoy podgotovki spetsialista-perevodchika: avtoref. dis... d-ra ped. nauk [The Interdisciplinary Fundamentals of the Basic Language Training of Translators. Dr. ped. sci. abs. diss.]. Kazan, 2004. 42 p.
7. Tikhonov A.N., Abrameshin A.E. Upravlenie sovremennym obrazovaniem. Sotsialnye i ekonomicheskie aspekty: monografiya [Management of Modern Education. Social and Economic Aspects: Monograph]. Moscow, Vita-Press, 1998. 256 p.
Information about the Author
Tatiana Nickolaevna Astafurova, Doctor of Pedagogical Sciences, Professor, Department of German and Roman Philology, Volgograd State University, Prosp. Universitetsky, 100, 400062 Volgograd, Russian Federation, pic_volsu@inbox.ru, https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1299-8109
Информация об авторе
Татьяна Николаевна Астафурова, доктор педагогических наук, профессор кафедры германской и романской филологии, Волгоградский государственный университет, просп. Университетский, 100, 400062 г. Волгоград, Российская Федерация, pic_volsu@inbox.ru, https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1299-8109
