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INTEGRATION OF CLIL APPROACH INTO BA STUDENTS' SPEAKING SKILLS DEVELOPMENT
N.M. Belenkova, O.N. Zhivajkina
The Department of the Foreign Languages Faculty of Law Peoples' Friendship University of Russia
6, Miklukho-Maklaya st., Moscow, Russia, 117198
The paper aims to show general issues of content and language integrated learning (CLIL) approach in teaching BA students at non-linguistic higher educational institutions. Some issues of professional communication in the domain of law are considered. The correlation of students' language and vocational skills development is examined. The experience of teaching students at the Faculty of Law is focused on.
Key words: content and language integrated learning (CLIL), vocational training, speaking skills, speaking activity, levels of foreign language acquisition, communicative competence.
Content and language integrated learning (CLIL) approach is widely used in teaching practice at non-linguistic higher educational institutions and is much supported by the European Commission. This approach is focused on studying the main subjects in a foreign language learnt by the students. Consequently learning a foreign language in a non-linguistic higher educational institution implies a real-life setting which includes the situations closely connected with the students' professional interests [5].
Federal state educational standards of higher education points out that BA graduates must have a number of generic and professional competences, and as far as a foreign language is concerned they must have sufficient skills to communicate in a professional domain in a foreign language [9]. This communication can occur both orally and in a written form and naturally all the skills should be developed systematically and regularly.
Professional communication as a process of interpersonal relations is exercised as the following communicative needs of a specialist:
- realization of a collective professional activity;
- exchange of data, information, and research views;
- development of common strategy of interaction in the professional field etc.
All issues mentioned above are essential both for an individual and for a group
of specialists united on the basis of their profession. Professional communication is realized in professional setting due to the communicative function of the language.
Educators and researchers emphasize that the goal of a foreign language teaching in non-linguistic faculties and universities is to develop communicative skills that will assist graduates to realize professional contacts in a foreign language in different situations both in Russian and in English.
Besides learning English in the frames of CLIL this approach helps students to develop the specific way of thinking and to be ready to perform their professional duties and responsibilities.
Professional duties and responsibilities of our students can include examination and compiling some law papers, public speaking and arguments in competent authorities both in Russian and in a foreign language. A lawyer deals with different legislation, interprets and clarifies laws, explains somebody's rights and duties, proves his point of view, debates with his opponents. Moreover graduates of a higher educational institution in the domain of law should always work in accordance with law; be aware of legislation, its regulations and statutes; run, control and assess his/her professional activity and its outcomes, realize the importance of regular professional self-development; be ready to get new information; respect moral and cultural values as well as opinions of other people; be hardworking and responsible; reserved and decisive [2].
In the course of professional communication and translation training students try to develop everything mentioned above in course of foreign language sessions and consequently improve not only foreign language skills but special skills as well.
The experience of Foreign Languages Department of the Faculty of Law Peoples' Friendship University of Russia (PFUR) shows that BA students succeed in participating in international conferences and moots, submitting research papers in English, interpreting traineeships etc. To reach the goal of each activity mentioned above students should take into account the adequate vocabulary items and grammar structures. Speaking about special component of the activity the emphasis is made on the transfer of theoretical special knowledge into the area of the practical solution of a task, and afterwards the transfer of the skills developed from one situation into another; and afterward further transfer of data from the particular situation into a general pattern. Here the correlation of the special subject from the core curriculum of the learners and their personal experience occurs.
Analyzing the close connection of language and special vocational training in the frames of CLIL in a non-linguistic higher educational institution we agree with the statement that the quality of language education depends on the quality of vocational education [8]. The opposite contention can also be considered as valid and essential, inter alia the quality of vocational education depends on the quality of language education. Consequently to enhance special competences of lawyers-to-be language skills and communicative competences of the students should be constantly cultivated. For this purpose definite tasks and assignments developing both foreign language skills and special vocational skills should be designed and realized in teaching practice.
The issue of CLIL and foreign language teaching integration is immense; it can be examined from various points of view in teaching listening, speaking, reading, writing etc. This paper shows some aspects of BA students' teaching speaking skills. Discussing some issues of different laws and legislations in a foreign language lawyers-to-be improve their knowledge, skills and know-how of their profession. 'They also develop their foreign language speaking skills.
CLIL approach can be integrated into teaching practice from the very beginning of vocational training at University. We suppose that this integration can be successful if the students' language acquisition level is B-1or higher according to the Common European References. At this level learners «can understand the main points of clear standard input on familiar matters regularly encountered in work... etc..., can
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produce simple connected text on topics which are familiar or of personal interest. Can describe experiences and events ... and briefly give reasons and explanations for opinions and plans» [6. P. 24].
Though the first year students do not have sufficient vocational knowledge and skills but we can suppose that their interest in their profession will help to cope with this problem. Communicative and problem solving tasks, project making activity will enhance learners' foreign language speaking skills and their lawyer-to-be enthusiasm. The theoretical background of the communicative task application into teaching practice and the examples of such assignments are provided by A. Atabekova and N. Belenkova [1].
The second and third year students have deeper knowledge in the domain of law it gives greater opportunity to realize the CLIL approach into practice and develop the pertinent speaking skills of the students.
Foreign educators and researchers in teaching English as a foreign language pay much attention to the ways of how to improve students' speaking skills. First of all learners should know an appropriate number of vocabulary items, grammar patterns and some expressive means (e.g. speed of the utterance) to support the debate and participate in a discussion. It is especially crucial for lawyers-to-be to know and to use certain phrases to clarify something, to highlight the key point of their discourse, to show the structure of their thoughts. They should be able to reformulate and to restructure their wording in order to be understood better. For this purpose such expressions might be used: the important thing to grasp is that.; to begin with/and finally.; what I am trying to say is that...; what I mean is.; the point I am trying to make is that.; to put it another way [10]. Students should know these expressions and must be taught how to use them in professional setting.
Success in speakers' productivity also depends on their foreign language processing skills i.e. speakers must transform the information in their heads and put it in a comprehensible form from the point of view of the language and the meaning. Language processing involves word and phrase extraction from the speaker's memory and then the word and phrase assembly into the correct sequences. Foreign language processing skills development is a matter of foreign language teaching and the corresponding speaking activities should be included into the practice of foreign language teaching. Rapid language processing also depends on the fact whether the students are aware of the information they are speaking about.
Effective speaking implies effective listening and interacting with other participants. Skillful speakers should be conscious and take into account other opponents' feelings, their linguistic skills and professional awareness of the subject. They should realize how to take turns, allow others to do so and convey the meaning of the utterance even if some misunderstanding occurs. Communication can be considered as effective if the information sent is processed at the moment of its reception. Information processing depends mostly on the speakers' special knowledge of the topic discussed. Consequently language and special content teaching and learning are integrated in practice [10].
The main conclusion to be drawn is the CLIL approach is very effective in teaching foreign languages and developing professional skills of the students at a non-linguistic higher educational institutions. This approach diversifies teaching tools and forms of classroom teaching and learning and consequently increases learners' moti-
vation. The integration of foreign language teaching and professional skills development should be further investigated and widely used in teaching practice.
REFERENCES
[1] Atabekova A.A., Belenkova N.M. Adaptatsiya studentov k mul'tikul'turnoy obrazovatel'noy srede VUZa. — Saarbrücken, Deutschland, Lambert Academic Publishing, 2013.
[2] Belenkova N E-learning and Teaching English as a Foreign Language at University // Journal of International Scientific Publications: Educational Alternatives 2012 Vol. 10, part 2 pp. 42-49. URL: http://www.scientific-publications.net/download/educational-alternatives-2012-2.pdf.
[3] Bowler B., Parminter S. Mixed-level teaching: Tiered tasks and bias tasks // J. C. Richards & W. A. Renandya (Eds.), Methodology in language teaching: An anthology of current practice. Cambridge, 2002.
[4] Brown H.D. Principles of English Learning and Teaching 4-th edn. — N.Y., 2000.
[5] Commission оf The European Communities Promoting Language Learning and Linguistic Diversity: An Action Plan 2004-2006. — Brussel, 2003.
[6] Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, teaching, assessment. — Cambridge, 2004.
[7] Crystal D. Emerging Englishes //English Teaching Professional. — 2000 — № 14. — P. 3-6.
[8] Druzhinina M. V. Ponyatiye i printsipy formirovaniya yazykovoy obrazovatel'noy politiki universiteta // Izvestiya RGPU im. A.I. Gertsena. — 2008. — № 52. — S. 60-70.
[9] Federal'nyy gosudarstvennyy obrazovatel'nyy standart vysshego professional'nogo obra-zovaniya po napravleniyu podgotovki 030900 yurisprudentsiya (kvalifikatsiya (stepen') «bakalavr»). (v red. Prikaza Minobrnauki RF ot 31.05.2011 № 1975). URL: http://www.edu.ru/db-mon/mo/Data/d_10/prm464-1.pdf.
[10] Harmer J. The Practice of English Language. 3rd Edition. — London, 2001.
[11] Shmatko N.YU. Metodika obucheniya govoreniyu v usloviyakh kreditno — modul'noy sistemy (angliyskiy yazyk , nachal'nyy etap): Avtoref. diss. ... kand. pedagog. nauk. — M., 2012.
РАЗВИТИЕ УМЕНИЙ В ОБЛАСТИ ГОВОРЕНИЯ У СТУДЕНТОВ-БАКАЛАВРОВ ПРИ ИНТЕГРИРОВАННОМ ЛИНГВО-ПРЕДМЕТНОМ ОБУЧЕНИИ
Н.М. Беленкова, О.Н. Живайкина
Кафедра иностранных языков юридического факультета Российский университет дружбы народов
ул. Миклухо-Маклая, 6, Москва, Россия, 117198
В статье представлены общие положения интегрированного лингво-предметного обучения студентов бакалавров в нелингвистическом высшем учебном заведении. Исследуется взаимосвязь развития иноязычных и профессиональных умений студентов бакалавров. Рассматриваются некоторые вопросы профессиональной коммуникации в области права. Приводятся примеры из практики обучения студентов бакалавров иностранным языкам на юридическом факультете.
Ключевые слова: интегрированное лингво-предметное обучение, профессиональное образование; умения в области устной речи; задания, направленные на развитие умений устной речи; уровни владения иностранным языком; коммуникативная компетенция.
