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ЛШГВ1СТИЧНЕ ЗАБЕЗПЕЧЕННЯ ОСВГГЯНСЬКО! Д1ЯЛЬНОСТ1
Simonok Valentina,
Doctor of Philology, Full Professor,
Head of the Department of Foreign Languages № 1,
Yaroslav Mudryi National Law University,
Ukraine, Kharkiv
e-mail: [email protected]
ORCID 0000-0003-3664-9218
MODERN APPROACHES TO FOREIGN LANGUAGES TEACHING
The problem of the projects method usge and its integration into information communication technologies in foreign languages learning united with the traditional process as well as the use of the Internet and Web-technologies in increasing of foreign languages knowledge quality have been considered in the article.
Keywords: projects method; information communication technologies; Web-quest; competencies; the Internet.
Симонок В. П., доктор филологических наук, профессор, заведующая кафедры иностранных языков № 1, Национальный юридический университет имени Ярослава Мудрого, Украина, г. Харьков.
e-mail: [email protected] ; ORCID 0000-0003-3664-9218
^временные подходы в преподавании иностранных языков
В статье рассматрена проблема использования метода проектов и интеграция его с ИКТ в изучении иностранных языков в единстве с традиционным учебным процессом, а также использование Интернет и Веб-технологий в повышении качества знаний по иностранному языку.
Ключевые слова: метод проектов; Веб-квест; информационно-коммуникационные технологии; компетенции.
Problem setting. Scientific and technological revolution, caused abrupt increase of information, made demands on a foreign language proficiency and thereby determined new approaches to foreign languages teaching methods.
Traditional pedagogical technologies are no longer adequate for complete acquisition of increasing amount of knowledge as well as rapid renewal of educational materials does not keep pace with rapidly changing information flow. The importance of the problem of training of self-instruction skills and abilities to obtain educational materials independently, to process obtained information, to draw conclusions and to support them on the basis of necessary data is constantly increasing. Dealing with information in foreign languages, especially taking into account the opportunities of the Internet, is of great importance. Use of information and communication technologies (ICT) opens up enormous potential of a computer as an educational technology and enables to create marvelous world of knowledge which is accessible to everyone. ICT have a number of advantages over the conventional teaching technologies. They integrate audio-visual information of any forms (text, sound, graphic, animation, etc.). Due to this kind of the achievements, the interactive dialogue of a user with a system is realized, as well as various forms of independent activity on gaining and processing of information are used, that exercises significant influence on quality of students' knowledge.
Recent research and publications analysis has shown that the problem of the project method usage in teaching process, its integration with information and communication technologies is studied by V. Bykov, R. Hurevych, M. Zhaldak, N. Morze, S. Sysoieva, Ye. Polat, etc. In the works of Ye. Polat, M. Bukharkina, M. Moiseieva, O. Petrov, I. Trainiev, Ya. Bykhovskyi and others special emphasis is placed on the usage of project-based technology and telecommunication projects in foreign languages learning.
Paper objective is to consider the project method, its integration with ICT and the application of Web 2.0 technologies in foreign languages teaching, and influence on the formation of information and communication competence and quality of knowledge of a foreign language.
Paper main body. The advantages of modern information and communication networks and the potential of electronic forms of educational materials are being used extensively nowadays. The application of ICT in the teaching process gives an opportunity to reach qualitatively new level of foreign languages learning. However, it is necessary to differentiate between notion of "learning by ICT" and that of "computer assisted learning". In that case, the use of a computer, for example for slides presentations with the help of Power Point program, does not yet mean the use of ICT.
The transition to the use of electronic learning (E-learning) in the teaching process causes changes in the structure of the educational process.
Let's consider the E-learning definition.
E-learning (abbreviation for Electronic Learning) is a system of electronic learning and is often used as a synonym of such terms as: electronic learning, dis-
tance learning, computer assisted learning, network learning, and virtual learning, learning with the help of information or electronic technologies [Wikipedia].
There is also the definition given by UNESCO experts: E-learning is a type of learning by means of the Internet and multimedia.
Nowadays foreign languages lecturers at establishments of higher education of Ukraine have gained considerable independence to choose educational technologies. Recognizing existence of different foreign languages teaching methods, it is necessary to mention intensive introduction of technologies based on the use of ICT. The most of the high education establishments, however, do not give up the traditional teaching methods. Therefore, the reasonable balance should be found which will enable resolution of the given problem as effectively as possible under the present-day conditions, and thereby to help a teacher to take a new approach to the educational process. It is necessary "to extend "the narrow scope" of communication in the classroom relying on practical forms of activity [6]. To gain information students should move "beyond" the classroom, to manifest activity and self-dependence. In other words, in order to increase effectiveness of the teaching process it is necessary to activate student's cognitive motivation.
To resolve this problem scientists and experts refer to the project approach [5]. The essence of the project approach is that a student discloses new facts and comprehends new concepts by himself/herself instead of acquiring them from a lecturer (principle of constructivism). Hence a lecturer's role is changing: a lecturer is turning from an instructor into a competent colleague, a tutor [1, p.92].
The application of new teaching methods, for example project-based learning, enables to ensure quality of education. Thus, in the process of applying of the project approach in the education process, complex interaction of all elements of the given process, namely conceptual, illustrative, training, control, etc., takes place. Use of elements of play, e.g. "quests", will facilitate better understanding and acqisition of educational material.
Quest is understood as a computer game where a player using his/her own knowledge and experience, as well as communicating with people participating in the quest, is supposed to achieve the stated aim [4, p.48].
When specially equipped (computer) classrooms are available, the project approach blends in quite naturally with teaching process and at the same time does not affect the syllabus. It enables to achieve expected learning aims and to reveal potential of every student in the most effective way. Taking into account the peculiarities of "a foreign language" as a subject, such technology may provide necessary conditions to activate cognitive and speech activity of each student giving him/her the opportunity to realize and comprehend new language material, to acquire sufficient practical skills to train necessary abilities. Independent studies of students directed and corrected by a lecturer take on a special significance for foreign languages learning. It contributes to training skills which in its turn demands systematic, continuous everyday work.
In comparison with the conventional teaching technologies, this technology of training has the following significant advantages:
- develops creative competence as an indicator of a certain level of a foreign language communicative proficiency;
- enables to train various aspects of communication and connect them in different combinations;
- helps to become aware of speech features and skills;
- helps to form linguistic abilities;
- creates communicative situations;
- facilitates automation of speech acts;
- facilitates the implementation of individual approach;
- intensifies students' independent study;
- enables to save time;
To organize educational process with the use of ICT effectively, the teacher should prepare the presentation in advance, provide the list of web sites and other sources, which can contribute to solving of the raised problem, and also choose the questions or formulate the problem. The essential requirement is to raise such issues which must be obligatory resolved and complex. The more exact and specific the wording of the task will be, the better result will be achieved. It is also important to discuss the final presentation, the result of work (design, type, placement on the site and so on.).
The quality of the task performance depends largely on how well-organized the class with the use of ICT is in the view of methods. The results of the activity can be checked by means of current control using ICT with the help of testing systems. Thus, the use of ICT and game technologies and the Internet opens the possibilities of "Web - quest" project technologies application.
Web-Quest (Webquest) in pedagogy is a problem task with elements of role-play, and to perform it one should use the Internet resources [4, p. 26].
Web-quests are organized means of Web-technologies in the environment of the WWW. According to their organization they are quite complex: they aim to develop students' analytical skills and creative thinking; a teacher must possess a high level of subject, methodical and information and communicative competence [4, p. 26].
Thus, Web-quest combines the ideas of the project method and game technologies in the environment of the WWW by means of Web-technologies.
The development of the Internet has contributed to active usage of Web- technologies in educational process, particularly Web 2.0 technologies.
Web 2.0 is a platform of social services and agencies that allows a wide range of Internet users not only to receive information, but to be its creators and coauthors [6, p. 3-10]. All materials used by students are drawn from the Internet. Web-projects involve rational planning of time, and most importantly allow students to focus not on searching of information but on its use. The way of dealing with such types of social services is based on the principle of con-
structivism, where it is important not to reproduce objective encyclopedic reality, but to form individual understanding of the problem.
Let's single out the types of Web 2.0 technologies usage which are employed to train communicative abilities and skills in the process of foreign languages learning: Web-quest; Blog; Viki.
1. The student chooses one of the proposed roles. Having chosen a specific "role", the student goes to one of the dossiers available at the sites of Web-quest.
2. The student analyzes how his/her role is conformed to the tasks of the other team members. As a result of passing of these stages the elements of information and communicative competence of students are formed: choice of the social role, obtaining skills of work in the group.
3. Then, students examine the proposed resources and library resources of the educational establishment (books, magazines, encyclopedias). While performing this task they analyze information resources, select the necessary information, and search for extra information.
4. To prepare the report the description of artifacts, which, in the opinion of students, characterize the studied subject, is composed. The source of each artifact (paper manual, electronic publication, Internet address), is indicated, and an explanation of its necessity for researching of the given topic is provided. Due to this activity the student gets experience in information storage, structuring information resources.
5. After the completion of the process of searching the student submits a report on the chosen topic.
6. Web-quest involves collaboration, and so then students discuss, argue, and plan a teamwork as a whole. Here, each of them being an expert in his/her field, wants to find the best solutions of their tasks. Then students choose the form of the submission of the general report and may divide roles for further work: developing of the site model or presentation, design creation, etc.
7. This process is terminated with the group presentation (defence work).
Let's characterize practical significance of using of the proposed technology
Web-quest:
- training and display of communicative competence;
- possibility to evaluate the level of competence formation. The objects of evaluation are the results of the students' activity, presentation of the final product.
Using of Web-quest technology in foreign languages learning has the following advantages:
- ensures autonomy and independence of students;
- facilitates independent decision-making and enables to realize an individual approach;
- develops critical thinking, trains cognitive skills;
- makes systematic use of Internet resources as well as multimedia and conventional methods of teaching in class sensible and justified;
- motivates learning of new language material;
- enables to use a great amount of authentic information which is of current importance;
- organizes the work on the problem in the form of purposeful research, intended for any period of studying (from some minutes to some weeks).
Le's consider the usage of Blog technology.
"Blog" is the public diary with comments [3, p. 20].
The ordinary diary is not shown to a lot of people. Blog is opened for reading by all interested persons and, moreover, the readers can make their comments to the notes.
Blog advantages:
- clear structure of the course with instructions for seminars, descriptions of tasks;
- frequently update content;
- simplicity of using: possibility to add any objects without restrictions (video, illustrations, etc.);
- possibility to develop the writing skills and publish your own thoughts in the Internet;
- possibility to continue the discussion started in class;
- fulfilling of creative tasks with using of pictures, audio and video materials;
- possibility to communicate both with group mates and with teachers;
- possibility for each student to take part in the discussion, "which is not always possible in the case of conventional organization of teaching process because of the lack of time and amount of hours during the course of study" [2, p. 120-122].
The next technology which is used in the process of teaching foreign languages is Viki - a kind of public service allowing one or more persons to create content. It is, so to speak, a public page. The created information can be added, changed, deleted both by authors and by guests of this page [6, p. 3-10].
The advantages of "Viki":
- possibility to change the site without using additional software;
- participation of several authors with different points of view;
- presentation of the materials based on hyperlinks, which enables visualization and correlation between pages;
- possibility to change and correct the material immediately;
- possibility to compare the material before and after correction, and also return to previous publication version [6, p.3-10].
The application of these technologies allows the possibility both for individual and group work (for example, Viki is more applied in groups), i.e. co-education.
Let's determine the advantages of co-education.
As the practice shows, joint resolution of the posed problem is not only easier and more interesting but also more effective. It is important to note that this efficiency concerns not only academic success (intellectual development) of the students but their moral education as well. The main idea of co-education is to help each other in solving problems and then share the joy of success.
Let's examine the example of one of the co-education methods, which is based on the usage of Web 2.0 technology, namely on the application of "Viki".
The group of students should be divided into small groups (in 3-4 persons) beforehand. The whole group is given the same common task. It is necessary to discuss the role of each subgroup in the realization of the common task. For example, the common task is "The European Union countries". The first group is supposed to correct the proposed document according to the links. The second group is going to search (in the given links) for the missing information, from their point of view. And the third group, for example, just scans the offered document. The result of such work may be the common discussion. The responsibility for the work can be either shared between all participants of the subgroups or the student appointed by the group can be made responsible for the result. It may be the best student or on the contrary the weakest one. All depends on the characteristics of the composed summary. The students are in the situation when the success or fault of one student influence the result of the whole group. The mark for the common task performance should be given (preferably) to the whole group. As a result the situation is created where each participant of the subgroup is responsible not only for the result of his own work (which often makes him indifferent) but, which is very important, for the result of the whole group. It should be mentioned that all three tasks are of various level of complicity (it depends on the training level of the students), but every student of the group takes equal part in common work. While fulfilling the task, the lecturer can consult students and give recommendations as to the current task performance. And, finally, the control and evaluation of the process and results is one of the important and crucial parts of this work. The students should be informed about the criteria of control and evaluation of the results in advance.
The use of this technology in foreign languages teaching practice facilitates:
- quick search of necessary information in the Internet;
- development of computer skills;
- development of thinking during the process of analyzing, generalization and evaluation of information;
- skills of summarizing, drawing conclusions and making own decisions;
- extension of the students' vocabulary;
- motivation for self-education;
- achievement of the new quality of communication competence of the students.
At the same time while learning foreign languages on the bases of Web 2.0 the
following skills are trained:
- listening: with the help of Podcast, YouTube;
- speaking: Podcast, YouTube, Flickr;
- reading: Blogger, Wiki, Bookmarks;
- writing: Blogger, Wiki, Bookmarks.
Podcast (abb. iPod + broadcast). Podcast is a public service, on which video, audio and photo materials can be added or down loaded.
Youtube is a social service of video segments recording. For example, a necessary video segment can be found through the use of a key word.
Flickr is a social service of photos (illustrations) of certain topics.
Bookmarks is a social service containing references of informational sources of certain topics.
Consequently, the students who study with computer technologies application have a possibility to make electronic records of materials in a current class-room environment. It is made with the help of any recording device aiming to obtain additional possibility to study educational material in class. The students' computer literacy is a necessary condition.
A student must be able to work with certain programmes as well as in the Internet, and possess the skills of using various devices. Such skills can be partially obtained while the studying process that won't influence a student's learning performance.
With this aim, the courses for computer skills training are being established in educational institutions.
It's useful to remark that because of this educational technology tiredness of students and their eye-sight loading can increase. That is why it is necessary to be careful in preparing the deductive means taking into consideration sanitary requirements, and the proposed educational material must be rationally measured. Application of ICT in class should be not the way of introducing educational material but only the supplementary means for educational process carrying out. ICT performs the best result in the process of integration of unconventional and innovative educational technologies. That is to say the Internet does not alter conventional forms and educational methodologies but allows achieving educational goals and tasks faster and more effectively.
Moreover, the Internet enhances students' educational interest, promotes the growth of their cognitive activity which helps their obtaining and learning more information, and facilitates training such skills as reading, speaking, listening comprehension and so on.
Conclusions of the research. While using modern educational project technologies, the most essential points are the following: availability of the required facilities with the corresponding access to the Internet, as well as training of the teaching staff who master ICT which demands relevant knowledge of how these technologies and methods can be applied in foreign languages studying.
Consequently, it is necessary to consider the fact that in such classes a teacher bears great responsibility because he is not only a subject consulter but also an organizer of independent educational and cognitive, communicative and creative students' activity. A teacher obtains opportunities for educational process perfection, students' communicative competence promotion and integral development of their personalities.
Список лггератури:
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Смонок В. П., доктор фшолопчних наук, професор, заввдувач кафедри шоземних мов № 1, Нацюнальний юридичний утверситет iменi Ярослава Мудрого.
e-mail: [email protected] ; ORCID 0000-0003-3664-9218
Сучасш пщходи у викладашй шоземних мов
У cmammi розглянуто проблему використання методу проект1в та ттеграца його з 1КТ у вивчент тоземних мов, у поеднанн з традицшним процесом, а також використання 1нтернет та Веб-технологш у тдвищенш якостi знань з тоземних мов.
Ключовi слова: метод проекпв; шформацшно-комушкацшт технологи; Веб-квест; компетенци; 1нтернет.
Надшшла до редколегй 25.02.2016 р.
