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54THEORY AND METHODOLOGY OF TEACHING FOREIGN LANGUAGES
UDC 378
DOI: 10.17223/24109266/10/7
MODERN TRENDS IN PROFESSIONALLY-ORIENTED AND INTEGRATED FOREIGN LANGUAGE TEACHING IN RUSSIAN AND EUROPEAN SYSTEM OF HIGHER EDUCATION
L.P. Khalyapina
Abstract. The article is devoted to the review of the main directions of modern researches on a problem of teaching foreign languages at the higher school - professionally-oriented, developed in domestic science and education, and integrated, popular in the European system. The author analyzes similarities and distinctions of this directions and draws a conclusion about expediency of the independent choice in each concrete higher education institution. The article tries to answer the question why the ideas of content and language integrated learning (CLIL), which in European scientific and educational spheres are well-known and are actively used, do not find wide application in the system of Russian education. In order to do this the author's suggestion is to have a look at the scientific background of professionally-oriented approach in teaching foreign languages in Russian Psychology, Linguistics and Methodology.
Key words: content and language integrated learning; professionally-oriented teaching of foreign languages; bilingual training.
Introduction
Today society feels urgent need for the experts knowing one or several foreign languages both within daily communication and in the professional sphere in view of rapid process of globalization and informatization of society. Actively developing in the European countries the theory of content and language integrated learning (CLIL) and only starting its movement the process of integration of professional disciplines and foreign languages in Russian higher education is considered as a necessary condition of training of future professionals capable to become members of the international scientific and business community.
At the same time in the modern Russian linguodidactic theory and practice this question is considered to be debatable: is it really necessary to change an educational paradigm from just professionally-oriented to integrated or not? Nowadays in the Russian pedagogical science there are both: supporters and opponents of unconditional copying of foreign experience.
To understand this situation and to answer the question, we consider that it would be useful to analyze the basic conceptual ideas and the principles of the professionally oriented and integrated approaches to teaching foreign languages in higher education institution.
The main objectives of our research were following: 1) to analyse the main theoretical ideas and their backgrounds in Russian professional oriented approach; 2) to analyse the main theoretical ideas of European CLIL approach; 3) to consider similarities and distinctions of these two approaches so that to answer the question whether it is really necessary to CLIL in our Russian system of higher education.
Methodology, results
To answer a question what are the fundamental differences of these two approaches we will address, first of all, the retrospective analysis of the first of them.
The beginning in development of the theory of professionally oriented foreign languages teaching in the system of Russian pedagogical science belongs to the 50th years of the 20th century. During this period elements of profile teaching in foreign languages in higher education institution appear (Z.M. Tsvetkova, L.I. Chaurskaya). Much attention during this period was paid to development of skills of reading literature in the specialty and skills of oral speech on the basis of the specialized texts increasing interest in studying of FL and broadening horizons of students on their future specialty.
However, in general the concept "professionally-oriented foreign language teching" which, for example, was given in researches of previous years [1, 2], was used for defining the process of teaching FL in non-language higher education institution focused on reading literature in the specialty, studying of professional lexicon and terminology.
With development of the theory of communicative teaching this direction begins to change towards formation of the active and creative person of future expert capable to successfully apply linguistic knowledge in professional activity, and assuming acquisition of the special knowledge and skills contributing to its professional development in various fields of science and production [3].
For the next years the theory of professionally-oriented teaching of foreign languages actively developed in the direction of consideration of the professional focused reading as a component of professional activity. So, for example, T.S. Serova who is a founder, the developer and the founder of scientific school of the whole direction in Lingvodidactics devoted to the theory and a technique of professionally oriented teaching reading at the higher school considered "the professional focused reading in native and foreign languages at the higher school as the main means of receiving, deep-
ening and improvement of professional knowledge by students" [4: 190]. Later on this approach became a wide one integrating methodological ideas of teaching all language aspects as well as all language skills (reading, speaking, writing, listening) in the system of professional higher education.
It should be noted that this approach has a very deep fundamental bases which are created on achievements of great Russian psychologists, linguists and methodologists. So, for example, among the prime basic principles of the professional focused teaching communicativeness and problematical character are defined [4: 122]. In this case the principle of communicativeness is developed taking into account the theory of development of cogitative activity in a situation of repeated communication of L.S. Vygotsky [5] and the theory of development of the personality in the conditions of speech activity (A.N. Leontyev). The conditions of collective communication (scientific, professional, educational) created during educational process provide formation of social, professional, administrative abilities and competences of future experts. Communication, from the point of view of T.S. Serova, in this case happens through the solution of specific problems and communicative and informative tasks providing the high level of motivation when training.
The theory of the developmental education described in the Russian science by V.V. Davydov, and the theory of problem training developed by M.I. Makhmutov, also belong to the category of basic ones in the professional focused teaching. The well-known problem of developmental education focused on development of knowledge, thinking and consciousness of the student, and on development of his personality [6] is implemented through such forms of collective communication as discussion, adoption of the group decision, a polylogue on the general subject, a scientific seminar, protection of the project and so forth [4: 125]. At the same time, it is quite obvious that the realization of personal activity approach with application of communicative and informative tasks and development of semantic communications in all types of speech is achieved [7].
Subject contents [7] and context approach [8] which also belong to the category of concepts and the principles of training in the professional focused reading carry out an important role in selection of substantial aspect of the texts bearing essential role for acquiring of new scientific and technical knowledge by students. The process of obtaining and usage of this type of knowledge will influence the successful development of this or that branch of industry [4: 13]. From the point of view of the contextual learning theory this type of learning is defined as a form of active learning intended for application at the higher school and focused on professional training of students. Training according to this theory has to be implemented by means of systematic use of a professional context, gradual saturation of educational process by elements of professional activity. In the relation to the professional focused training in foreign language reading at the same time the im-
portance of contextual approach to the training of lexical, grammatical, phonetic skills is also of big importance. In other words, the paramount place in this system of teaching has to be focused on the content of the text, and the secondary place - on a language form.
One more important principle in the theory of professionally-oriented foreign language lies in the sphere of teaching business (professional) cross-cultural communication which will allow the university graduate to carry out successfully business communication with representatives of different countries and cultures in the sphere of concrete professional activity [4: 163].
Thus, the theory of the professionally-oriented foreign language teaching is gradually transformed, integrating in its conceptual sphere everything connected with new ideas and approaches in the scientific field of teaching foreign languages in the higher educational institution in accordance with the changing requirements of society.
Recently there are works (A.A. Rybkina, D.I. Matukhin, etc.) expanding the concept "the professionally-oriented teaching", considering this category not only as professional orientation of maintenance of training materials, but also professional orientation of the activity including the receptions and operations forming professional abilities that assumes consideration of a foreign language not only as object of assimilation, but also as professionally important discipline, possessing means of formation of professional abilities [9: 6]. As one of the extenders of the range of professionally focused orientation of teaching the integration of discipline "Foreign language" with professional subjects is offered [10: 124].
In other words, the professional focused training sets a task of active introduction of cross-disciplinary communications in the system of the higher education and on the basis of these communications to use a foreign language as means of formation of professional knowledge, skills [11: 39].
At the next level of our research we studied the theory of integrated content and language learning (CLIL) so that to compare the principles and concepts of these two approaches in foreign language training in higher education institutions.
First of all, it is necessary to mention that this approach initially developed for the system of secondary education nowadays is successfully applied in the system of the higher education (ICLHE - Integration of Content and Language in Higher Education). Theoretical bases of the content and language integrated teaching are developed by group of such European scientists as: David Marsh, Do Coyle, Oliver Meyer, Teresa Ting, Victor Pavon, Philip Hook, etc. For the first time the concept "Content and Language Integrated Learning" was presented in 1994 by David Marsh. According to the author, this approach means "the content and language integrated teaching" which belongs to any educational context focused on two objects, i.e. process which is focused as on mastering a subject (content), and lan-
guage (language) [12: 1]. According to definition, this type of teaching characterizes educational situations when disciplines or their sections are conducted in a foreign language, realizing bilateral orientation: studying of discipline and studying of language.
The main ideas of this concept are: 1) the cognitive focused training aimed at the development of cognitive abilities of the identity of the student; 2) acquisition of a foreign language, simultaneous with professional discipline; 3) conscious development of professional and significant information by means of a foreign language.
The leading principle on the basis of which the system of the content and language integrated training is built on the principle of 4 "C": content, communication, cognition, culture (substantial, communicative, cognitive and cultural components). According to Do Coyle within this methodical approach a substantial component - content - is its backbone [13]. It defines a subject of development, the purpose, a task and subject, that is set of theoretical knowledge and skills which allow to realize right professional opinions, statements within the studied circle of problems. Communication process, according to the author, defines the special status of a foreign language. A foreign language within the integrated teaching is expressed as a triad -language as the instrument of knowledge (language of learning), language as the communication medium (language for learning), language as a subject of studying (language through learning) [12: 36]. At the same time language teaching of students is guided by "gain" of a lexical and grammatical component. According to Oliver Meyer and Theresa Ting cognitive component means creation of the effective teaching environment thanks to which the students development of cognitive abilities is stimulated. Development of skills of critical thinking comes in the direction from cogitative skills of the lowest order (knowledge, understanding) to skills of the highest order - the analysis, synthesis, assessment [14, 15].
Thus, if to speak about similarities of the considered approaches -professionally-oriented and integrated, then there is a lot of them and they are obviously seen through the levels of their principles. Actually all that four "C" in the integrated training (context, communication, cognition, culture) have the compliances in professionally-oriented: a context orientation, communicativeness, the problematical character based on the theory of the developmental education and orientation to cross-cultural communication.
As for distinctions of the considered approaches, they are obvious and are as follows: 1) differences in goal-setting: in the professionally-oriented teaching it is concentrated on teaching a foreign language in the conditions of contextual training, i.e. on the basis of the professional focused contents; in the integrated training - the purpose - simultaneous mastering a subject/content and a foreign language; 2) differences in the nature of interaction of teachers of professional disciplines and foreign language: in the first
case they are mediated, probabilistic, but not obligatory; in spite of the fact that cross-disciplinary approach throughout the last time is developed and is included into educational process, it did not become widely spread and mass yet; in the second - it has basic character and is an integral part of educational process; 3) in the organization of educational process - in the first case training is conducted from language to the text (a priority - formation of language and speech competence; semantic interpretation, understanding, discussion - on the second place), in the second approach - from the text to language (a priority - understanding at the level of concepts of the main contents of the text, its conceptual communications, cause and effect links, means of expression of these concepts and communications; language means - on the second place).
Conclusion
The general conclusion which can be made by the results of the conducted research consists in the following: the professionally oriented teaching in foreign languages developed and applied in the Russian system of higher education has independent, deeply and thoroughly developed fundamental foundation which is based on achievements of domestic psychology, pedagogics, linguistics, In modern conditions this approach continues to develop according to requirements of educational policy and economic community, gradually including such current trends as cross-disciplinary coordination and integration of teaching foreign languages and professional disciplines. However, this process is carried out according to rates of development of language education in the country in general and also with the level of those needs which arise in each concrete higher education institution. Considering that, the conceptual basis of the professionally-oriented and integrated teaching in many aspects coincides, there is no need to borrow a CLIL approach and to use it in every Russian higher education institutions. Each higher education institution has to make an independent and thoughtful choice in this direction.
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Information about the author:
Khalyapina L.P. - Doctor of Pedagogy, Professor at Higher School of Engineering Pedagogics, Psychology and Applied Linguistics, Peter the Great Saint-Petersburg Polytechnic University (Saint-Petersburg, Russia). E-mail: [email protected]
Resived 12.12.2017
