CC BY
15Copyright © 2022 by Cherkas Global University
* * * Published in the USA
Issued since 2005 E-ISSN 2500-106X 2022. 7(2): 560-571
International Journal of Media and Information Literacy
lair (national Journal of Mnlli und Information Literacy
DOI: 10.13187/ijmil.2022.2.560 https://ijmil.cherkasgu.press
Practical Application of the Audio Component of Media Education in Order to Socialise the Students as an Individuals in the Postmodern World
Yaroslav Slutskyi a , *, Oksana Osetrova b, Iurii Shcherbiak c, Ian Kurinnyi d
a RheinMain University of Applied Sciences, Wiesbaden, Germany b Oles Honchar Dnipro National University, Dnipro, Ukraine c West Ukrainian National University, Ukraine d SHEI "Donbas State Pedagogical University", Dnipro, Ukraine
The socialisation of (foreign) students is an important component of the social work of a higher education institution. The postmodern world requires the individual to be competitive in academia as well as socially and economically, which requires appropriate training. Such training can be achieved through linguistic and counselling activities that will enable the individual to perform effective interactions in academic and social spaces. To conduct a comprehensive study, we used a set of methods, including analysis (helping to divide the processes of socialisation and media education into areas and components), synthesis (allowing to combine the elements under consideration into a single system), axiomatic method (aimed at designating certain parameters of the study), deduction (conducting research from a general system to specific elements), induction (studying the element application algorithm to form a single system), abstraction (specifying the directions and components of the study in accordance with a given goal), comparison (facilitating the consideration of the components of media education in the context of general socialisation and linguistic training). Thus, the purpose of this article is to analyse the use of the audio component of media education in the socialisation of the student as an individual in the postmodern world. We have come to the conclusion that the audio component of media education is used by higher education institutions as an auxiliary tool for linguistic training (building skills for the use of rhythm, intonation, grammar features during interpersonal interactions as part of individual activities or work in specialised language laboratories; using audio lectures, which is relevant for foreign students who find it difficult to perceive colloquial academic speech) and counselling (counselling activities in specialised psychological recovery laboratories; the use of musical tracks to restore emotional and behavioural balance) of the individual.
Keywords: interpersonal interaction, linguistic skills, audio class, academic space, non-academic environment, culture shock, audio training, playlist, meditation track, "regular"/foreign student.
1. Introduction
Nowadays, the globalisation processes require building necessary competencies in students that will allow them to effectively interact in our postmodern society. Considering that being active in modern society requires constant personal development, this is rather consistent with the definition of "postmodernism as a movement" (Anderson, 2011: 35). Thus, a foreign student as an individual must consistently develop their theoretical knowledge through practice, which will
Abstract
* Corresponding author
E-mail addresses: frans.sayogie@uinjkt.ac.id (F. Sayogie)
testify to their 'movement' in the postmodern meaning. Given that postmodernism implies the development of individual freedoms or, in other words, democratisation (including the demoralisation of the educational process), it is important to understand how a student can currently learn the theory of and practice their socialisation skills.
It is important to understand that the process of socialisation is necessary for several categories of students, including "regular"/foreign students; individuals who have psychological problems associated with difficulties in communication and interpersonal interaction, etc. Accordingly, such groups of students require certain support from educators, other students, as well as representatives of specialised counselling centres, who should provide theoretical and practical training for individuals with socialisation-related problems, which will allow them to be integrated into social and academic spaces. Ultimately, we can talk about the so-called "adaptive or integrative socialisation, which leads to the adoption of the characteristics or personal abilities that will facilitate integration" (Crisogen, 2015: 333). In other words, adaptive socialisation requires developing certain personal qualities (competencies) that will allow the student to function in society (including academic space). First and foremost, these qualities are "fundamental social aspects" (Duff, 2019: 7), including, inter alia, "social ... and linguistic" (Duff, 2019: 7). Thus, adaptation measures should include activities and technical means that contribute to the priority development of social and linguistic interaction skills.
This kind of development can be achieved through the practical application of various types of media, having, inter alia, video, audio or text components. This study will analyse audio tools, the use of which can provide the following:
1. Understanding and acceptance of social and cultural features that affect the student as an individual when their intercultural competence is insufficient.
2. Development of language skills that enable effective communication with representatives of other social and cultural groups.
Ultimately, we will consider two groups of students: foreign students (who have linguistic problems) and "regular" students affected by social and cultural as well as psychological influences. As examples of the practical application of audio tools to solve socialisation problems, we have chosen Northeastern University (Boston, Massachusetts, USA); Cornell University (Ithaca, New York, USA); University of Michigan (Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA); Vanderbilt University (Nashville, Tennessee, USA); University of Nevada, Reno (Reno, Nevada, USA); Boston College (Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, USA); and SHEI "Donbas State Pedagogical University" (Sloviansk, Donetsk region, Ukraine).
Thus, taking into account the foregoing, the purpose of this article is to study the use of the audio component of media education in the socialisation of the students as individuals in the postmodern world.
2. Materials and methods
The process of studying the practical application of the audio component of media education involved a number of methods that contributed to a detailed study of the topic under consideration and, consequently, to drawing the relevant conclusions. Firstly, it should be noted that the use of the analysis that allowed to divide the process of socialisation of (foreign) students into linguistic training and psychological support facilitated studying each direction separately, while the analysis of media education from the perspective of its components allowed singling out the audio component, which tied the studies of various areas of the socialisation of the individual together. Secondly, the importance of the synthesis used in our study to draw intermediate and final conclusions should be emphasised. For instance, the analysis hereunder helped divide socialisation and media education into areas and components. However, drawing conclusions required piecing all the elements under consideration back together into a single system, and the integrity of this system was the goal of this article.
For a certain simplification, we used the axiomatic method to set certain parameters at the beginning of the study that do not require additional evidence but directly affect the further course of the study. First of all, here it is necessary to note that linguistic and psychological directions were identified as elements of the basis of the socialisation of the individual, and the audio component was identified as an integral part of media education.
Since the study of the practical application of the audio component in the process of socialisation of the (foreign) student as an individual requires a gradual transition from general
processes to specific features, we used the deduction method. It was used due to the branching of certain processes. Accordingly, in order to study them effectively, the general conceptual structures had to be considered first and then new parameters (directions) had to be involved in the research component. This approach allowed studying the systematic nature of the process of socialisation of a (foreign) student. In turn, the branched nature of the socialisation process necessitated the use of the induction method. For instance, final conclusions regarding the effectiveness of the use of the audio component of media education can be drawn upon conducting a detailed study of the directions of socialisation of the individual. As a result, the scientific path from particular elements to a unified system of training and support of (foreign) students contributes to the unification of disparate directions and is aimed at understanding the foundations for the topic under study.
Given that the socialisation of the individual is a complex process associated with many areas of training and counselling, and so is the media education system which, at its core, consists of several components, in order to conduct our research in accordance with its goal, the abstraction method was applied. This method was necessary to narrow down determining directions of socialisation (linguistic, psychological) and components of media education (audio) for our study. Other directions and components were touched upon superficially and were not used further as examples when studying their practical application in higher education institutions. Thus, the abstraction method allows focusing only on the elements that are directly relevant to the goal of the study. Therefore, scientific abstraction ensures the specification of the presented material and, accordingly, its final conclusions.
The comparison method was also used in the study. The consideration of the general principles of media education points to the existence of four components of this process: video, audio, text and Internet components. To compare all four components, they were analysed in connection with two directions of the socialisation of (foreign) students, namely general socialisation and the development of linguistic skills. Thus, this comparison identified the significance of these components for each direction and the possibility of their practical application for language training and general socialisation.
3. Discussion
One of the directions of social pedagogy is the study of the socialisation of the individual (including a student) under two main conditions: during the regular interpersonal interaction of an academic nature and when encountering new cultural features (which is typical for foreign students affected by culture shock). According to Y. Moradi, F. Mollazadeh, H. Jamshidi and other researchers, socialisation is inevitable when performing activities in any professional field (Moradi et al., 2017). Considering that academic activities prepare the individual for their further professional development, learning in a higher education institution and interpersonal interactions related to this process can be defined as pre-professional training which also requires certain actions that will ensure the effectiveness of the overall socialisation process.
The conclusion reached by W. Salisu, N. Nayeri and I. Yakabu, that socialisation is a process during which a professional identity is formed (Salisu et. al., 2019: 1289) should also be taken into account. Thus, proper socialisation will allow a student — and then a professional — to function efficiently, even when being in a different social and cultural environment. As a result, we can trace the direct and inverse relationship when the socialisation process is necessary for the professional functioning of the individual; in turn, the student will be able to function efficiently only if proper socialisation is achieved (Figure 1).
Socialization Student
Professional personality Socialisation Profess ion a! activity
Fig. 1. Direct and inverse relationship of the process of the socialisation of the individual
Given that there are several stages of socialisation, including primary socialisation (in the first years of a person's life); intermediate socialisation (typical for adolescence); secondary socialisation (associated with professional development) and re-socialisation (involving the preparation of the individual to return to the usual social and cultural environment) (Aljeksjejenko, 2007: 38), this study will cover the secondary socialisation, which involves the professional development of the student as an individual and requires, as discussed previously, direct and inverse relationship. Secondary socialisation presupposes that the individual has certain social and cultural competencies formed at the previous stages and requires a narrowly focused development of interpersonal and, accordingly, linguistic skills.
In general, the process of socialisation may include activities of a different nature, including those with the use of media. It should be taken into account that "in real-life conditions, both the social situation itself and the ways the individual approaches it is ever-developing, constantly expanding the idea of the possible" (Aljeksjejenko, 2007: 26). Thus, the choice of activities that can be used to form social and cultural skills should directly depend on the social and academic spaces where the student has to function. However, media tools can be considered universal since they can be applied regardless of specific social and academic requirements.
Both individual components and media education as a whole were studied by many authors, including: M. Paskevicius (content creation in various types of digital media) (Paskevicius, 2021); A. Levitskaya, A. Fedorov (building media competence of the individual and research of media influences) (Levitskaya, Fedorov, 2021); A. Law, R. Stock (use of media in education) (Law, Stock, 2017); S. Kim (Kim, 2019), Z. Vahedi, L. Zannella, S. Want (Vahedi et. al., 2019) (practical application of information and communication technologies); J. Holopainen, A. Lahtevanoja, H. Lammassaari, C. McLaughlin, E. Sillence, J. Brunton, M. Brown, E. Costello (educational activities online or in a blended learning environment; socialisation and support when using social media) (Holopainen et. al., 2022; McLaughlin, Sillence, 2018; Brunton et. al., 2018); M. Simons, T. Smits, P. Janssenwillen (building media literacy skills when using the text component of media education) (Simons et. al., 2020).
Taking into account the existing studies regarding the use of media education components in academic activities and socialisation, the fundamental components can be singled out, namely video, audio, text and Internet components (Sluc'kyj, 2022). Their significance for the socialisation process is presented in Table 1:
Table 1. The role of media education components in the general and linguistic socialization of students
Media education component The role of the component in the general socialisation of the student The role of the component in the developing of linguistic skills
Video component It has a direct impact on the formation of social and cultural ideas about the new society by visualising the values inherent in a particular society (in the case of foreign students); involves the development of interpersonal skills when watching and further discussing a video together (when conducting classroom and out-of-class viewings as part of the socialisation of "regular" students). It can be used as a means of language training for foreign students when screening films in the language of the host country.
Audio component It mostly refers to the psychological recovery of the student as an individual after the influence of cultural (for foreign students) and/or social (for "regular" students) shock after the audio training. It is effective when working in language rooms and in case of individual listening to monologues, dialogues, podcasts, etc.
Text component It is aimed at the development of social and cultural competence by reading literary works of the host country (for foreign students). It facilitates the development of language skills during discussion events (e.g. Book Clubs), which contribute to the formation of
linguistic and cultural patterns (relevant for both foreign and "regular" students).
Internet component It is characterised by combining video, audio and text components, as well as enabling their practical application remotely.
This study considers the audio component of media education. According to the table above, this component can be applied during the socialisation (support) of both "regular" and foreign students. The role of the counsellor in the process of the practical application of the audio component for socialisation and development of linguistic skills should be emphasised. The main element of the effectiveness of the use of audio tools, including the audio component, is the direct interaction between the counsellor and the student (foreign student). The counsellor (both advisers and psychologists, as well as employees of international student support centres (in case of, for example, higher education institutions in the US) can act as counsellors) should "help fix problems" (Hsu et al., 2008: 194) of the students that can be both language-related and related to social, cultural or psychological issues.
Thus, given the importance of encouraging students to be proactive in their personal socialisation (Charoensap-Kelly, Punyanunt-Carter, 2022: 68; Gardner, Barnes, 2007), this process must be planned professionally, which students cannot achieve on their own. Therefore, the use of the audio component of media education should be based on:
1. Specific problems of a social or linguistic nature that affect the quality of the student's academic activities;
2. Implementation of the stages of the individual socialisation plan created on the basis of the psychological and linguistic analysis of the (foreign) student.
Correspondingly, we can claim that the uncontrolled use of the audio component of media education will have, to a greater extent, a superficial effect. Therefore, this requires purposeful preparation of the individual for the competent use of media technologies in general (Prykhodkina, 2020: 186) and the audio component of media education in particular, which can be achieved subject to planned socialisation and the help of a counsellor.
In view of the above, we can conclude that for the purpose of socialisation of the (foreign) students, there are two directions for the application of the audio component of media education:
1. If (foreign) students have some psychological problems;
2. For linguistic training in specialised laboratories.
As for the first direction, it should be noted that a student (and this is especially important for foreign students), finding themselves in a new society, is affected by certain external stress factors, which subsequently transform into negative internal manifestations that directly affect social and academic activities of the individual. In this regard, the audio component of media education can be applied, in psychological terms, as audio training which will provide psychological and emotional recovery after the effects of social (typical for "regular" students) or cultural (for foreign students) shock. In addition, when it comes specifically to foreign students, the availability of recordings in various languages is essential when providing psychological audio support. This will enable the counsellor to conduct psychological training in the foreign student's native language. This aspect is important since foreign students who have only recently started the educational process and, therefore, are yet to form sufficient linguistic skills, are most susceptible to culture shock and require the most psychological support.
As for the second direction, the student's language training should be considered as a necessary element of interpersonal interaction (for "regular" students) and an element of communication in general. According to M. Nikolic, audio recordings allow students from non-English-speaking countries (foreign students) to learn English as it is used in the host country (Nikolic, 2017). Naturally, English, in this case, cannot be considered the only possible language in linguistic socialisation. M. Nikolic's conclusion of can be equally applied to the state language of any host country.
However, this kind of linguistic audio training should not be a one-time thing. It has to be continuous to enable not only theoretical understanding, but also the practical mastering of language skills. For instance, according to O. Banit, "continuous audio practice replenishes vocabulary, teaches you how to combine words correctly and use prepositions and makes a foreign language as natural as possible" (Banit, 2013: 229). Thus, the audio component of media education
has a direct impact on the student's language training both during the educational process and during socialisation.
It is important to keep in mind that one of the main prerequisite for professional work in postmodern society is the ability of an individual to build effective communication relationships, which is achieved by the ability to apply the so-called linguistic and cultural patterns that include not only the skills of using certain phrases and linguistic combinations, but also the use of the host country's cultural features in communication. In this case, a prerequisite for the formation of such patterns is the direct participation of a counsellor (who can provide an explanation for certain cultural and language features), as well as the frequent listening to audio recordings specially developed for this purpose.
With all that in mind, let us consider Figure 1 from the perspective of the audio component of media education. Given that the linguistic direction of the audio component is more relevant for foreign students (whereas for "regular" students, it is the psychological counselling direction), they are the focus of this study. As a foreign student obtains theoretical skills that contribute to socialisation their practical mastering, socialisation occurs directly, allowing the student to get further opportunities for effective interpersonal academic and socially oriented interactions, which will ultimately lead to their professional development as an individual. Therefore, the use of audio tools as methods for the formation of linguistic (as well as, and this is essential for socialisation, cultural) patterns is a prerequisite for the formation of a professional identity of the individual. In turn, a proper process of socialisation of a (foreign) student will allow them to perform activities with a positive end result (professionally).
Thus, having considered the theoretical concept of our study, we can conclude that the audio component of media education is an important component of the socialisation of both "regular" and foreign students as individuals. For "regular" students, using audio tools as psychological counselling is the most effective, while foreign students would benefit from them as an element of linguistic training. Naturally, this conclusion does not suggest using audio tools exclusively within the designated educational or adaptive parameters. Audio tools can also be used for the linguistic training of "regular" students when they study foreign languages as well as (as mentioned above) for psychological support for foreign students (if psychological training is available in different languages). However, we have identified the direction that will be largely considered in our study in terms of practical application (psychological counselling for "regular" students and linguistic training for foreign students), which does not negate the prospects for further study of other forms of using audio tools for various categories of students.
4. Results
Today learning a foreign language is an important component of effective interpersonal interactions. It is especially true in the case of foreign students who have to master the language of the host country to the extent that would be sufficient to function in academic and social environments. In order to form the necessary linguistic skills (which are part of the socialisation of the individual), the media education components can be used, including audio tools. A curious case of such an application can be found in Language Laboratory at Boston College. The laboratory meets the needs for learning and teaching foreign languages at the language department of an educational institution for students who study English as a foreign language. Students are provided with access to portable equipment and multimedia tools and access to audio study of Latin, Greek, French, Italian and other languages. However, as an example, let us look at materials for learning and improving fluency in English. Pronunciation Recordings is an audio module that provides access to the following materials (Pronunciation..., 2022):
1. Accurate English. Runtime: approximately 5 hours and 30 minutes (an audio tutorial and reference guide for the pronunciation of American English that include the following thematic elements: stress, rhythm, examples of abbreviations, simplifications, regional variations, etc.).
2. The American Accent Guide. Runtime: approx. 8 hours (8 audio CDs with an overview of American English speech patterns, as well as a number of practical lessons on stress, intonation, etc.).
3. Jazz Chants. Runtime: 48 minutes (poems and dialogues designed to master intonation).
4. P.D.'S. Runtime: approximately 6 hours (a number of exercises for mastering pronunciation skills for the intermediate-level students).
5. P.D.'S in Depth. Runtime: approx. 7 hours (mastering pronunciation skills for the advanced students).
6. Small Talk. Runtime: 60 minutes (songs), 41 minutes (exercises) (materials feature music tracks (jazz) that emphasise the rhythm and intonation patterns of spoken American English; as well as listening exercises, pronunciation practice).
Thus, the Pronunciation Recordings module contributes to the development of communication skills of students (associated with rhythm and intonation), which enables forming speech features that facilitate spontaneous speaking skills. Such skills, in turn (especially when it comes to a foreign student), will allow the student to be more involved in the academic and social spaces of the host country, which is an indicator of the socialisation of the individual.
Another audio module at Boston College Language Laboratory is Grammar Recordings. Let us take a closer look at the materials provided in the context of this module (Grammar..., 2022):
1. Focus on Grammar - Advanced. Runtime: 7 minutes (one audio unit), 2 hours 45 minutes (total time) (materials of the module are aimed at expanding students' knowledge of English grammar through listening, reading, etc. The supplemental audio materials feature interactive exercises).
2. Side by Side I and II. The runtime of each audio lesson is 20-25 minutes (recordings include conversational materials).
As a result, the grammar-related audio module supplements the text component when studying the syntax of American English. Similarly, to pronunciation, the correct use of grammar structures directly affects the quality of interpersonal interaction between a (foreign) student and representatives of the host country.
The third module of Language Laboratory, Listening Comprehension Recordings, should also be highlighted. It is represented by the following materials (Listening Comprehension., 2022):
1. Advanced Listening Comprehension. Runtime: 15-20 minutes (one lecture), 4 hours 46 minutes (total time) (academic lectures on various topics; the main purpose is to develop listening skills and learn to take notes from the ear).
It should be noted that audio lectures are also practised in other higher education institutions in the United States, such as University of Washington, which has the Audio Recording Lectures programme (Audio., 2022), that allows students to access the content of lectures of a particular course. This option can be used both as an academic element (for additional and more detailed study of the "archived" material) and as an additional method in language training (listening). This conclusion is supported by the following material of the module Listening Comprehension Recordings at Boston College (Listening Comprehension., 2022):
2. Better Listening Skills. Runtime: 6-13 minutes (each lecture), 44 minutes 18 seconds (total time) (the purpose of these recorded lectures is to help students who have difficulty understanding English in an academic setting). This is especially relevant for foreign students who are in the process of learning the language and may experience problems with understanding fast academic speech. In this case, the audio component of media education allows them to learn the necessary material outside the academic setting.
3. Feelings. Runtime: 2-3 minutes (each audio unit), 34 minutes (total time) (materials for students whose English level is upper intermediate. Audio recordings consist of 12 modules that are thematically focused on expressing one's feelings in various situations, discussing one's inner state, etc.). It should be noted that in a certain sense, these audio materials can simultaneously play a major role both in the linguistic training and in psychological support of the individual (including socialisation).
4. Improve Your English: English in the Workplace. Runtime: 2 hours 19 minutes (these materials are intended for ESL students (here we can talk about foreign students) and allow them to form everyday English comprehension skills by listening to interviews with people representing various professions). Thus, given that socialisation is the ability to interact in society, the formation of daily communication skills can be considered among the important aspects of involving a person in the social and cultural spaces of the host country. This definition can also be applied to the following materials, namely:
5. Listening in the Real World. Runtime: 3-5 minutes (each lesson), 2 hours 45 minutes (total time), 1 hour 35 minutes (dialogues) (these are very short but fast conversational recordings, which is especially important for students who have difficulty understanding everyday speech in foreign language).
Thus, the Listening Comprehension Recordings module focuses on the formation of academic and social communication skills and features audio lectures and dialogue materials that contribute to listening to situations in a calm environment, which will allow students to interact more effectively in various interpersonal situations of spontaneous nature.
The value of linguistic training using the audio component is important for academic as well as social and cultural interactions, which is the main goal of the course Listening and Speaking Classes at Northeastern University (Listening., 2022), held three times a year for students from non-English speaking countries. The syllabus of the course is aimed at mastering pronunciation, listening, learning colloquial speech.
Let us consider the value of specialised software for the use of the audio component of media education in the development of linguistic skills using Web Audio Lab (WAL) at Cornell University (Web., 2022) as an example. This software is an interactive platform for learning foreign languages aimed at developing linguistic exercises that allow students to receive audio, video and text materials, as well as practice speaking when learning a particular language. WAL resources can be used both in the language laboratory and in other places where computer equipment is available. Thus, this platform uses all four components of media education: video, audio, text and the Internet (as a connecting component that allows you to access the rest). As a result, classes in a specialised language laboratory allow students to examine, inter alia, features of colloquial speech, intonation, the rhythm of the language, etc. However, it should be noted that modern technology allows expanding the possibilities of using such platforms by providing access to materials for students from smartphones so that linguistic training can take place regardless of the academic space. In this case, the mobility of the formation of linguistic and cultural patterns can be achieved.
The practice of using a language laboratory is also present at the English-German Department of the Donbas State Pedagogical University. Students are provided with dialogue and monologue recordings, which they can listen to both as an aid during class (academic time) and for self-study (outside academic time).
Given the importance of the mobility of linguistic training (as mentioned earlier), the initiative Foreign Language Audio Material (FLACS), which is part of Language Resource Center at University of Michigan (Foreign., 2022), should be emphasised. Users are offered a choice of several languages for learning (including Arabic, Hindi, Latin, Turkish, Ukrainian, etc.), and the audio materials can be downloaded to any device that can play audio files. This way, students are able to perform the same actions as in the language laboratory, only without the need to be present in the academic space. Note that in addition to mobility, the ability to play linguistic audio recordings outside the academic space also contributes to socialisation. For instance, when working in a language laboratory, students are separated from each other and listen to audio recordings individually. If these recordings are available outside the classroom, students who study a foreign language can listen to them together and subsequently discuss them, which will contribute to interpersonal interaction and the development of conversational skills.
Thus, the audio component of media education is effectively used in higher education institutions as recordings of academic lectures that a (foreign) student can listen to during non-academic time (in case of insufficient understanding of colloquial speech); records of materials of a dialogue and monologue nature that allow learning the rhythm, intonation and the use of slang structures during communication; audio materials that supplement English (or another language) grammar textbooks. Consequently, the development of linguistic skills allows the student (and this is especially relevant for foreign students) to have more effective interpersonal interactions with representatives of the host country (for foreign students) and, therefore, undergo the process of socialisation in a better format since an individual gets involved in a new society through the active interpersonal interactions.
However, the audio component of media education can be used not only for the formation of language skills. Given that an individual, staying in an unfamiliar social and academic (for "regular" students) or social and cultural (for foreign students) environment is negatively affected by culture shock, they need psychological counselling. This is especially true for students from other cultural groups. In this case, audio tools can also be used as an auxiliary element of counselling. An example of this application is UCC Mind Body Lab at Vanderbilt University (UCC..., 2022). The initiative aims to increase self-awareness and provides tools for managing stress. The student can undergo audio training in a specially equipped room and learn meditation
and restore balance to the mind and body. This psychological support laboratory is designed for one person, allowing them to concentrate on their inner issues.
It should be also noted that music (as an element of the audio component of media education) has a great influence on the emotional state of the individual and their ability to concentrate. According to Counseling Services University of Nevada, Reno slow-paced music makes you feel calm, helps relieve stress (which is a prerequisite for psychological problems) (Releasing., 2022). However, not every genre of music can be used as an aid in psychological counselling. For instance, Counseling Services University of Nevada, Reno argues that Native American, Celtic stringed instruments can be considered effective as relaxing (and therefore meditative) music, even if it is loud. The combination of various sounds with music can also be described as positive. For example, the sounds of rain or nature sounds can be effectively combined with classical pieces, jazz (Releasing., 2022). However, there is a fundamental consideration of using such music that should be emphasised. The student should enjoy the soundtrack aimed at psychological recovery. If certain music is annoying to a person, the effectiveness of the audio tool in psychological counselling will be questionable. Accordingly, there is a need to select audio tools together with a counsellor. An effective selection of music is necessary to reduce stress and thus increase the ability to socialise in a new social ("regular" students) or social and cultural (foreign students) environment.
University of Nevada, Reno suggests examples of the kind of musical tracks that can be used (or act as an example of the creation of playlists individually designed by the counsellor and student for psychological counselling), which are given in Table 2 (Releasing., 2022):
Table 2. Examples of audio tracks that can be used as an aid in psychological counselling
Name of the track Author of the track Description of the track YouTube link
A Moment of Peace Meditation Aneal & Bradfield Instrumental piano music https://www.youtube.c om/watch?v=xINL906 8Yvg
Echoes of Time R. Carlos Nakai Music of Serenity on Native American flute https://www.youtube.c om/watch?v=MQYweH L9chg
The Winding Path Kevin Kern Instrumental piano music https://www.youtube.c om/watch?v=sGUTu2I EUiQ
Classical Indian Music for Healing and Relaxing Gayatri Govindarajan Meditative music on Veena, an ancient Indian musical instrument https://www.youtube.c om/watch?v=QUeMuF a0VSM
Pachelbel's Canon Angels of Venice Classical performance on three instruments: harp, flute and cello https://www.youtube.c om/watch?v=w2ylPzep YEk
Earth Drum David and Steve Gordon Serene Native American music https://www.youtube.c om/watch?v=LXm5M4 vEjuE&list=PLC0F228 E6C7956479
Buddha Spirit Aneal & Bradfield Music that is slow-paced but created using different instruments https://www.youtube.c om/ watch?v=j2gRrGCo tHQ
As Twilight Fades Dan Gibson's Solitudes Instrumental music with added sounds of nature https://www.youtube.c om/watch?v=hqKQYx2 UqJo&list=PL4cMJDo pFDOmWc_0vlHBJbxx WVkswblmB
Weightless Marconi Union This track featured a carefully selected rhythm which helps to reduce stress https://www.youtube.c om/watch?v=UfcAVejsl rU
All presented tracks are meditative in nature and can be used (or act as examples) as auxiliary audio tools in overcoming the negative consequences of social and/or cultural shock.
Thus, the audio component of media education can be used as an auxiliary method in conducting psychological counselling. Its practical application is associated with the organisation of the work of specialised laboratories where the student can listen to audio lessons or music for stress relief. In addition, music can be used outside the classrooms for psychological and emotional recovery through listening to certain playlists, which should fit the student's personality and therefore necessitates the involvement of a counsellor.
5. Conclusion
To summarise, we can conclude that the audio component of media education will be used as an aid in educational and counselling activities that contribute to the socialisation of students. However, despite the fact that the effectiveness of audio tools is related, in our opinion, to the type of students ("regular" students need the audio component in the process of psychological counselling; foreign students need it for linguistic training), the study did not make a strict separation of students as the goal was to analyse the experience of socialisation of all students using audio tools. In this case, for the purpose of our article, the use of the audio component of media education are interconnected for both "regular" and foreign students.
Thus, we have identified two areas of research into the audio component of media education: linguistic and psychological, each having its own characteristics. When considering the use of audio tools in higher education institutions for the language training of students, the following should be noted as to the audio component:
1. It promotes the formation of practical rhythm and intonation skills that are relevant to spoken English, which facilitate the development of the speech features necessary for effective communication (Boston College);
2. It acts as an aid to textual grammar materials since the knowledge of and the practical skills of applying grammar structures is an important condition for a person's ability to communicate in a new society (Boston College);
3. It is used as audio lectures, allowing the student to additionally study academic material, especially in case of insufficient skills in recognising fast academic speech (Boston College);
4. It is used in the form of dialogue and monologue recordings, which the students (primarily foreign ones) need to form communication skills, namely the ability to properly communicate, which involves understanding the other people's speech in real time and providing a quick response in the language of the host country (Boston College);
5. It can be used in specialised classrooms (language laboratories) where students can work with dialogue and monologue recordings in a more detailed format (Donbas State Pedagogical University), as well as when using platforms such as (Web Audio Lab (WAL)), that allow mobile use of media education components outside the academic space, which will increase the amount of time spent on the linguistic training of the individual (Cornell University, University of Michigan).
However, the study showed that the audio component of media education can also be used in psychological counselling. Given that "regular" students experience the effects of social shock caused by interpersonal interaction in a new space (academic), while foreign students experience culture shock caused by the social and cultural features of the host country, the linguistic training alone cannot fully ensure the socialisation of the individual, because intrapersonal difficulties will arise and damage the interpersonal relations built during communication. In this regard, (foreign) students require psychological support in order to reduce their overall stress level. An audio component can also be used for this, namely:
1. When the student uses specialised psychological recovery laboratories, which provide appropriate training in the premises equipped for this (Mind Body Lab). Classes of this format allow the student to analyse the root causes of actual psychological problems and concentrate on solutions to negative aspects. Moreover, the stay in this laboratory involves audio-trainings offering "virtual work with a counsellor" (Vanderbilt University);
2. Furthermore, psychological support for (foreign) student can also involve the audio component of media education in the music format. Thus, certain tracks have a direct impact on the emotional state of the individual and can either increase the level of psychological, emotional and behavioural perception of the society or help reduce it and, therefore, reduce stress manifestations caused by the cultural/social shock. In this case, however, the individual
characteristics of the student should be considered, which requires the direct involvement of the counsellor in the process of selecting a psychological support playlist (University of Nevada, Reno).
However, it should be noted that as regards the application of the audio component of media education in the socialisation of students, there are more directions than just linguistic and psychological. Promising topics that require further study by researchers also include the use of the audio component during cultural events related simultaneously to foreign students presenting the cultural features of their countries and "local" students presenting the host state; studying various directions of the practical application of the audio component in higher education institutions in the US and Europe (comparative characteristics); identifying the possibilities and effectiveness of combining the audio component with other components of media education during the activities aimed at the socialisation of students.
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