Педагогические  науки. /Современные методы преподавания.

Fyodorova M.L.

Kostanai  State University named after A.Baityrsynov

Importance of the individual and differentiated approach in teaching the English language to university students

The integration processes are intensively developing in the last decade, the growth of professional and academic exchanges deepen of international cooperation stimulated the interest to the study of the English language. English gets the status of an effective tool for the formation of the intellectual potential of the society, becoming at the present historical stage one of the main resources for development of the new state.

In the educational system of Kazakhstan significant positive changes both in terms of content and in terms of organization have taken place:

- The study of the English language is recognized socially significant as a pledge to ensure the practical and professional life of a person in the modern multilingual, multicultural globalized world;

- English is defined as an international language par with the state language (Kazakh) and the Russian language, the language of international communication;

-Important concepts such as «language for special purposes » (LSP), and the "language for academic purposes » (LAP) are refined;

- Differentiated training of English has been started. Under these conditions the Republic of Kazakhstan is oriented to scientific, technological and industrial development of the social order in the educational field for preparing professionals who speak English as a tool to establish professional communication for effective exchange of experiences in the future practical professional activities.

Radical changes in the methodology, content and technology of education are necessary for the creation of a unified national system of foreign language education. Thus, level model of learning English meets modern requirements. The basis of these requirements and standards are laid in the program «CEF levels of proficiency in a foreign language” which provides the unifying requirements to the level of language learning in Europe. In this model six levels of learning are identified, which is determined by the settings for learning English (for language specialties - Level B) . These levels are indicated by letters A1, A2, B1, B2, C1, and C2.

Due to changes in the organization of training , as well as the revision of the outlook on pedagogy and the introduction of the credit system in higher education such seemingly well-studied problem as  individual and differentiated approach to learning is in  the focus of the entire education space, in particular , it is widely used in the study of foreign languages.

Current trends in education are responsible search for new forms and methods of individual and differentiated approach in the teaching English to the students of higher educational institutions. Personal approach to learning the English language is becoming increasingly important, as it allows maximizing and revealing all the richness and uniqueness of the individual characteristics of the student, which in turn, will provide him with the possibility of selfdeveloping in a rapidly changing social environment. Orientation on the ability and inclination of the student , his desire to study independently to gather information in English , analyze it and apply it in practice , related to the real world requires from the  high school teachers extraordinary , creative approach to work .

It is well known that the contingent of foreign language learners in the group is heterogeneous with students of various mental faculties, various interests, and different levels of foreign language communicative competence. That’s why the teacher must first determine the individual characteristics of students, their language proficiency , and on this basis to organize training activities in those modes : the first level (entry level ) for less prepared students who are conditionally able to read and translate with the dictionary , the second level ( average ) for those who can read and translate with the dictionary, but are not sure in speaking  , the third level (advanced level ) for those who have the skills of reading and speaking in a foreign language . There are a number of organizational problems in individual and differentiated approach of teaching English language: typological and standardized programs for the "average level» as a rule, does not allow paying due attention to students' individual abilities. As a result, the process of individual and  differentiated approach of teaching English language specialties students  is realized spontaneously and often formally , i.e., learning is reduced to the mechanical development of the material does not develop independent creativity of thinking, self-improvement and self-education . This leads to the passivity of students in the classroom of English language discourages in their ultimate goal of the educational process at the university as a whole. The solution of these serious problems in practice helps the implementation of individual and differentiated approach through the use of learning technologies that allow the dependence of the activity in learning on individual traits of a personality. The meanings of individual and differentiated approach of teaching English language are in the disclosure of positive learning and intellectual capabilities of students.

 

Reference:

1.Белякова Е.А. Использование проблемных ситуаций на занятиях по иностранному языку в системе уровневого образования /Ярославский педагогический вестник -2012-№3

2.Загороднова А.А. Индивидуальный подход в обучении иностранным языкам на неязыковых специальностях. /Язык.Культура.Образование:Сборник материалов международной научной конфенренции «Чтения Ушинского»

3.Колесникова И.Л. Англо-русский терминологический справочник по методике преподавания иностранных языков/русско-балтийский информационный центр «Блиц»