COGNITIVE ACTIVITY IN THE PROCESS OF TEACHING A FOREIGN
LANGUAGE
Saenko Larysa
Among the
modern problems of pedagogy requiring priority attention are the problems of
the development of cognitive activity, creative abilities of students is a
complex and multifaceted problem.
Observations
show that many students are not learning to the full extent of their abilities.
This is partly explained by the fact that teachers do not always apply forms
and methods of teaching that contribute to enhancing the active cognitive work
of students. Although the students themselves (especially first year students)
do not show proper attention to the learning process.
As a result
of the research, it was found that general educational activity is motivated by
the cognitive interests of more than 40% of first-year students. A significant
part of 50% of students have no interest in the content side of professional
knowledge. Theoretical cognitive interests, as an end in itself, are observed among
students only in 3% of cases.
The idea that
a student should be active in teaching has been known in pedagogy since a long
time. Socrates also urged his students to master knowledge by setting leading
questions (hence the Socratic method of conducting the conversation). Since
then, teachers have often returned to the problem of student activity. In the
modern pedagogy of the general education school, many researchers devoted their
work to this problem .
However, this
problem has not been studied enough. The inadequacy of the problem, development
of creative activity is one of the main
reasons that in the periodical press, methodological manuals, official
documents pointed out the shortcomings of teaching students.
The further
development of the forms and methods of instruction in the direction of
activating cognitive activity of students acquires special significance in
solving the problem of activating the educational activity of students. Psychologists
and teachers were constantly concerned with the question of what ways, methods,
assimilation of knowledge, how to develop the creative activity of students.
Therefore, in the development of pedagogy and the practice of teaching,
researchers laboriously selected and tested the most effective forms, methods
and means of teaching.
However, this
does not mean that all classes were held and conducted only at the level of
passive activity of the student. It is common knowledge that teachers have
profound knowledge of the specialty, many have a great practice of teaching and
educating young people. It should be added that most of the teachers are good
lecturers, masters of pedagogical work. Currently, each teaching team has
teachers who are proficient in the skill of teaching. Of course, all this is
the result of a long, purposeful work of each teacher. Effective methods and
techniques are selected, accumulated in the course of long searches, often by
trial and error.
Researchers,
who teach, critically analyzing the forms and methods of teaching, note that
the teaching method often relies on the student's reproductive activity, to
memorize a certain range of factual material. Of course, there are students who
are highly active in the academic work and, participating in scientific work,
develop their creative abilities. They are not limited to listening and
lecturing or reading only the pages of the textbook. Their auditor and
extracurricular educational work is characterized by an independent study of
the lecture notes, reading additional literature, the ability to think
independently, and searching for new ways to solve the problem. These students
are striving to understand more deeply not only the content of the material,
but also the ways of obtaining new knowledge, they themselves take an active
part in scientific research. However, unfortunately, there are many students
who only deal with "satisfactory". They sometimes faithfully attend
lectures, perform practical tasks, but do not show special activity and
creativity.
One of the
most important conditions for the activation of educational and cognitive
activity is the mobilization of attention of all students of the group and the
operational management of it not every stage of the lesson. Apparently, any
method of teaching will become active if it is implemented against the
background of intensive and sustained attention of students.
Psychological
science defines attention as a special state of consciousness that ensures the
focus and concentration of human cognitive and practical activity on a specific
object or action. Along with the function of "concentration,"
attention simultaneously fulfills the function of "switching off"
consciousness from all other objects of the external and internal world of man.
Attention, which arises and functions independently of conscious intentions,
volitional efforts and human goals, is called involuntary (unintentional,
passive). Its motive may be either the strongest of the stimuli acting at a
given time, a person, or any other stimulus in the course of a sudden change in
any of its parameters: the force of influence, contrast, novelty (especially
associated with surprise, paradoxicality, emotional upsurge).
In the learning
process, all kinds of attention take place. Involuntary attention is
physiologically an orienting reflex, and therefore the capacity for it is
practically not brought up. But, relying on the involuntary attention, the
teacher in the learning process should educate the students of arbitrary and
post-personal attention, making them a habitual function of consciousness.
Thus, the attention various types combination is one of the most important
psychological requirements for the foreign language lesson.
References
1. Bramble W. J.
Organizational and cost structures for distance and online learning / W. J. Bramble, S. Panda //
Economics of distance and online learning. Theory, practice, and research / W. J. Bramble, S. Panda
(åds.). –
2. Chaves C. A. On-line course curricula and interactional
strategies: The foundations and extensions to adult e-learning communities [Åëåêòðîííèé
ðåñóðñ] / C. A. Chaves // European Journal of Open, Distance and
E-learning. – Date of publication online 2009.02.09. – Ðåæèì äîñòóïó: http://www.eurodl.org/materials/contrib/2009/Christopher_Chaves.pdf