Педагогические науки/4 Стратегические направления

реформирования системы образования

K.Ilyassova Master of Arts, T.Taldybayev, Ye. Toleukhan

Karaganda State Technical University, Kazakhstan

INTRODUCING MULTILINGUAL EDUCATION IN KAZAKHSTAN UNIVERSITIES: PROBLEMS AND PROSPECTS

Multilingual education is a goal-oriented, organized, rationed triune process of education and development of an individual as a multilingual person on the basis of simultaneous acquisition of several languages as a "fragment" of socially meaningful experience of humanity embodied in language knowledge and abilities, lingual and speech activity as well as in attitudes towards languages and cultures.

Multilingual personality is an active speaker of several languages presenting a speech personality which is an array of psychophysiological properties allowing an individual to speak simultaneously several languages [1]. The president of the country N.A. Nazarbayev set the high bar for national education. Education is to become achievement-oriented and high-quality so that graduates of Kazakhstan school could easily continue training in foreign higher education institutions. Introduction of trilingual training into teaching and learning process is certain to be a considerable step forward implementation of Education Development Strategy in the Republic of Kazakhstan till 2015, which includes multilingual Eurasian polyculture. Qualitative training of teaching staff is the most important problem of multilingual education; therefore there are Kazakh and English classes for teachers, integrated lessons and extra-curricular activities, traditional pedagogical and methodical meetings and proceedings in Kazakh and Russian languages. Today schools of our city offer early English language training, as well as its in-depth study in high school. Training is carried out by a new generation of textbooks. Experience shows that early and in-depth study of a foreign language at school, especially in light of the transition to 12 years school education, where it comes to profile preparation, seems appropriate. Important place is given to applied courses and elective courses for high school students. Early English learning is one of the stages in the development of multilingual personality [2]. On the first stage of training students develop foundations of literacy and vocabulary. The main aim of teachers and pupils is development of a multicultural personality capable for social and professional self-determination, knowing the history and traditions of his nation, able to speak several languages, and striving for self-development and self-improvement. One of the goals of school is familiarizing the younger generation to universal global values and building communicative skills within multicultural environments. Along with the state language, Kazakh language, and Russian, the language of international communication, there is a foreign language which is an important mean of communication [3].

In the last decade, during expansion of integration processes, deepening of international cooperation and the growth of professional, scientific and cultural exchanges, there was the need to intensify the search of effective conditions and mechanisms for educating the younger generation capable for dialogue with other cultures. Meeting this challenge will contribute to preparation of a specialist competitive in domestic and international labor market with skills of speaking three or more languages, as well as positive outgoing personality, capable of active

and effective activity in multicultural environment, which has developed a sense of respect and understanding of other cultures. Multilingualism is an effective tool for preparation of the young generation in global world, and one of the components of overall national education system, which can not be seen outside the context of environment in which it develops [4]. Industrial innovative development of Kazakhstan stimulated implementation of multilingualism in education. It should be noted that there have been significant positive changes of substantive and organizational nature in this area. According to the principles of the "Triunity of languages" national project, a foreign language is set as a language of international communication, Kazakh language as the state language and Russian as an official language of the country. However, study of foreign languages is one of the most important criteria for practical and professional human activities in today's multilingual and multicultural globalized world.

In this regard, Kazakhstan decided to introduce foreign language learning in primary schools with further improvement and deepening of knowledge within the framework of profile, post-secondary vocational and higher education. To achieve this goal, country's universities engaged in implementation of multilingual education started differential polylingual specialized training of teachers for schools with advanced study of foreign languages. In higher educational institutions of Kazakhstan engaged in development of multilingual education, there is an increasing number of professional disciplines, including computer science, computer engineering and software, mathematics, physics, information systems, ecology, economy and others, that are taught in English in polylingual groups [1]. For purposeful and successful development of polylinguism, universities must take into account some negative effects that may arise during organization of multilingual education. These include spontaneous opening of centers for multilingual education in high schools; poor regulatory system of these centers; lack or insufficiency of facilities of universities that hamper the provision of educational services; lack of a precise program, strategy and procedures for development of the centers and a clear idea of the planned results and the criteria for student evaluation; increased rate of spontaneous innovative experiments; arbitrary use of foreign educational programs and teaching materials without its correlation with local conditions of teaching foreign languages due to lack of a common methodological basis for the continuity of foreign language education and its unified regulatory provision (state standards and programme requirements), etc. Moreover, we must bear in mind problems related to language, culture and structure of the programs. Difficulties of an initial phase of polylinguism in high school are related to different levels of language proficiency of students, lack of confidence in the study of special subjects in a foreign language, and a lack of teacher knowledge in English for Special Purposes [5]. Universities that are engaged in development of polylinguism face the following tasks: opening of university centers of multilingual education, step-by-step implementation of multilingual education in priority specialties of physical sciences, engineering, humanitarian and pedagogical fields; gradual formation of multilingual academic groups; improvement of equal proficiency in three languages of teaching staff and students for simultaneous use in learning process; provision of free language courses (by proficiency level) for future multilingual teachers; goal-oriented teacher training abroad; provision of academic mobility to exchange teaching experiences within the "Triunity of languages" project; attracting foreign scientists, specialists, teachers, and representatives of foreign companies operating in the region to give lectures and practical classes in multilingual groups; contracting foreign language teachers as advisors for polylingual specialties of a university; introduction of new pedagogical and information technologies of teaching foreign languages; replenishment of library funds and electronic database of multilingual educational, methodical, scientific literature and multimedia materials; organization of joint writing of textbooks and manuals with foreign partners; development of integrated educational programs; preparation of specialties syllabuses and course syllabuses for polylingual groups. Moreover, there are such promising areas as the study of continuity of multilingual education at different levels; study of foreign experience of multilingual education; forming electives programme; use of distance learning technologies; empowerment of interactive telecommunications; development of web-environment, etc. [6]

Multilingual education is the basis for formation of a multilingual personality, and the level of its maturity largely determines the positive character of personal self-realization in modern conditions, its competitiveness and social mobility. Implementation of multilingual education requires expansion of educational space, sharing of experiences, increase of linguistic capital of Kazakhstan citizens and formation of a multicultural identity, effectively functioning in the context of globalization and pluralistic democratic society. In this vein, language policy of Kazakhstan raises "reasonable transformation of language culture based on equal use of the three languages of the state, interethnic and international communication" and allows us to carry out a gradual entry into culturally diverse mobile world. Reasonable, sensible and proper implementation of trilingual strategy will enable graduates of our schools to be communicative and adapt to any environment. Years of independence of Kazakhstan show that bilingualism and multilingualism in society do not infringes the rights and dignity of Kazakh language, and also forms all necessary conditions for its progress. However, it depends on clever language policy of President Nazarbayev and ability of national intelligence to maintain and develop the culture, history and language of the Kazakh people. Language policy of the Republic of Kazakhstan determines the Russian language as the main source of information in different areas of science and technology as well as a mean of communication with the near and far abroad. Development of the state, Kazakh, language, preservation and development of Russian language and implementation of multilingual education policy is an important, but difficult problem. This problem can be resolved only in a joint effort of all society [7].

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