Педагогические науки/ 5. Современные методы преподавания

Svetlana Avagyan

NTUU “Kyiv Polytechnic Institute”

Psychological Features of Teaching Foreign Languages

Foreign language teaching methodology does not exist independently, it is connected with the range of other science (philosophy, physiology, psychology, linguistics, pedagogy and others.) trampled on the set of laws. In this paper, psychological regularity reflection in foreign language teaching methodology will be shown. As E. Wedel noted there is no other method except second language teaching methodology, which has so much disputes and controversies. Here are some examples of problems, which were given by E. Wedel:

· engine of thinking in first and second languages, their uprising and functioning, and therewith the role of translation;

· growing level of second language acquisition: from knowledge to capability, ability to skills;

· the role of mechanical memory and age peculiarities in second language learning;

· reading comprehension learning and translation;

· teaching of grammar rules and sentence patterns, sequential analysis of grammatical phenomena in the classroom.

According to E. Wedel, methodology should solve above mentioned and similar problems. However, there are many problems among all these, which methodology can solve only in association with psychology and physiology, or relying on psychological and physiological patterns.

To study the issue of psychological features of second language acquisition, it is quite important to mean on one hand, psychological pattern, on the other hand, not psychological but social demands and tasks in second language learning.

In consideration of foreign language learning approach difference, would be good to emphasise learning process central meaning, which obtain particular relevance on the modern stage of our society development.

However, it is known, to acquire a language it means to be able to think on the language. This statement was formulated by M. D. Berlitz suggests a joint search of ways to overcome “psychological laws violation by extra psychological factors” [1, C.15] of foreign language acquisition and learning.

Psychology brought a lot of innovations into foreign language teaching methodology in XIX century. Wilhelm Wundt’s views on speech and senses psychology can be as an example of it. Later, vast theoretical material was gathered in psychology and the regularities were set approving both in foreign language acquisition and learning, and in learning any other subjects. Patterns highlighted by E. Wedel can be as examples of above mentioning:

· consciousness and activity cohesion theory;

· mental processes stage formation theory;

· framing theory;

· open and hidden way of learning concept;

· theory of students’ state of excitement intensity level in the learning process;

· the concept of inner speech and latent articulation, as the main mechanism of verbal and creative thinking;

· latent verbalization theory managed by operation of the mind neurodynamics and many others.

In fact, people perceive the sounds of language, formulated by humans’ organs of articulation and being the subject signal and current reality event in the system of the language. Thanks to sound reflection in the human mind people are able to distinguish the meaning of words through sound perception.

In the “Experimental Phonetics” by V. Artemov the experiment of sound perception of a foreign language, which has never been studied by the student before, followed by the reproduction of the sound is described. The first time the experimenter was behind the screen, next time, students reproduced the sound through the audio-visual simulation that is the experimenter’s face was seen. The third time, the sounds were perceived and reproduced on the basis of their analytical explanation and direct impression. Third case results exceed the level of first and second case responses.

The study reveals sounds perception the originality of which is in their acoustic way depends on students’ articulatory behavior and consequently on the experience of their teacher’s correct pronunciation. Thus it depends on motor and auditive impression combination, on heard sounds, organs of articulation’s schematic represented state in pronouncing separate sounds. Therefore, it is possible to develop dynamic stereotype by comparing, which allows correcting students’ perception and pronunciation mistakes in foreign language phoneme.

Consequently, the learning process is a process of interaction between students and teachers, as learning in its psychological nature is a process of teachers and students joint activity. The teacher’s task is to manage cognitive activity of students; as such type of activity can be realized in learning process, acting as a subject of control from the teacher’s side.

Concluding the abovementioned, should be highlighted that the leading place in teachers’ professional thinking structure psychological thinking takes place.

Reference

1. Артемов В.А. (1969). Психология обучения иностранным языкам. М.: Просвещение. 279 с.

2. Артемов В.А. (1956). Экспериментальная фонетика. М.: Изд.-во литер на ин. яз. 228 с.

3. Ведель Г.Е. (1979). Из истории методов преподавания иностранных языков. Воронеж: Изд.-во Воронеж, ун-та. 56 с.