#Oleksandr Rak Excursus into the history of foreign languages

XI Международная научно-практическая конференция

«Современная европейская наука – 2016»

Филологические науки. 1.Методика  преподавания языка и литературы.

Oleksandr Rak

Department of the Foreign Languages, Higher State Educational Establishment

“Bukovinian State Medical University”

Excursus into the history of foreign languages

Past millennium was marked by appearance of many new, interesting and effective approaches to the methods of foreign languages’teaching. Speaking about the teaching itself, it has undergone significant development and improvement. In general it can be described in terms of four continuous stages: 1) traditional method; 2) so-called "direct method"; 3) audio-lingual and4) audiovisual [1, c. 38].

Reading and translation of literary worksremainedthe main purpose of foreign languages’teachingfor a long time. As the time passed, this goal has changed, and (with the communicative method appearance) language learning has gained new meaning, having enriched owing to the television and radio, the Internet, satellite television etc.

So, the traditional method, or classical one (sometimes also known as "grammar-translational method") was being implemented to the educational process back in 1840 years and had been used for over 150 years. This method is based on the structure and word’s form, focusing only ongrammar and vocabulary, and not onunderstanding and speaking. Subject-matter exercises, written questions and answers considering the use of grammatical rules are inherent to the abovementioned method. Foreign language is used for text translation, where the learner is unable to express himself, and where the native language is the language of instruction. The above method was used for teaching Latin, Greek and formed the basis for the further development of other languages, which, however, are more focused on the communicative method of studyingrather than on translation.

And now, at the beginning of the new millennium, we still do not refuse from the immense experience gained in the methods of foreign languages’ teaching and use the best of what was created by the methodologists. Traditional methodology of 19^thand 20^thcenturies has undergone significant changes, up to the complete internalchanges that paved the way for the appearance of new methods.

The long struggle between the supporters of formal (classical) and material education which ends in the 80^thof the nineteenth century by reforming foreign languages’ teaching in the secondary school of many Western European countries. Among the most popular reformers: M. Berlits, M. Walter (Germany) F. Gouin, P. Passy (France), G. Suit (England), O. Jespersen (Denmark) [3, p. 103]. New methods received different denominations: intuitive, visually-intuitive,common, natural, direct. Referring these methods theterms "direct" and "natural" are mostly used in the methodological literature. Natural method, in fact, is a form of direct method, differing from the secondone by the stage of its scientific validity.

The direct method of foreign languages’teaching begins to be applied to the study of foreign languages in France in the late XIX century and continues till the early twentieth. It is based on the foreign language’steaching without using common one. In other words, the student has to learn to think in the foreign language, focusing much attention on speaking. Teacher’s role has also been changed: instead of long explanations, he uses various objects, schemes; teacher supervises the audience, givingthe students some opportunityto identify their own initiative. Grammar is given intuitively, based on the context – from the rules to the examples and material summarizing, rather than by comparison with fixed forms of native language. The examples of widely used exercises are the following: "question – answer", and thetype of student teacher interactionbecomesvery close to the modern didactic concepts.

French teacher François Gouin, one of the founders of this method, watching children playing, came to the pointthat in the base of mother tonguelearninglies the need to accompany one’s activity withthe statements in logical and chronological order. Havinganalyzed F.Gouin concludes that the process of foreign language’smastering should have also been similar[2, p. 24]. Therefore, he proposes the following key principles of his method: natural language learning based on the person’s need to express one’sfeelings.A sentence but not a word should be in the base of the learning. Auditory perception becomesthe most reliable and efficient, according to this,speaking, not reading and writingshould be primary and essential means in the language learning. Prominent psychologists and linguists of the time, among which are: Mr. Passy, G. Suyit, O. Jespersen and others participated in the development of this method.

Thus, the most distinctive merit of the direct method is thementality change in the understanding of the approachto the principles of foreign languages’teaching, namely: phonetic drills’development, choice of the content and supplementary materials.

Audio-lingual method of teaching occurs in response to linguistic veil of the direct method and is based on well-known scientific theories like L. Blunfilda’slinguistic structuralism andB. Skinner’s behaviorism. The essence of this method lies down in the fact that language is treated as a "behavior", which should be taught [1, c. 41]. The priority, however, remains for the speaking and phrasal verbs’, linguistic clichés’, and not a separate words’studyis offered, promoting the principles of programmed instruction. Structured exercises introduced in the didactics of foreign languages gained enormous popularityas a very effective way to acquire language skills.Andthe formsof the phrasal verbsproximate to the content were used spontaneously and brought to automatism. The ultimate goal of the training was thethorough foreign languagemasteringboth orally and in writing. But, despite all the positive aspects of this technique, it appeared to be not progressive enough with a number of critic comments, including: students’ inactivity, the lack of initiative on teacher’s part, weak interaction between the participants of the educational process, underestimation of cognitive learning processes and the role of the written language.

Finally, audiovisual method appears in the 50^thof the twentieth century, and founded, to the point, by Petar Hiuberina from Zagreb University from the Institute of Phonetics, Paul Rivenk from high school of St. Cloud, and from 1960 – by the team of teachers under Raymond Renard’s supervisionfrom the State University Mont (Belgium). Speaking isthe basis of this method, where the dialogue serves as a permanent link between context and expression in close connection with the image. First programsused by this method were: "Voix et images de France" (Voice and image of France), "Bonjour Line" (Hello Lino) and many others [2, c. 28]. All cycles have well-formulated lessons goal, beginning with the registered dialogue, accompanied by slides with the inclusion of new, as for that time, elements of lessons: phonetics, morphology and syntax. Mastering grammatical material is carried out according to the same principle in combination with the image and dialogue, where the dialogue situation is proposed by the inductive method in the second half of the class and where speaking predominates over writing. Teacher controls the learning process, not limiting the activity of the student, who must fulfill thedefined goals, always listen, repeat, understand, remember and therefore freely speak foreign language. He watches her good intonation and rhythm, the correct pronunciation, correct use of grammar, helps to understand the content of the material having been read, using animation material. The popularity of this method is explained by the fact that the authentic materials simulate nativespeakers’ real language environment, contribute to the development of students’ motivation and interests.

Foreign languages’ learning in themodern society is an integral part of professional training of diversified profile, where the emphasis is made on the new trends in selecting methods, techniques, ways and forms of education. The continuous growth demands quality of education and highly qualified trainingof specialistsin the medical field.Rapid increase of scientific and technical information requires from the scientific and teaching personnel of Bukovinian State Medical University,andfrom the staff of the Foreign Languages Department, in particular, providing new approaches and methods needed for the professional orientated foreign languages’ study using distance learning technologies. We are provided with such a possibility by a local telecommunication network and the opportunity to introduce our school educational resources management system Moodle – modularobject-oriented dynamic learning environment.

The term "Distance Education" was borrowed from English language, and the methods of teaching itself from educational programs ofsuch leading countries as Britain, Canada, France, and in particular the USA, where distance learning is very popular.

The concept of distance education covers different models, methods and technology of teaching in which the teacher and the student are separated spatially, but the communication between them is carried out on-line.

Present day opportunities are such that many of the necessary information can be found on the Internet that’s why it should be admitted that teacher ceases to be the sole source of knowledge for the student and methods of active learning and distance learning increase.

With the use of distance learning technologies in educational process changes will gradually take place in such integral elements of the traditional system of education, as the board and chalk replacement into the electronicboard and computer training systems, book library – intoelectronic one, regular audience – into the media one.

Based on the analysis of the number of publications devoted to mixed (hybrid) form of education, i.e. considering the integrationof face-to-face and distance forms as the most promising model for the higher medical institutions. It is quite acceptable for our Department of Foreign Languages, in particular, to study medical students foreign languages for professional purposes, using distance learning courses to deepen previously received knowledge at school as well as for consultations, features additional information and even for self-assessmentof the knowledge acquired.

In preparing and conducting classes in the Moodleteacher uses a set of course elements, which includes: didactic material, grammar, additional audio-video, self –control and others. Teacher’s task is to make the forms of study which will correspond to the aims and purposes of the lessons, thereby linking the combination of various course elements and organizing the study of the material given.

Education-informative portal creation enables students to carry out self-education, regardless of their location, at any convenienttime for them, and the principle of its understandingmeans the student’s awareness of the self-study process and own actions for its organization.

Thus, one of the important tasks of modern education is to train highly qualified professionals who possess information-communicationaltraining technologies and can independently acquire knowledge. Therefore, based on the Bologna process’requirements, the part ofstudents’ individual work in the training programs of all disciplinesis increasing. And if talking about students of our Univerity, future doctors, they should possess continuous learningskills, self-improvement through distance learning technologies.

Literature:

1. Cuq Jean-Pierre, Gruca Isabelle Cours de didactique du français langue étrangère et seconde / J.-P. Cuq, I. Gruca // Presses universitaires de Grenoble, – 2002. – 454 p.

2. Demailly L. Modèles de formation continue des enseignants et rapport aux savoirs professionnels/ L.Demailly// Recherche et formation, – Paris, 1991. – N 10, – P. 23-35.

3. Demougin Françoise La didactique des langues – cultures à la croisée des méthodes / F. Demougin//Approche culturelle de l'enseignement du français. – Paris, 2009. – N 30. – P. 101-111.