MODERN AND EFFECTIVE METHODS OF TEACHING ENGLISH IN COLLEGES

Kapzhan Zhansaya

English language teacher

Mangystau Energetic College

Kazakhstan, Mangystau oblast, Aktau

Language pedagogy has come a long way since the days when repetitive grammar-translation methods were regarded as the only way to learn. Today, task-based approaches are widespread in colleges, emphasizing communication and the practical uses of language. The primary purpose of language is communication - grammar is important, but there's a bigger picture. Language is no longer seen as being learnt through mechanical exercises, it's developed through students interacting and engaging. The move towards communicative, task-based syllabuses in foreign languages was driven by the fact that teachers couldn't talk about grammar because it had stopped being taught in English lessons. The two subjects are so tightly interconnected.

Below given some new methods of teaching English.

Modern methods	Process description	Purpose
- The Silent Way	Student interaction rather than teacher	Teacher is silent to allow student awareness of how English works
- Suggestopedia	Meaningful texts and vocabulary	Relaxed atmosphere, with music; encourages subliminal learning of English
- Community Language Learning	Student interaction	Understanding of English through active student interaction
- Comprehension Approach (Natural Approach, the Learnables, and Total Physical Response)	Listening comprehension	English speaking delayed until students are ready; meaning clarified through actions and visuals
Communicative Language Teaching	Interaction, authentic communication and negotiating meaning	Understanding of English through active student interaction; role play, games, information gaps

Table 1. Modern widespread methods of teaching English

Teachers need to acquire specific teaching strategies for addressing students in the English language class rooms. Learning English is always a challenge for non-native English students. They lack confidence in having face to face communication. Therefore, it is important to create a method through which students can use English as a part of everyday life without being afraid. The importance of communication skills has spread through the society not as a requirement, but as a necessity. The most surprising aspect is that none of us are taught any kind of communication skills anytime either in school or college. Sometimes we take the most important things in life for granted and do not realize its importance until it is too late. Hence now in professional college we have to learn how to develop our communication skills through various LSRW skills which include listening English News, participating in Group Discussions, Presentation Skills, Role Plays, JAM, reading Comprehension, writing Essays, various types of Letters, Reports etc. All these activities definitely improve our communication skills.

Besides modern techniques and innovative approaches, Literature has also become an important phenomenon of English in current global scenario. According to Professor J. Collie, “To truly know a language, you must know something of the literature of a language”. There are several benefits that a language learner can derive from the inclusion of literature for language teaching. Literature provides learners with a broad variety of individual lexical or syntactic items. Students become acquainted with many types of the written language, reading a considerable and contextualized body of text. They study about the syntax and discourse functions of sentences, the variety of probable structures, and the different ways of linking ideas, which expand and improve their own writing skills. Students also become more creative and audacious when they start to observe the richness and diversity of the language they are trying to learn and commence to make use of some of that potential themselves. Thus, they improve their communicative and cultural capability in the authentic richness, sincerity of the genuine texts.

This new era of information and technology is full of new choices, opportunities and challenges due to the all-pervading technology into all spheres of life. Computers and language teaching have been walked hand to hand for a long time and contributed as teaching tools in the classroom. The classroom environment, today, is completely different from the traditional classroom. The traditional methods which are mainly based on lecturing reduce English language learning to mechanical memorization and miserably fail in developing English language as a skill among the learners. In language teaching and learning, we have a lot to choose from the world of technology: Radio, TV, Computers, Internet, Electronic Dictionary, Email, Blogs, Power Point, videos, and many more increases learners’ engagement and true interactivity within the classroom. This can be achieved by introducing ICT tools in ELT which comprises of communication devices as well as newer digital technologies such as overhead projectors, interactive boards, i-pads, blogs, E-mails, video conferencing and many more.

The communicative approach encourages teachers to use a lot of pair work and therefore increase student talking time. We believe for a group to gel and for a good group dynamic to prevail there times when the class should work together as a whole. Circle games are good opportunity to bring the group together. It is generally recognized today that individual learners have different learning styles, strategies and preferences. It is also generally accepted that to be effective lessons need a change of pace and focus to maintain the concentration of the learners. For both these reasons it is important that we teachers have as wide and flexible repertoire. To conclude the key strategies for teaching English classes are probably developing a positive and collaborative working atmosphere and providing a variety of work suitable for different levels. We have to say, that practically it is impossible to use one method or approach solely when aiming to teach a second language successfully. Lessons should be designed with effective methods of teaching. In this way we’ll get our goals in teaching successfully.

REFERENCES

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