Педагогические науки/5. Современные методы преподавания

Nikolaienko O.V.,

Ushata T.O.

Chernihiv National University of Technology

Professional orientation in teaching English for students of non-linguistic higher educational establishments

Modern English as any other language is a product of long historic development. It is known that English belongs to the Indo-European language family, its Germanic branch. English was first observed in Britain in the fifth century as the Old or the Anglo-Saxon English.

Now we are living in the twenty-first century, the era of unprecedented scientific, technical and economic activity on the international scale. Such activity has resulted in the dominating of technologies and commerce. That’s why the demand for a language of international communication appeared. English has occupied this place.

People have become aware of the necessity of learning English not only for the purpose of enjoying themselves or prestige, but because it has become a key point in all innovations and worldwide commerce. Businessmen who wish to sell their goods or services, mechanical engineers who need to read the manuals in English, doctors and lecturers who need to carry out research and read professional literature, all of them need English to gain success. It has become essential. That’s why higher education has had to undergo crucial changes. It has become obvious that students of different specialities need different English language skills, and must be taught differently. The problem of learning and teaching English for specific purposes (ESP) arose.

The experience of teaching ESP in the UK, the USA and other countries shows that many different systems may be used, e.g. open education, individual learning style approach, cooperative learning, etc. The first two ones are not acceptable for mass training, especially here, in Ukraine, where the educational system has long been aimed at authoritarian learning style.

So, cooperative learning is the best way out. The concept of this type of learning is providing the optimal conditions for learning collaboration of students in different situations: some students need less time for understanding the material and acquiring skills, the other need not only more time but also additional examples and explanation of the material. Thus, it’s reasonable to combine students in small groups and give them a common task. In such a situation everyone is responsible not only for his own results of work but for the results of the whole group as well. The students are more interested if the material is based on their professional issues. It encourages learning a foreign language and develops professional knowledge at the same time.

It’s very important to select the training materials properly, taking into account the future profession, the type of the task being completed, etc. While choosing texts for reading the following criteria should be considered: 1) the text should correspond the topic of communication, 2) it should correspond students’ needs and interests, 3) it should be able to motivate students. All textbooks and learning aids should be carefully selected. They should contain professionally oriented texts for reading, texts for translation, training grammar and vocabulary exercises, tasks for checking comprehension, training exercises developing oral speech skills. Glossary of special terms will be also useful.

There is a proverb: I hear and I forget, I see and I remember, I do and I understand. It means that the process of study will be effective only if a student himself takes an active part in this process and in his independent work later on. Students’ independent work should be feasible, it should be related to the classwork.

Learning a foreign language is a process of development. Students use their knowledge to gain new information, and only if they enlarge it, they can reach a desired result. A lecturer influences this process greatly. A good lecturer is eager to consolidate students’ language achievements, develop and improve their foreign language level. Learning a foreign language is an active process. It means that it’s not so important to have some knowledge in order to understand a language, but it’s important to be able to reproduce a language and use it in the proper situation.

Creating positive emotions is also essential while teaching English. A lecturer should avoid exerting pressure on his students, he should give them an opportunity to think and speak freely. He shouldn’t give answers to the students, but give them an opportunity to find the answers themselves. He should select interesting and diverse material. This diversity may be revealed in choosing didactic materials, equipment, visual aids, in using roleplaying, in using different types of speech activity, in choosing various topics for discussion, etc.

Learning a foreign language is a complex and dynamic process with many factors influencing each other. A lecturer of ESP at non-linguistic higher educational establishments should not necessarily be an expert in his students’ future profession, but he must be able to arouse students’ interest to learning by means of his subject.

References:

1. Mykytenko. N.O. ESP teachers training. American experience in Ukrainian context // Вісник ЛДУ БЖД No 8, 2013. - p. 268-272.

2. Dudley-Evans T. Developments in English for Specific Purposes. A multi-disciplinary approach / T. Dudley-Evans, M. J. St John. –Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1998. - 301 p.

3. Hutchinson T. English for Specific Purposes: A Lerning-Centered Approach / T. Hutchinson, A.Waters. – Cambridge University Press, 1987. – 179 p.