National Research Tomsk
Polytechnic University
Tomsk, Russia
Requirements to
Problem-solving tasks in foreign language teaching
There is no doubt that
higher education and research is moving force for innovations and country
development. Universities should prepare professionals, engineers, managers and
scientists with enough high level of knowledge in modern technology, students
major (natural sciences, social sciences, etc.), create understanding of
the world and a man in the world, foster love for life long learning. Moreover,
increased international cooperation, the need to establish new business
contrast and their effective maintenance require specialists who can speak at
least one foreign language. To achieve these goals universities use various
innovative teaching methods and means.
In the process of foreign
language teaching a problem-solving task can be defined as a
means for creating a problem
situation focused on the necessity and
capabilities of students to
communicate in a foreign language.
In this article we are
going to investigate problem-solving method in foreign language teaching.
Applying this method a lecturer aims students at seeking problem solutions
(students independently identify the problem and select the best solution).
Successful use of this method demands correspondence of the task to students’
intellectual abilities; individual peculiarities and age interests; knowledge
of the subject.
Usually solution of the
problem-based tasks includes the following steps:
1) analysis of the
situation;
2) problem
identification;
3) problem
formulation;
4) search for the
optimal solutions.
Researches bring forward
the following demands to problem-solving tasks. They should be:
1)
based on realistic or imaginary situations (which the learners might
probably face outside the classroom);
2)
aimed at thinking stimulation;
3)
in line with students’ theoretical knowledge;
4)
based on known material;
5)
based on students’ certain practical experience.
Problem-based
teaching has the following advantages, it:
1)
develops thinking flexibility and intellectual activity;
2)
teaches to work in a team, make a decision and be responsible for it;
3)
enhances intrinsic interest in the subject matter;
4)
provides creative use of the foreign language;
5)
develops abilities to solve problems through communication in the
foreign language [1, 2, 3, 4, 5].
Thus problem-solving method in
foreign language teaching is a time-consuming process both on the teacher’s
(planning, materials selection) and the learner’s (arriving at solution) part
as well as an intellectually demanding approach for both teachers and learners.
However, when tasks are well-organized and well-prepared they
efficiently contribute to the optimization of foreign language learning,
develop communication and research skills.
References:
1)
Виноградова О.С.
Формирование иноязычной коммуникативной компетенции с использованием проблемных
методов обучения ИЯ на продвинутом этапе специализированного вуза (на материале
английского языка). Дис. … канд. пед. наук. М., 2003. 330 с.
2)
Долматовская Е.Ю. Системно-логический
подход к проблемному обучению иностранному языку // Пути реализации проблемного
подхода в обучении иностранным языкам в неязыковом вузе: Сб. научных трудов.
Вып. 418. М., 1994. С. 75-78.
3)
Ковалевская Е.В.
Проблемное обучение: подход, метод, тип, система. М.: МНПИ, 2000. 226 с.
4)
Сафонова В.В.
Культуроведение в системе современного языкового образования // Иностранные
языки в школе. М., 2001, №3. С. 17-24.
5)
Stepien W., Gallagher S. Problem Based Learning for Traditional and
Interdisciplinary Classrooms. Journal for the Education of the Gifted. 1993. 16
(4). P. 338-357.