Оrel M.V.

State Higher Educational Establishment “National Mining University”

NEW TRENDS IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHING

The aim of our study is to review the new technologies in English learning activities and internet communication tools which have been used lately by instructors and learners and which make the educational environment more enjoyable.

CLIL (Content and Language Integrated Learning) is considered to be one of the latest trends in ELT. The pursuit of this model is to make a link between language learning and content development. That is to say, the underlying principle is that English should not be the end of a language program but the means through which learners will acquire knowledge in other fields. The approach demands not only the mastery of English and the management of ELT methods but certain degree of specialization in some disciplines.

Blended learning is the approach that is at the cutting edge in education and with a wide range of possibilities for ELT. It helps teachers optimize language learning and teaching by using ICT (Information and Communication Technology) resources in combination with face-to-face sessions.

Technologies which can be used in ETT are as follows: web, internet, mobile devices such as Personal Digital Assistant, iPhone, e-mails, online quizzes and tests, instant messenger, and internet telephone Skype. By using these technologies students learn faster and easier than before.

We are going to dwell on the most popular and effective ones.

First, Web-based learning tools, such as chats, bulletin boards, provide opportunities to create well-designed, learner-centered, interactive, efficient, flexible learning environments.

Second, E-mail is a communication tool and is probably the most commonly used Internet application. For learners of English e-mail is an excellent way to communicate with their instructors. For example, by using E-mail the teacher can create a discussion topic and send it to students via e-mail or assign a debate topic and ask the students to begin to discuss it. This helps them to improve writing skills and vocabulary.

Third, Blogging is a form of personal communication. Blogs are well suited to serve as on-line personal journals for students. Language learners could use a personal blog, linked to a course, as an electronic portfolio, showing development over time. By publishing the blog on the internet, the student has the possibility of writing for their classmates.

Skype is a new emerging technology. Speaking skills can be developed by using this application. Also students and teachers do not have to pay for this; they just pay for internet access.

Mobile learning is one of those technologies which have been used for a few years. Mobile learning system is available for delivering education to learners anytime and anywhere they need it. Mobile phones are the most popular devices among people.

Other trends also deserve our attention. However it is worthy to say that none the technologies we are going to mention are, strictly speaking, new.

Take, for example, the idea of spaced repetition, which is a buzzword at the moment. Back in 1885, Hermann Ebbinghaus carried out an experiment designed to measure how quickly we forget. He discovered that, unless new information is reinforced, we quickly forget what we have learned. In the 1930s, other researchers found that spacing out repetition – revising the information every two days, then every four, then every eight, and so on – was most effective. Today we see more and more language-learning apps which use the principles of spaced repetition.

Another technology is connecting learners with the outside world. Nowadays students have access to a great amount of English-language material online.

As a result, more and more sites that adapt materials for students are appearing. Easier English Wiki, for example, provides students (and teachers) with free materials based on articles from New Internationalist magazine. Newsmart is an app that helps students to develop reading and listening skills.

Teachers are starting to create materials in ways that would have been impossible some years ago. Nearly every student now carries a powerful mini-computer, video camera and audio recorder in their pocket (otherwise known as a mobile phone) and teachers are finding new ways to use this technology in the classroom for learning English.

The final trend we are going to discuss is 21st-century skills. What are 21st century skills? Generally, this term is used to refer to skills that are felt to be of particular importance in today’s world. These are the four skills that our students will need to be successful in the 21st Century: communication, creativity, critical thinking and collaboration. These skills were always important, but presently the emphasis on these sorts of skills needs to be greater.

As a general guide, however, here are five “essential strategies” we would recommend that you develop in your classroom to encourage 21st Century thinking and learning. Give students the opportunity to be self-learners, which guarantees lifelong learning. If students are to lead the way to learning, they need to be able to ask questions – and then find the means to answer them. This can guide students toward true self-motivated learning. Find every opportunity to allow students to form pairs and small groups. Not only does this encourage the development of speaking and listening skills, but it also teaches students how to effectively achieve goals together. Critical thinking skills take students well beyond simple comprehension of information. Students use these skills to solve problems in new situations, make inferences and generalizations, combine information in new patterns, and make judgments based on evidence and criteria. Introduce activities in your lessons that build critical thinking skills along with language skills. Encourage your students to be creative throughout each lesson. Creative activities allow students to express what they’ve learned in a new way. This synthesizing of knowledge consolidates learning, and creates an experience that remains with students long after the class is over.

Our research was conducted on the basis of the literature survey. We feel that it will help and encourage students and teachers to use new technologies in their curriculum.