V. Kasyanova

Kostanay State University named after A.Baitursynov, Kazakhstan

Difficulties in teaching a professionally oriented foreign language at non-linguistic faculties

    A foreign language nowadays is a prerequisite of the professionalism. Knowledge of a foreign language makes it possible to find the necessary information in the foreign language sources, to communicate with colleagues from different countries, to publish research articles in foreign scientific journals. Professional and personal prospects of the development of a qualified specialist largely depend on the level of his(or her) mastering a foreign language at a non-linguistic faculty.

Thus, professionally oriented foreign language teaching at non-linguistic faculties involves the formation of a professional foreign language competence, allowing modern specialist:

- to read the literature of a professional nature, to extract and process the information in accordance with the intended purpose from print and electronic sources, using the skills of such types of reading as viewing, searching, and studying;

- to have hearing skills in comprehension of the information on professional themes and to extract the information in accordance with the communicative task;

- to express own thoughts in the form of oral and written texts, demonstrating knowledge of grammar material and possession of special terminology;

- to carry out a dialogue of an argumentative type: asking questions of a clarifying and polemical content;

- to clarify a particular point of view, to support or refute the arguments of the interlocutor demonstrating possession of speech communication etiquette in a variety of situations;

- to make reports on a given topic: to represent structured presentation of themes, highlighting the problem under discussion, to consider different aspects of it, to express and argue own position;

- to speak on the topic: brief and logically prove own position, give examples, summarize the results of the discussion;

- to take notes of the oral or written text in accordance with the planned purpose of speech (a short composition, comment, essay).

In the field of training specialists at non- linguistic faculties the curriculum includes the preparation of such professionals who have good knowledge of a foreign language in their specialty, have a new type of professional thinking, able to perceive the experience of western countries. Language skills and knowledge of the international etiquette of oral and written business communication are required for a possible dialogue with foreign experts. Development of international relations with English-speaking countries, the emergence of joint ventures, the increasing number of foreign equipment in the production - all this, in its turn, requires special knowledge of a foreign language in the professional field as well as the presence of certain socio - cultural knowledge.

However, there are some difficulties which both students and teachers face in teaching a foreign language at non-linguistic faculties:

1) At our University students of non-linguistic faculties begin learning a foreign language in the second year, but not in the first, which leads to partial forgetting of the information received at school. Because of this, many teachers are forced to spend more time on repetition of the material studied at school, and less on the explanation of the new one;

2) Lack of a model curriculum for the discipline "Professionally-oriented foreign language” for the students of non-linguistic faculties.

3) Information gaps in teachers. In view of the peculiarities of teaching a foreign language, many teachers do not have enough professional knowledge in the students' future specialty;

4) Low motivation of students in studying a foreign language.

5) Lack of the foreign authentic literature on the students’ specialty with the developed system of exercises and tasks aimed at the development of communicative skills.

As for the ways of solving these problems, they are as follows: 1. The use of elements of the intensive method of teaching foreign languages in order that the students could learn more new information during shorter period of time.

2. As copyrights to develop model programs in accordance with the requirements for preparing students of non- linguistic specialties in a foreign language.

3. To obtain the necessary skills teachers should:

a) strengthen the connection of a foreign language with the disciplines on the specialty;

b) in accordance with the trend of internationalization of education use widely the exchange of teachers and students, who would get a professionally-oriented socio-cultural information directly from native speakers;

c) at the departments of special disciplines encourage students in using in the educational process the translation of literature on the problems which have not yet been sufficiently described in Russian sources;

4. To provide students with a clear perspective of the use of a foreign language in their future professional activities (participation in international exchanges, scientific conferences, etc.), and the possibility of receiving new information not only from Russian sources but from foreign ones. Motivation of mastering a professionally-oriented foreign language promotes interest in the implementation of educational activities;

5. Carefully select the material, the main characteristics of which must be the authenticity, presence of communicative and professional orientation and the degree of complexity, which corresponds to the level of students’ preparation. In teaching reading this professional orientation should be traced not only in the themes of the texts, but also in the character of the text exercises that are the basis for the achievement of the stated communicative purpose.

In the conditions of rapidly expanding business, cultural and scientific relations with foreign countries, practical knowledge of foreign languages of international communication both for common humanitarian purposes and for professional activities is an essential element of education of any qualified professional. Therefore in the context of professionally-oriented teaching a foreign language at non-linguistic faculties a special emphasis should be given to the problems related to its using as a communication tool in the dialogue of cultures and civilizations of the modern world and the main paradigm of international relations.

References:

1. Беляева А.П. Тенденции развития профессионального образования // Педагогика. 2003. - № 6. - С. 21-27.

2. Долматовская Е.Ю. Подготовка к профессиональной деятельности при обучении языку специальности в неязыковом вузе. /Сб. научн.тр./ МГЛУ, вып.366, М., 1990. - С. 89-94.