Филологические науки / 1.Методика преподавания языков

A.Mussatayeva, R.U.Latanova

L.N.Gumilyov Eurasian National University

Astana, Kazakhstan

Features of some teaching methods in high school

The problem of finding and selecting the most efficient and rational methods of teaching foreign languages, that would conform to the contemporary conditions and requirements of education, still remains relevant in the modern teaching methodology.

Teaching methods are one of the most important components of the educational process. It is impossible to achieve assigned goals, realize intended contents, and fill the teaching with cognitive activity without the use of appropriate methods.

The teaching method organically combines the organization of teacher’s instructional work and students’ learning activities, as well as the specifics of their work to achieve the educational, developmental and educational learning objectives. First of all, it is a process that is intended to teach individual and solve educational problems, and secondly, it is always a joint learning activities between teacher and students. This implies that the subject activities of the educational process are the basis for the concept of "teaching method".

From the teacher’s point of view, teaching methods can be considered as the ways of organizing students’ learning cognitive activities as well as their management. Emphasizing the cognitive orientation of existing methods, they can be defined as the ways in which the students with the guidance of a teacher acquire new knowledge and enrich them with more accurate and comprehensive information.

Groups of methods at the end of the 20^th century should be distinguished in accordance with the following features: presence or absence of the mother tongue in teaching a foreign language; typical method names of this group: direct, translation or mixed; ratio of foreign-language-speech practice and language theory: the typical names of methods: practical, consciously-practical, consciously-comparative (where grammar and theory learning in general plays a vital role); use or non-use of students’ specific mental conditions while mastering a foreign language (sleep conditions, relaxation, impact of auto-training and so on); typical method names: alternative (intensive, suggestive, etc...) and traditional (conventional).
    In addition to the stated features, foreign language teaching systems (methods) differ on the general ways of organization the educational process, which could be teacher-centered (controlled or teacher-directed learning) or student-centered(self-directed learning).

Grammar-translation or synthetic method is based on the study of grammar. Phonetics did not exist as an aspect, vocabulary studied haphazardly as the illustrative materials to the grammatical rules. The primary means of teaching was a literal translation. Learning a foreign language was directed at the development of logical thinking and training of cognitive abilities. Language was studied in the negligent, semi-conscious, semi-technical way. Learners used to memorize all materials (rules and examples) by rote without prior analysis, which provides materials’ comprehension. Preference was given to form over content, which led to the distortion of the meaning and violation of norms of a native language. Representatives of the grammar-translation method: Margo (France), Nurok, Ollendorf (England), Meydinger (Germany).

The essence of the natural method was to create the same conditions while learning a foreign language as during the natural learning of native language by a child. That’s why this method is called natural. The most prominent representatives of this method were M. Berlitz, F. Gwen, M. Walter and others.

The main purpose of the natural method – is to teach students to speak a foreign language. Proponents of this method support the idea that students will be able to read and write in the target language after mastering speaking first, even without being trained the techniques of reading and writing. They mainly developed methodology of the initial stage and students were taught everyday language, encouraging practical objectives.

There were attempts to modify the direct method after the World War I. One of the representatives of this trend was English teacher and methodologist Harold Palmer (1877-1950), who presented his methodical technique called "Palmer’s method."

According to the Palmer, the main purpose of learning a foreign language is mastering the spoken language. His method is called oral method where Palmer suggested some ways to learn and master speaking.

Division of language difficulties in accord with following aspects: phonetic, orthographic, etymologic, semantic, and syntactic. Conducting oral speech learning in two areas: speaking and understanding. Accumulation of the passive material, and then, its active reproduction. Using of the following techniques for words semantization: visualization, translation, interpretation, definition, and context. Accumulation of speaking patterns by memorization. Rational selection of the dictionary based on frequency, structural compatibility, and practicability. Selection of texts on topics, defining minimum range of vocabulary and types of reading.

Learning purpose according to H. Palmer was a practical proficiency in all types of speech activity (speaking, reading, and writing).

The main principle that unites different directions in methodology and different teaching traditions is the idea of teaching a foreign language as a key tool to communication, and the idea of communication as an important instrument to learn language. However, learning language shouldn't become an unconscious training of communicative language use. More often and often in current language teaching concepts, communicative approach is organically combined with conscious systematization of the language phenomena during the process of learning languages.

Modern teaching methods tend to create positive and meaningful attitude among students towards learning language, presenting it as a reflection of social-cultural reality, as a phenomenon of multinational culture. This is one of the main ways to create (through learning languages) an effective framework for international mutual understanding.

The role of the students' independent (individual) work, that provides the development of student's creativity, is also indisputable for most the existing concepts of leaning languages.

In summary, it should be noted that according to didactics there are no such universal methods and approaches that would always assure success. Any of the methods separately cannot provide necessary results. Application of any training methods shall be performed not in itself, but in the context of pedagogical system, considering its elements and features, student population, learning/teaching objectives, syllabus, etc. Implementation of teaching methods should be methodically organized to realize their potential and provide educational capabilities.
          Therefore, foreign language instructor should certainly know the following: age and specific features of the students, their level of development, their interests and plans for the future; the subject which assumes not only language, but also knowledge of the psychological and physiological mechanisms that are considered as an essential part of learning foreign languages; features of modern teaching methods and techniques. In order to rationalize your chosen methods, first of all, you should know possibilities and constraints of all teaching methods, understand what kind of tasks in what circumstances can be successfully solved by utilizing different methods, and in what cases they are useless or ineffective.

References:

1.Babanskiy J.K., Choosing the teaching methods in high school. - M .: Politizdat, 1981.- 176 p.
2.Bannikova L.S., Methods of teaching foreign languages and technical teaching aids: The course of lectures for four-years students of the specialty 1-02 03 06 01 - "English", specialty 1-02 03 06 02 - "German". In three parts.Part I. / Ministry of Defense of the RB. - Gomel: “Skoriny”, 2006. - 82 p.
3.Belogrudova V.P., On the research activity of students in the conditions of the project method / V.P.Belogrudova // Foreign languages at school. - 2005. № 8.– pp. 6-11.