Philological
science/ 2. Methodology of teaching language and literature
Latanova R.U., Sekerbaeva S.A.
Eurasian National University named after L.N. Gumilev,
Republic of Kazakhstan
Competence-based approach of teaching and
learning foreign languages
Today
the objective requirement of modern society is the search of optimum ways of
organization teaching and educational process, rational versions of the content
of training and its structure.
Now
we are witnesses of modernization of education that is caused by requirement of
improvement of system of education in our country and training at all stages, starting from preschool and
finishing the highest professional. In these conditions knowledgeable approach
to training was replaced for competence-based one that is caused by a variety
of reasons. First of all, need of consideration of educational levels as an
important part of the system of continuous education providing the level
between school and higher education institution and also between higher
education institution and the follow-up professional activity of the graduate
is realized. Besides, introduction and use of active methods and forms of
education are the elements of problematical character, scientific search, independent
work stimulating communication, a conscientious attitude to the activity, and
creative activity of pupils.
The
general competence causes informative activity of the pupil, his ability to
communicate with others. The general competence is made with declarative
knowledge (knowledge of the world; knowledge from various spheres; the
knowledge inherent in concrete culture and having universal character, etc.),
the individual and psychological features of the person allowing it to carry
out speech activity to some success (traits of character, temperament,
readiness and desire to start communication with the carrier of the learned
language, attention to the partner in communication and to the topic of
communication, etc.), the skills and abilities providing to the pupil
economical, effective acquisition of language and culture, nonnative for it
(ability to study :to work with the dictionary, to use computer and audiovisual
tutorials, etc.).
Competence-based
approach in defining of the purposes and the maintenance of the general
education isn't absolutely new, and furthermore alien for the Kazakhstan
school. Orientation to assimilation of abilities, ways of activity, and
moreover generalized ways of activity was the leader in works of such teachers
as V. V. Davydov, I.Ya. Lerner, V. V. Krayevsky, M. N. Skatkin and their
followers. In this course both separate educational technologies, and training
materials were developed. However this orientation wasn't defining, it was
practically not used at creation of standard training programs, standards and
estimated procedures. Therefore today for realization of competence-based
approach it is accepted to consider the international experience, taking into
account necessary adaptation to traditions and needs of Kazakhstan [2, 234].
Competence-based
approach for the first time started being developed in England. It was an
approach which was ingenerated and comprehended not only education, and was the
answer to the concrete issues of the professional sphere. In other words, this
approach focuses on such system of ensuring quality of training of students
which would meet requirements in labour market in the modern world. Thus, competence-based approach in
education is an attempt to bring into accord, on the one hand, need of the
personality to integrate into activity of society and requirement of society to
use the potential of each personality for ensuring the economic, cultural and
political self-development from the other hand.
Competence
for the pupil is an image of its future, a reference point for development.
Development of competences of pupils to an optimum level requires filling of
the revealed competences the didactic contents, search of optimum psychology
and pedagogical conditions of their formation in process.
Introduction
of competence-based approach to a standard and practical component of education
will perhaps allow us to solve the problem typical for Kazakhstani school when
pupils can seize a set of theoretical knowledge well, but experience
considerable difficulties in the activity demanding use of this knowledge for
the solution of specific objectives or problem situations.
Speaking
about competence-based approach in relation to foreign-language education, we
come to use of the term "communicative competence". Communicative
competence is a term in linguistics which refers to a language user’s
grammatical knowledge syntax, morphology, phonology and the like, as well as
social knowledge about how and when to use utterances appropriately. This term
was coined by Dell Hymes in 1966 when he reacted to Noam Chomsky to distinct
clearly between competence and performance. Thus according to a number of
scientists, as components of communicative competence, language, discourse
competence, colloquial, pragmatical (practical), social and linguistic,
strategic and cognitive competences act. L.
Bachmann’s pragmatic competence, “mainly focuses on the relationship
between what one says in his or her communicative acts and what functions he or
she intends to perform through his or her utterances” [1] Others consider that
the concept "communicative competence" unites grammatical (rules of
language), social and linguistic (rules of the dialect speech), discourse
(rules of creation of sense of the statement), and strategic (rules of
temporary use of contact with the interlocutor) competences. “… a normal child
acquires knowledge of sentences not only as grammatical, but also as
appropriate. He or she acquires competence as to when to speak, when not, and
as to what to talk about with whom, when, where, in what manner. In short, a
child becomes able to accomplish a repertoire of speech acts, to take part in
speech events, and to evaluate their accomplishment by others.” [2, 277] In a
generalized view communicative competence is made with linguistic, pragmatical and sociolingual components.
Competence-based
approach has both positive and negative sides.
On
the one hand, it should be noted positive signs of competence, such as
multifunctionality as they can be implemented in everyday life of the student
for the solution of various problems and professional tasks; over the
subject and interdisciplinarity;
competence provides further intellectual development of the pupil, his
thinking, a self-assessment; multidimensionality, that is competence can be
characterized from a position of development of mental capacities and also from
a position of various abilities, including intellectual abilities.
On
the other hand, as the methodologist E.I. Passov with whose opinion we can't
but reckon notes, competence-based approach is directed on providing knowledge
of a foreign language at the level of functional literacy. According to this
methodologist, functional literacy means knowledge of "survival
language", so-called "Survival English", that is, in other
words, it is about pragmatical requirements of a civilization which can't and
shouldn't prevail over cultural wealth [3, 210].
Thus,
considering questions of modernization of the Kazakhstani education and a basis
of competence-based approach it is important not to forget that education has
to be focused and on assimilation of a certain sum of knowledge, skills and on
development of the personality, informative and creative abilities as well.
Besides, it is necessary to remember the need of formation of civil liability
and legal consciousness, spirituality and culture, initiative, independence,
tolerance, ability to successful socialization for society and active
adaptation in labor market by means of a foreign language.
The
analysis of literature on this subject shows that competence is understood in a
complex, as the structure composed from various parts – sets of the knowledge,
skills necessary for implementation of concrete professional activity;
properties of the personality; potential ability of the individual to cope with
various tasks.
Competence-based
approach gives preference to utilize of the personal focused on technologies
that does possible considerably to increase motivation and to stimulate
creative activity of pupils that as a result leads to increase of efficiency of
application of this approach. Also, the accounting of the basic principles of
training, such as the principle of a speech orientation, functionality, novelty
and collective interaction is necessary.
In
conclusion, we can say that competence-based approach can become especially
productive for the development of modern system of technological training of
school students. The essence of this approach in a priority of extra subject,
personally significant knowledge and abilities over subject knowledge, and
experience shows that the most socially adapted were those people who possess
not only the sum of the academic knowledge, but the set of personal qualities:
initiative, productive , creative approach to business, ability to make
independent decisions.
1.
Bachmann, Lyle (1990). Fundamental
Considerations in Language Testing. Retrieved from:
htpp://books.google.com.ph/books/about/Fundamental Considerations in Language
T.html?id=5_KJCfkWgqcC&redir_esc=y
2.
Hymes, Dell (1972). “On
communicative competence.” In Pride, J.B.; Holmes, J. Sociolinguistics:
selected readings. Harmondsworth: Penguin.
pp. 269–293.