scholarly journals Student interest in cultural content of a foreign country

2016 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 465
Author(s):  
Katarina Krželj

The paper presents results of a study on the interest of students of non-philological faculties (of universities in Serbia) in contents from foreign cultures and how high importance students attach to learning about the target culture in foreign language teaching and learning at non-philological faculties. The goal of modern foreign language teaching at non-philological faculties, in addition to the development of communicative competence in the profession, is also to develop pluricultural competence. In order to test the chances of attaining this goal, it is necessary to perform an analysis of the legislative framework in which teaching foreign languages for special purposes takes place, an analysis of learning aims and the possibility of developing cross-cultural sensitization. An analysis of the needs for and interests in the contents of the target culture must be precededed by an analysis of the specificities of intercultural learning and intercultural competence. Based on these results, it is possible to establish the correlation between the elements of the culture already present in the existing teaching material and the interests and needs of the target group which these materials are intended for.The data thus obtained will serve as a basis for defining the guidelines for selecting contents of the target culture, which, on one hand, will be based on methodological and didactical principles of interculturally oriented foreign language teaching, and on the other hand, will reflect the real needs and interests of the students from a number of non-philological faculties.

Author(s):  
E. B. Yastrebova ◽  
D. A. Kryachkov

The article analyzes how professors and students of MGIMO-University’s School of International Relations perceive innovations in language teaching.As a synergy system, language teaching relies on selfdevelopment based to a great extent on innovations, which can be initiated either from the inside or from the outside. To identify the basic features of innovations in foreign language teaching, the authors conducted a survey of professors and students of the School of international Relations. The results suggest that for most respondents the main purpose of innovations in foreign language teaching and learning is to attain a significantly higher level of communicative competence, which is seen as feasible only if fundamentally new teaching materials and computer technologies are used. According to the survey, the success of innovations largely depends on their source (innovations ‘from the top’ and innovations ‘from the bottom’) and commitment on the part of professors and students to participate in them, the latter being often prompted by their discontent with the state of play. Innovations ‘from above’ tend to be more encompassing and affect the entire system of language education, whereas innovations ‘from the bottom concern the teaching process per se. Though the survey suggests that it is innovations ‘from the top’ that tend to be more successful, the authors conclude that language education as a synergy system adopts only non-shattering innovations that address its most vital needs, thus encouraging its sustainable development.


2021 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Prem Prasad Poudel ◽  
Madan Prasad Baral

Abstract In recent years, in Nepal, while some languages of the nation are on the verge of extinction, some foreign languages (such as Japanese, Korean, Chinese) are emerging as new attractions among the youths and adults and are widely taught in the marketplaces through the private sector initiative. Against this backdrop, in this article, we have examined the current foreign language teaching and learning situation drawing on qualitative empirical data obtained from the institutes involved in foreign language instruction in a city in Gandaki Province of Nepal. The data were collected from a survey in forty institutes, ten individual interviews and five focus group discussions. Drawing on the data, an ecological model was adopted, which focused on dynamic interaction, co-existence, and competition among languages, and findings were discussed in line with these aspects of ecological understanding. Findings revealed that learning foreign languages has been established as a conduit towards economic gains and opportunities for employment and education, which has largely been contributory towards reshaping the ecological relationship among the foreign languages in Nepal.


Author(s):  
Luiza Ciepielewska-Kaczmarek

The following factors have contributed to arising new target groups in teaching foreign languages: the European Union’s claim concerning the multilingualism of its members, migrations, common mobility. As a consequence of this situation new handbooks for teaching and learning foreign languages have appeared on the market. Thus, the teacher is often confronted with the necessity of choosing the handbook, which is most adequate for the needs of a particular group of learners. The present article aims at defining the criteria of handbook selection in the light of the latest trends in foreign language teaching methodology.


Author(s):  
Tatiana V. Baydikova

The work is devoted to determining the purpose of professional foreign language teaching to students of an agrarian university in the conditions of content and language integrated learning. Based on the study of the history of the issue of determining the purpose of foreign language teaching at different stages, it was concluded that the main result of teaching should be the development of students’ professional intercultural foreign language communicative competence. This type of competence in work is understood as the ability and willingness of agrarian university students to use a foreign language as a mean of professional communication with representatives of different countries and cultures, taking into account the specifics of intercultural interaction, as well as a mean of cognition and professional development. Structurally, intercultural professional foreign language communicative competence includes three blocks: professional, intercultural, and foreign language communicative. Foreign language communicative competence represents the ability and willingness of students to use a foreign language as a mean of communication, cognition and development. It will reflect the professional orientation of teaching and include linguistic, speech, sociocultural, strategic and educational-cognitive components. Intercultural competence represents the ability and willingness to interact with representatives of different countries and cultures, aimed at establishing professional intercultural contacts, resolving conflict situations in the field of intercultural communication, and achieving the goals of intercultural interaction. All these three blocks of professional intercultural foreign language communicative competence exist separately only for descriptive purposes and are in close interconnection with each other. We also consider professional foreign language communicative competence as a level category consisting of value-motivational, cognitive, communicative and reflective components. Each of the components is described in detail.


Author(s):  
Oleksandra Borzenko

The article reveals the features of professional improvement of foreign language communicative competence of foreign language teachers in the European Union, which is the result of the development of European integration, globalization and information processes. Emphasis is placed on the importance of professional development of teachers and the need for changes related to the development of new goals in teaching foreign languages with the new up-to-date innovative teaching aids. It is determined that foreign language teachers of European countries are constantly looking for and actively apply in practice innovative methods, modern information technologies, as well as distance learning in language teaching. It is noted that an essential feature of modern innovation processes in the field of education and upbringing is their technologicalization – strict compliance with the content and sequence of stages of the implementation of innovations. Among all new technical aids for foreign language teaching, the computer is an essential component of the educational process, which has one of the most significant influences on the course of teaching. New up-to-date approaches to the formation of foreign language communicative competence in the foreign language teaching put forward new requirements for the professionalism of the teacher, his/her qualifications. It is determined that the improvement of foreign language competence of the foreign language teacher is influenced by the properties of his/her personality, general and professional competence, which is provided by a combination of knowledge of didactics, linguistics, methods of teaching foreign languages, cultural studies and creativity, professional mobility, continuous self-development. Foreign language teachers of the European Union improve their professionalism through various forms of education. The views of scientists on the research problem are characterized. Conclusions and prospects for the use of further development of the study are made.


Author(s):  
Maria Rakovs`ka ◽  
◽  
Dariya Pustovoichenko ◽  

Introduction. The article deals with the problem of students’ academic professional literacy development by means of a foreign language based on the implementation of the SIOP Model. The foundations of the question have been borrowed from the SIOP (Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol) Model that focuses on helping English Language Learners (ELLs) with academics in a mainstream classroom. The SIOP Model provides a practical and flexible tool for educators to use in planning, implementing and observing Sheltered Instruction. The SIOP Model is one of the two major areas, the other being General English, which is established in the English-speaking world. The professionally oriented English course is developed for students from different non-linguistic specialties. The goals, objectives, content of the course are compiled according the students’ requirements of real target foreign language communication situations. The principles and approaches that underlie occupational mobility are outlined. It is revealed that occupational mobility serves as a criterion for evaluating the effectiveness of professional development. The aim of the study. The aim of this paper is to outline the improving the efficiency of foreign language teaching for future non-linguistic specialists with the iplementation of the SIOP Model. Methods of the research. Methods of the research include theoretical - study of literature, experience on the problem, theoretical analysis of philosophical, sociological, psychological, pedagogical literature on research topics, synthesis of theoretical and empirical material, its generalization and systematization of data, modeling, comparison, forecasting; as well as a set of empirical methods – observations, study and generalization of pedagogical experience. Results. . It is revealed that The SIOP Model was developed to assist mainstream teachers in using research-based practices which ensure ELLs success with academic language and vocabulary. Over time, the model has proven to be a form of best practices for educators. It is also known to reach ELLs by focusing on academic language in order to obtain optimal results. Learning foreign languages in the context of intercultural paradigm has great potential for personal development. It is determined that professional mobility and competence are interdependent. The curriculum should include a cultural component, on the basis of which intercultural communication competence is formed. It is revealed that in the process of forming professional mobility it is very important to distinguish personal characteristics that provide mobility, activity and creativity of a person. The pedagogical conditions of professional mobility with the help of foreign languages are outlined. It is determined that the process of learning foreign languages is aimed at forming elements of general cultural and professional competences. Good command of a foreign language enables future professionals to effectively carry out their professional activities in their field, which will significantly increase the level of language training. It is considered that the formation of communication skills at the present stage implies the development of students' communicative competence. The component of directions of formation of multicultural communicative competence in the conditions of studying foreign languages for professional purposes is considered. Conclusion. The purpose of teaching foreign languages for future non-linguistic specialists with the application of the SIOP Model should upgrade the skills and abilities that allow the future specialist to effectively pursue a professional activity in their field: work with foreign literature, participate in discussions in a foreign language, speak or write a professional translation of business literature in professional field. The process of foreign languages learning with the implementation of SIOP Model is aimed at forming professional competencies. The combination of these competencies in the future will determine the level of training future professionals, the degree of their readiness for professional self-determination and professional activity. The SIOP components and functions demonstrate a number of aspects that make a teacher's performance effective. The SIOP Model combines the features of effective learning into one whole, integrates a foreign language with professional learning that in the context of modern Ukrainian education is especially relevant in the transition to a system of training future specialists.


Neofilolog ◽  
2017 ◽  
pp. 199-211
Author(s):  
Marzena Blachowska-Szmigiel

The aim of this article is to present opportunities, challenges and constraints related to the support of a student’s empowerment in the context of institutionalized foreign language teaching. In the first part of the article, we describe empowerment as the approach, the process and the action that support the growth of power in individuals, communities and organizations. In the following part we present teaching and learning of foreign languages as a process supporting student’s empowerment. In the last part, we point to a foreign language teacher as a source of opportunities, challenges and constraints related to the support of a student’s empowerment.


2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 137-149
Author(s):  
Karine Chiknaverova

This article addresses the issue of activation of the process of foreign-language acquisition by means of fostering students’ autonomy. The author characterises and analyses the nature and components of foreign-language communicative competence and autonomy. It proceeds with justifying the appropriateness of using particular diagnostic tests and specifies the components of autonomy that are manifested during foreign-language teaching and learning at university. The methods employed include statistical relevance check based on the criteria of Mann–Whitney, Wilcoxon rank correlation, analysis by Spearman and factor analysis. The findings confirm the interconnection between intensity and quality of students’ foreign-language communicative competence development and their autonomy. The research identifies three levels of foreign-language communicative competence and the levels of autonomy corresponding to them. The article concludes with an outline of the stages following the exploratory experiment and further recommendations.   Keywords: Learners’ autonomy, foreign-language communicative competence, monitoring learners’ autonomy, foreign-language acquisition, English as a second language.


1987 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
pp. 85-96 ◽  
Author(s):  
John L. Clark

Recent developments in the teaching of foreign languages at school level have been primarily, if not exclusively, concerned with attempts to move away from the more academic form-focused views of language and language teaching that prevailed well into the 70s, towards the more practical and communicatively-oriented approaches in vogue today. Many projects have added useful insights in this areas, and it would be impossible to do justice to them all. It is proposed, therefore, to limit the scope of this chapter to the description of a rather as a subject rather than as a medium of instruction. It is hoped that these will be seen as representative of the much wider range of school foreign language teaching developments that have taken place across the world in recent years. First, however, a brief attempt will be made to outline the background from which these more communicatively-oriented approaches have emerged.


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