Alternative assessment as a means of foreign language communicative competence formation in natural science undergraduates

Abstract

Labour market modern requirements determine the need for high-quality language training for non-linguistic students, whose competitiveness is directly dependent on the level of foreign language proficiency. Teaching foreign languages shows that the use of various technologies requires a different approach to assessing students' learning activities. In this regard, the purpose of the study is to identify the impact of the use of alternative assessment of the students’ educational activities on the improvement of their foreign language communicative competence. The study involved 84 "Biology" and "Ecology" undergraduates of Vyatka State University. The following methods were used in the research: theoretical analysis and generalization of scientific literature on the research issue, observation, experimental training, questionnaire, analysis of quantitative and qualitative research results. Pearson's χ^2 test was used for the result statistical processing. The authors identified the following alternative assessment forms and methods: iPortfolio, We Create Activity, iLearn & Teach Project, Technical Report, Mock Job Interview. These forms and methods are approximated to the real situations of the professional sphere of future engineers. The results of the experiment showed that the number of students with a low level of foreign language communicative competence formation decreased from 40,5% to 17,9%, with an average level increased from 50% to 63,1%, with the high level increased from 9,5% to 19%. The estimated value of Pearson's χ2 statistics 11.308 falls within the zone of the significance of differences in the levels of formation of foreign language communicative competence. The significance of the study lies in the approach used "assessment as learning" to solve the problem of professionally oriented communicative competence formation. This approach ensured the student orientation to professional interests and created conditions for knowledge self-acquisition, increasing the student autonomy. In addition, it led to student awareness of the necessity to master a foreign language in relation to the professional training specifics.