An overview on teaching english as a second language to adults (based on eu experience of «IC-ENGLISH» platform)

Abstract

Expansive development of the English language throughout the world has recently given it the status of the language of international communication, known as a global language or “lingua franca”. The established status of English is strengthened by its dominating in the sphere of politics, mass media, culture, trade and science. Globalization processes accompanied by the expansion of the English language influenced the demand on staff with certain amount of knowledge and skills in the sphere of international communication. Considering the rising need in English-speaking employees, there is a need in preparing teachers capable of teaching competitive specialists. Accordingly, it is important to find optimal methods to teach English to adult students. The article aims at presenting an outline of existing teaching methods to teach English as a second (foreign) language in the view of characterizing basic practices, their development and their influence on adult learners. At the same time the article describes key points of individually-oriented innovative EU educational platform. In order to achieve the intended objective of the research there was certain methodology applied. Descriptive method let us analyze relevant features of main English teaching methods; historical method helped uncover their developmental peculiarities; comparative method was used to single out their common and different traits in the methodology used in teaching and learning English as a foreign language. Regarding a method to be a set of procedures, which turn out to be a practical implementation of the chosen approach in a teaching process, the paper reveals different viewpoints on its nature, stresses on hierarchical relations between a method and an approach, and dwells on the major methods having made a considerable impact on the modern English Teaching Methods in EU. Resulting from main approaches and methods, a case study of «IC-ENGLISH» platform as an example of an individual approach to teaching adults is presented, whereas four sui generis styles of learning designed by its creators focus on every personality type satisfying their learning needs. The practical value of the paper lies in the ability to apply the results of the research I teaching English as a second (foreign) language on the basis of the suggested student personality types and according to the devised practical tasks. Key words: English Teaching Methods, foreign language, method, approach, IC English platform, adult learning types.