Blended learning as an innovative approach to foreign language learning

Abstract

The 21st century requires new approaches to learning foreign languages. The introduction of modern innovative technologies in the higher educational process creates new opportunities for the implementation of didactic principles in individualization and differentiation, has a positive effect on the development of cognitive students activity, their creative activity and consciousness. The theory of blended learning at higher educational establishments requires further substantial research because today needs changes in the educational process by adjusting to the requirements of society, which determines the relevance of the study. The purpose of the article is to clarify the essence of blended learning during the acquisition of a foreign language at higher educational establishments based on the educational complex “Business Partner” (PEARSON). To describe the theoretical material, there is used descriptive method with the techniques of contextual analysis, classification, generalization and interpretation. In the article, blended learning is defined as a kind of methodology, where there is a combination of online (students develop theoretical material independently, record incomprehensible nuances), traditional (students discuss the material, find out incomprehensible things previously) and self-study learning (occurs in any convenient for the student time by performing tasks in the application MyEnglishLab). Advantages of blended learning: involvement of Internet technologies, student independence, time savings, regularity, fast feedback, high objectivity of assessment, effectiveness. Disadvantages: the need for Internet connection anywhere and its high-quality connection, the need for modern equipment. The use of blended learning in studying a foreign language is fundamentally important because it is an effective distribution of educational material at a convenient pace and as a result, the student gets a full learning experience. The prospect of further research is to study the models of blended learning in detail that can be used for the most effective studying foreign languages.