Cultural vocabulary in teaching Turkish as a foreign language

The present paper focuses on the field of dictionary use, and examines frequency of dictionary consultation as well as dictionary preference among Romanian learners of English. Representative research on dictionary use includes Tomaszczyk (1979) and Wingate (2002) (see also Lew 2004 for an overview of the literature on dictionary consultation habits). While there has been significant research concerning dictionary use, the dictionary consultation habits of L1 Romanian speakers have been understudied (with few exceptions, see Vi?an 2018). Taking its cue from existing studies such as Atikins and Varantola (1998) which have found a correlation between dictionary use and proficiency level, the present paper focuses on a group of 214 Romanian students of EFL who major in English at the University of Bucharest, with two levels of English proficiency, namely B1 (95 students) and C1 (109 students). The paper shows that, as previous metalexicographers have underlined in studies focusing on foreign language learners, there appears to be a tendency among higher-proficiency learners to employ monolingual dictionaries more than bilingual dictionaries. This tendency occurs on the backdrop of a preference of the selected group of Romanian students, regardless of their level of proficiency, for monolingual dictionaries of English. The paper goes on to offer a detailed discussion of the context in which Romanian learners of English consult dictionaries at university level, attempting to identify the major factors which influence their lexicographical choices. The paper argues that the limited range of choice regarding bilingual dictionaries for Romanian learners of English (especially Romanian-English ones) can be seen as influencing the preference of Romanian students for monolingual dictionaries.

Background. The relevance of the problem is due to the fact that the Federal State Educational Standards of Higher Education consolidate the line on a personality-oriented model of education and upbringing. This model is designed to help in finding and creating conditions for the development of universal, general professional and professional competencies in the studing of bachelors. Purpose. Creation of a course of the second foreign language (German) for bachelor students in politics based on interdisciplinary connections of philological subjects. For this purpose, the authors use the basics of an interdisciplinary approach, which allows students to apply knowledges of the disciplines of the curriculum, such as "Political Science", "Practice of Effective Communication", "Logic and Theory of Argumentation", "Cultural Studies", "Russian Language and Culture of Speech", "Geopolitics", "Fundamentals of Internet Communication" in the process of studying a foreign language and improving universal, general professional and professional competencies. As a result of applying an interdisciplinary approach, the scientific picture of the world of students is expanded, the analysis of foreign experience of public administration and international law is carried out in the original language. Profile-oriented approach is achieved through the implementation of a communicative, personal, activity-oriented approach in teaching related and close in content disciplines. Materials and methods. The study material was based on the texts for training from the textbook "45 Stunden Deutschland", the Internet portal "Tatsachen über Deutschland" and project assignments developed by students studying in the specialty "Public Policy and Social Sciences" in the 3rd and 4th years of the "Magnitogorsk State Technical University named after G.I. Nosov". We assume that when preparing bachelor's students in non-linguistic specialties, it is necessary to build the teaching of a foreign language based on the interdisciplinary connections of general humanitarian disciplines, then the level of foreign language communicative competence will remain no lower than the level of senior secondary school and in some cases will be higher, and the level of universal, general professional and professional competencies of a bachelor-future politician by means of a second foreign language (FL2) will increase. In our study, we analyzed the literature on the problem, summarized the existing developments of domestic and foreign scientists on the topic of the study, and conducted experimental training. We are confident that the application of the competence approach in assessing foreign language communicative competence in FL2 allows us to state that the level of proficiency in FL2 becomes higher, namely equal to level B1 or B1+. This, in turn, ensures the students' readiness for further language and speech development by means of both a foreign and native language. Results. The socio-political and economic changes taking place in our country have led to a qualitatively new round of interest in foreign languages and the subject of "Foreign language". The desire to improve the preparation of bachelors in foreign languages has disrupted the usual monotony of curricula and work programs. Magnitogorsk State Technical University named after G.I. Nosov, represented by the Institute of Economics and Management, conducts bachelor's degree training in the direction 41.03.06 "Public Policy and Social Sciences" and successfully implements programs that meet the requirements of today. Bachelors of this specialty are taught two foreign languages, one of which is German language. Experience working in groups of the specified specialty convinces that through interest in the language, interest in the country of the studied language also increases. The level of language proficiency allows students to critically analyze foreign sources in their specialty and make reasonable conclusions, perceive the intercultural diversity of society, apply the knowledge gained during language training when preparing reports, presentations, carry out business communication in a foreign language, be ready for intercultural dialogue and defend their civic position. That is, in general, students improve their communication skills in all communication functions: informational, regulatory, emotional-evaluative, etiquette.

Subject of study. Foreign language proficiency was evaluated using the optical recording of eye movements. Representation of unconscious cognitive processes in oculographic data during reading and correlation of eye movement parameters with the complexity of the text perceived by the reader were analyzed. Aim of study. The study was aimed at determining the correlation between the eye movement features of individuals reading texts in native and foreign languages, considering the peculiarities of the language and level of language proficiency. Method. The study comprised two stages. The total sample size was 63 Russian-speaking students, aged from 19 to 27 years, for whom English was a foreign language. The subjects’ level of proficiency in the Russian and English languages was estimated using the C-test method. The experimental task consisted of reading the English texts in the slides and answering the comprehension questions after a nine-point calibration procedure. Eye movements were recorded binocularly using an SMI-High Speed Tracker 1250 setup at a sampling rate of 500 Hz. The first stage was aimed at investigating eye movement features of native Russian speakers who are highly proficient in the English language while reading texts in both languages. In the second stage, the eye movement features of individuals reading texts in a foreign language at different levels of proficiency were investigated. Main results. The eye movement parameters of the individuals varied, depending on whether they were reading texts in their native language (Russian) or the foreign language (English), even at high proficiency in the foreign language. The eye movement patterns changed when they were reading texts in the foreign language (English) at different levels of proficiency. Practical significance. Based on the obtained data, the text complexity for the test subject can be evaluated. The text complexity evaluation using eye movement features enables algorithms to be designed for normalizing different texts in terms of complexity. The results of the study can be used when designing automated systems for evaluating foreign language proficiency level.

The article is devoted to the study of the didactic potential of authentic journalistic news videos in classes in Russian as a foreign language. By authentic materials, authors mean printed texts, videos and audio recordings that students face in everyday life – outside the classroom; at the same time, the main purpose of such materials is not to teach the language, but to transfer information and organize real communication. This kind of journalistic video material is considered in this study as a means of forming the language and socio-cultural competencies of students of the Russian language as a foreign language. The article emphasizes the specifics of this kind of educational content: the use in a large number of colloquial vocabulary, speech clichés, professional terms, words with emotional coloring, evaluative vocabulary, equivalent vocabulary, phraseological units, metaphors, quotes and reminiscences that imply knowledge of precedent texts, specific gestures, facial expressions, etc. The authors cover various approaches to the problem of using authentic texts in the practice of teaching Russian as a foreign language, determine the main criteria for selecting authentic news video materials for Russian as a foreign language lessons, depending on the level of students. The authors emphasize that it is advisable to use news videos as authentic materials in classes in Russian as a foreign language starting from the B1 level: foreign students who speak Russian at this level are able to perceive by ear and understand monological statements within the framework of current socio-cultural topics. As a practical material, the article presents an algorithm for working with news journalistic content in accordance with the level of proficiency in the Russian language, proposed samples of tasks for use in classes in Russian as a foreign language. The methodological basis of the study was the use of the following methods: a descriptive and analytical method, a method of systematization and classification, a design method, as well as a communicative methodology for teaching a foreign language.

An investigation of lexical progress of teaching foreign languages (TFL) learners in terms of part-of-speech

The objectives of this study were (a) to examine the writing performance of L2 learners on the level-specific tasks based on Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) and (b) to study the likely difference between students' self-assessed level of writing and those reported by raters. The study was conducted with 138 Iranian students at BA and MA levels in Alborz Institute of Higher Education. The participants' majors were Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL), English Literature, and Translation Studies. DIALANG writing self-assessment grid, CEFR writing self-assessment grid, and three writing tasks at B1 (i.e., intermediate), B2 (i.e., upper intermediate), and C1 (i.e., advanced) levels were administered. Descriptive statistics and chi-square test were run to determine each student's writing level based on their performance on the writing tasks and the self-assessment grids. The results showed that (a) no one in the BA group was placed at the C1 level, and only 17.3% of MA students could reach this level; (b) students of both groups rated their writing ability higher on the CEFR grid, whereas they rated themselves lower on the DIALANG grid; and (c) the learners' self-assessment did not correspond closely with their performance on the writing tasks, and only one-third of them were accurate in assessing their writing ability. Writing teachers are suggested to implement self-assessment and introduce CEFR and DIALANG statements as part of the language instruction and to train students to conduct self-assessment based on the can do statements.

目的 探讨定量检测血循环免疫复合物(circulating immune complexes,CIC)以及补体C3、C4在系统性红斑狼疮(systemic lupus erytlaematosus,SLE)诊断及评价活动性中的意义.方法 用ELISA法定量检测SLE患者和其他风湿病患者血清中的CIC,散射比浊法检测补体C3、C4.据SLEDAI积分表,将SLE患者分为Ⅰ组(SLEDAI评分0～4分)、Ⅱ组(ALEDAI评分5～9分)和Ⅲ组(SLEDAI评分≥10分).结果 SLE患者CIC明显高于疾病对照组(P值<0.05),补体C3、C4明显低于疾病对照组(P值<0.05);CIC和补体C3:Ⅱ组、Ⅲ组与Ⅰ组比较差异有显著性(P值<0.05),而补体C4仅Ⅲ组与Ⅰ组比较差异有显著性(P值<0.05).相关分析显示CIC与SLEDAI积分呈正相关,补体C3、C4与SLEDAI积分呈负相关.结论 血清CIC和补体C3、C4可作为SLE诊断及评价活动性的有用指标,动态观测CIC和补体C3来评价SLE活动性优于补体C4。

Introduction: At teaching a foreign language the role of the learner's dictionaries is extremely important. It is obvious that the intensification of teaching is impossible without the linguistic base, one of the elements of which are the learner's dictionaries, and the efficiency of learning a language substantially depends on the fact what learner's dictionaries the pupils use and how the choice of lexical material is organized in them. In the given paper the author touches upon the question of inclusion in a learner's bilingual dictionary of onomasticon, without comprehensive knowledge of which, from the author's point of view, it is impossible to achieve good results in understanding foreign speech, and also in conversation, i.e. correct use of proper names in speech. Methodology: Let's review the communicative needs of learners of foreign languages, for who the knowledge of onomasticon is important in order to reach optimization in learning with the help of a learner's dictionary, as one of the most important kinds of educational material. Both for learning and scientific sphere and other spheres the interconnection of receptive and productive aspects of speech activity is needed. The receptive aspects of speech activity should not be presented in the pure form. They should act in close interplay, in a complex with other aspects of speech activity -productive aspects. Results: We have analyzed 122 pages of the dictionary, from A up to C. Even this small segment convincingly testifies that all varieties of onomastical lexis are widely presented in it. The classification of onomasticon was carefully developed and can be effectively applied to our material. We detected that in the examples such national anthroponyms are used as John (Have you anything to add, John?), Jack (Jack accelerated to overtake the bus), Susan ( Susan's left home, she said), Mr. Jones (Mr. Jones administers the company's accounts), etc. In the analyzed material there are also international anthroponyms: Picasso (A large abstract by Picasso), Joan of Arc (Joan of Arc was canonized in 1920), Napoleon (Napoleon's army advanced on Moscow), etc. Conclusions: Even such rather small investigation allows to single out a group of English anthroponyms, toponyms, and ergonyms most frequently met in dictionary definitions and, apparently, most common in the system of modern English language. Such restricted group of the most common proper names is subject, to our mind, to an obligatory inclusion in a learner's English-Russian dictionary.

In general, learner's dictionaries suffer from the fact that lexicography has been treated as a subdiscipline of linguistics and not as an independent discipline and that, correspondingly, no serious efforts have been made to develop a general theory of learner's dictionaries within the general theory of lexicography. Such a theory must undoubtedly be developed on the basis of the theory of lexicographic functions. Foreign language learning is a complex process and the very concept of a learner is in no way unambiguous. Dictionaries can be conceived to assist the learner in different aspects of the language-learning process. Accordingly, at least four main functions of a learner's dictionary can be distinguished corresponding to the following user situations: text reception in the foreign language, text production in the foreign language, conscious study of the foreign- language lexis and conscious study of the foreign-language grammar. Learner's dictionaries are, thus, not to be considered a special type of dictionaries, but constitute a more general category including various types of learner's dictionaries according to their functions or combination of functions. The great challenge to learner's lexicography is to conceive and compile dictionaries that assist the learner in as many aspects of the language-learning process as possible. Keywords: lexicography, learner's lexicography, learner's dictionaries, general theory of learner's lexicography, lexicographic functions, communication-orientated functions, knowledge-orientated functions, foreign-language text reception, foreign-language text production, assimilations of the foreign-language system, learners' characteristics, user needs, user situations, lexicographic data, lexicographic structures

Learner's Lexicography has reached a high standard of quality in language description. However, it is still necessary to face an old and, at the same time, always new challenge: increasing the user-friendliness of learner's dictionaries. This work deals with how to improve learner’s dictionaries, focusing on the user profile and the user's needs. To achieve this aim, notions from Psycholinguistics, Contrastive Linguistic, Applied Linguistics, Lexicology and Cognitive Psychology were central for this research. This study covered the delimitation of the user profile and the relevance of their mother tongue and the user's learning needs in relation to their proficiency level in the foreign language. At last, I carry out a brief analysis of entries in learner's dictionaries to discuss how straightforward and user-friendly the information provided is. This work allows the conclusion that an interdisciplinary approach can improve the user-friendliness of learner's dictionaries, particularly EFL and SFL dictionaries.

Background. The article is devoted to the rationale for introducing the principle of configurability into the methodology of teaching foreign languages at the third level of higher education in higher education institutions. In order to get acquainted with the basics of contextual learning, five main principles of the competence-based model of foreign language training are considered. Each principle is revealed in relation to the organisation of students' learning of the content of the discipline "Foreign Language". Purpose of the article is to justify the introduction of the principle of configurability in the methodology of teaching foreign languages in higher education institutions. Results. The features of the educational process in higher education are described. It is noted that the professionally oriented nature, multilevel nature as the presence of higher education levels, such as bachelor's, master's and postgraduate, multi-level education, when in one group there are students with a significantly different level of proficiency in another foreign language, set the trend towards the introduction of variable training. Variable foreign language training is implemented through the development of basic and additional educational options. Basic options are focused on fulfilling the requirements of state educational standards at the minimum necessary level and are implemented in a larger volume in contact classroom work. Additional options are aimed at achieving the highest possible level, which is determined by the needs and motivation of a particular applicant for the third level of higher education. Taking into account their individual characteristics and cognitive needs is possible in the presence of many different options. Conclusions. The introduction of the principle of configurability (the presence of changing borders) into the methodology of teaching foreign languages is intended to ensure the design of a large number of different educational options. The didactic principle of configurability is considered as the construction of an educational process or its segment by transforming structural components, choosing the content of components from a number of options. The availability of different approaches, methods, teaching aids and forms of control allows to create a number of structural components. The choice of component content is based on criteria such as the learner's level of foreign language proficiency, cognitive learning style, cognitive needs and interests. When configuring a holistic course, the determining criteria are optimisation and intensification of foreign language training. The article presents an example of the application of the principle of configurability in the formation of educational options for students majoring in Foreign Philology. It is shown that the application of this principle contributes to the individualisation of their foreign language training.

The purpose of this study was to describe the proficiency level of English for Foreign Language (EFL) students based on their TOEFL scores. The samples for this descriptive quantitative study consisted of 30 English Education Department students from Syiah Kuala University and Ar-Raniry State Islamic University. The scores gathered from the organised TOEFL test were analysed according to the CEFR reference levels to categorise the English proficiency level of the students. The total TOEFL scores gathered showed that, on average, the students placed in the B1 (intermediate) level of English proficiency. Individually, there were four students in the A2 (elementary) level, 15 students in the B1 (intermediate) level, ten students in the B2 (upper intermediate) level, and one student in the C1 (advanced) level of proficiency. Regarding the skills proficiency, on average, the students achieved the B2 (upper intermediate) level in the first section, which was higher than the remaining two sections that averaged on the B1 (intermediate) level. The students’ proficiency levels found in this study showed that, on average, they were able to pass the universities’ TOEFL graduation requirement but still fall short for abroad scholarship admission.

1 IntroductionA vast and significant branch of English lexicography is concerned nowadays with the writing of pedagogic dictionaries for the study of English as either a native (L1) or a second/ foreign language (L2). This is a consequence of the current spread of English and its international importance as a language of global communication, which have made its study into an unparalleled worldwide activity that requires the assistance of lexicography. The leading center of English lexicography is Great Britain, which has a tradition of pedagogic lexicography marked by rapid and constant adjustment, technological advance, innovative and creative development as a response to the users' needs, suggestions and demands on an increasingly competitive market (Cowie 1999). The United States, Australia and Canada, as different English language centers, have produced their own pedagogic dictionaries.The leading publishers in the English-speaking world offer a whole range of general pedagogic dictionaries for all levels of proficiency alongside many specialized works, such as dictionaries of pronunciation, collocations, idioms and phrasal verbs and encyclopedic learner's dictionaries, such as the remarkable Oxford Advanced Learner's Encyclopedic Dictionary (1993) and the Longman Dictionary of English Language and Culture (1993, 2000, 2005). In addition, there are learner's thesauruses, some arranged thematically with an alphabetic index (e.g., McArthur's Longman Lexicon of Contemporary English, 1981), others arranged alphabetically, such as Trappes-Lomax's Oxford Learner's Wordfinder Dictionary (1997), and the Longman Language Activator (1993). Finally, they issue a great number of technical learner's dictionaries for specific subject areas from business to engineering, medicine and law.2 The Early History of English LexicographyEnglish lexicography started in 1540 with a polyglot seven-language dictionary which included English alongside French, Italian, Dutch, High German, Spanish, and Latin. Claudius Holyband, a Huguenot refugee to London wrote A Dictionarie French and English, published in 1593, and the Swiss Guy Miege published three dictionaries of French and English between 1677 and 1684. Interestingly, the authors of these bilingual dictionaries were teachers.Robert Cawdrey's A Table Alphabetical (1604) is usually considered to be the first monolingual English dictionary and Samuel Johnson's Dictionary of the English Language (1755) is remembered as the first modern dictionary of English. The latter reflected the need for a prescriptive and normative authority able to establish a standard of correctness. In writing it, Samuel Johnson raised many important issues, some of which are still debated by contemporary lexicographers, notably those related to the criteria used for the selection of words to be included in a dictionary, and the distinction between general language and specialized terminology. Moreover, Johnson was a precursor of corpus lexicography as he was the first scholar to base a dictionary on authentic examples of usage, collected from the works of English authors.3 The Vocabulary Control MovementThe most noticeable impact of lexicography on TEFL is related to the advent of the pedagogic or learner's dictionaries. This may be explained by the very profile of the founders of the Vocabulary Control Movement, a group of EFL teachers of the 1920s and 1930s, all involved in lexicography, and whose key figures were Harold Palmer, Michael West and A. S. Hornby. Their main contribution to lexicography was the identification of a minimum core vocabulary necessary for maximizing the learning efforts of the learners of English as an L2. Modern lexicography owes a lot to their concern with word frequency and their belief that it is an advantage to learn the highest frequency words first. They influenced not only the selection of the words to be included in the monolingual learner's dictionaries (MLDs), but also the way in which words are defined. …

The certification of knowledge of Ukrainian as a foreign language is not a new problem, but it is still unresolved at the state level. Until recently, the levels of proficiency in the Ukrainian language and the scope of material covered by these levels were not clearly defined. Owing to the joint work of teachers of the Department and the Center for International Education of Ivan Franko National University of Lviv,the Standard of Ivan Franko National University ofLviv on Ukrainian as a Foreign Language was approved in 2012 (Minutes 36/2 of the meeting of the Academic Council of Ivan Franko National University of Lvivas of February 29, 2012). It became the first document in Ukraine, which, in accordance with the European Recommendations on Language Education, defined the scale of proficiency levels in Ukrainian as a foreign language, contained a description of the requirements for each level, and the testing procedure. The new version of the Standard of Ivan Franko National University of Lviv on Ukrainian as a Foreign Language (2018) expands and details the system of requirements for each level of proficiency in Ukrainian as a foreign language (from A1 to C2), contains a clear list of communication skills (all speech activities) listening, reading, writing, and speaking). By the aid of this Standard, foreign citizens or stateless persons, regardless of where they studied Ukrainian, according to which programs and plans, can confirm their level of proficiency in Ukrainian as a foreign language during the certification exam and obtain a certificate from Ivan Franko National University ofLviv. More than two hundred foreigners of different ages, occupations and cultural identities, including scholars, representatives of foreign embassies, businessmen, religious figures, teachers, and students from around the world, have already received certificates of proficiency in the Ukrainian language. In 2020, nine certificates of Ivan Franko National University of Lviv on language knowledge at levels B1 and B2 weregranted to the graduates of the Saturday school “The Sun in the Palms” in Frankfurt am Main. The article considers the procedure for conducting a certification exam in Ukrainian as a foreign language. It describes the components of the certification work, outlines the stages of preparation of materials, analyzes the positive results of cooperation with Saturday school educators, and points out the importance of supporting the Ukrainian-speaking environment abroad taking into account the challenges of the current situation. Key words: certification exam in Ukrainian as a foreign language, the Standard of Ivan Franko National University of Lviv, Ukrainian as a foreign language, levels of proficiency in Ukrainian as a foreign language.

Introduction. The article analyzes the methods of linguistic and didactic processing of cultural and linguistic material during the study of Ukrainian as a foreign language. It considers the effective use of films in the educational process, which is possibly provided that a linguistic and country study approach is used. The feasibility of using film works in teaching foreign students, starting from B1 and B2 levels, has been substantiated. Purpose. The purpose of the article is to provide a comprehensive analysis of the theoretical and practical aspects of implementing a linguistic and country study approach to teaching Ukrainian as a foreign language through the use of video technologies based on studying the figure of Serhii Paradzhanov and his film «Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors». Methods. The study examines methods for organizing educational activities, including the specifics of using films as a didactic approach capable of enhancing communicative integration and creating extensive opportunities for teaching Ukrainian as a foreign language. Results. Foreign students’ knowledge of Ukrainian cultural norms, values, traditions, and customs fosters the development of personal qualities, aesthetic culture, as well as oral and written language, which is essential for effective intercultural communication. These approaches help students to adapt faster to a new linguistic and cultural environment. A well-chosen film plays a crucial role in the process of teaching Ukrainian as a foreign language and serves as a key object of linguodidactic research. Numerous scientific studies emphasize the importance of working with films, as they not only enhance linguistic competence but also ensure thematic integration and provide interdisciplinary connections. Different tasks before and after watching Serhii Paradzhanov’s film «Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors» enrich students informationally, facilitating their adaptation to various life situations. The film is not only an object of study but also a significant source of knowledge. Originality. The selection of educational video materials and the use of artistic texts in language education have become especially relevant due to the changes in the composition of foreign students and the current conditions in Ukraine. Particular attention should be paid to the requirements for representative texts and films, which must meet contemporary needs and rely on innovative methodological approaches in language teaching. Educators can use a wide array of films that highlight cultural, traditional, and customary topics or important social issues, like immigration, xenophobia, forced displacement, and adaptation to new cultural environments. Conclusion. During the selection of authentic video materials for teaching Ukrainian as a foreign language, instructors should consider students’ proficiency level, the complexity of the material, the balance of audio and visual information in the episodes, the relevance of visual content to the lesson topic and didactic goals, the topicality of the theme in relation to students’ interests and needs, the duration of the video fragment, the availability of subtitles, and the educational purpose. Audio and video materials demonstrate not only linguistic features but also speech nuances, culture, customs, and traditions, significantly facilitating the learning of a new language. Thus, the effectiveness of their use depends on the instructor’s thorough preparation and the careful organization of the learning process. The use of cinematic-didactic materials in teaching Ukrainian as a foreign language contributes to effective language acquisition, helps students find out key aspects of Ukraine’s history, outstanding figures, and traditions, and motivates them to deepen the mentality and character of Ukrainians. This makes much easier the adaptation of foreign students to the Ukrainian cultural environment. In particular, Serhii Paradzhanov’s film «Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors» has significant potential in linguodidactics. Task selection for reading, listening, speaking, and writing should take into account the proficiency level of foreign students and aim to assist the development of intercultural competence. Watching films that reflect the culture of the country whose language is being studied and further content discussions play an important role in developing foreign students’ communication skills.