Promoting Learning-Purpose Communication Cases in Development of FL Specialism Communicative Competencies in EL Teacher Students

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to identify how promoting learning-purpose communication cases impacts students’ communication competencies, and how this instructional model is perceived by the sampled students. 163 (119 students and 44 lecturers) from the Borys Grinchenko Kyiv University and Drahomanov National Pedagogical University were the participants used in this study. The study integrated quantitative and qualitative methods for data collection. The instruments for the study were: the ESP test, the originally designed baseline study questionnaire, teacher and student-peer observation checklists, the Mental Speed Test, the originally designed self-reflection scale, and focussed group interview. The latter was administered to identify the perception of this instructional model by both students and teachers. The study found that the instructional model positively influences students’ specialism purpose foreign language communicative competencies mainly in spoken production and spoken interaction, information processing speed, and self-reflection abilities. The results of the baseline study survey indicated that both teachers and students associated the concept of communicative competence and focused their efforts on teaching/learning grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation in the ESP course. The results also revealed the feasibility of the instructional model used in the study. The interviewed students’ judgments of the course delivery model were also complimentary, wherein the majority of the respondents appreciated the ESP classes based on promoting learning-purpose communication cases.