Some approaches to the development of resources for self-directed learning of foreign languages in a technical university

Abstract

Problem. The rapid development of technology leads to the obsolescence of professional knowledge by the time students graduate from institutions of higher education. In addition, some acquired competences, as, for example, in foreign languages, need constant refreshing after students leave the classroom, otherwise there is a threat of their complete loss. This causes the active search for innovative pedagogical approaches that would ensure the continuity of education of university graduates, one of which is a self-directed learning, which is considered as independent study of additional material in relation to the main course, as a learning process in which students take responsibility for their own learning, setting their goals, developing and planning their own training program and evaluating the results of their activities. Goal. To determine the essence of self-directed learning, to analyse the peculiarities of self-study of foreign languages, to propose new approaches to its organization using innovative tools in the digital environment of a technical university. Methodology. The following features of self-directed foreign language learning are highlighted: the self-directed learning process is initiated by the students themselves and is carried out according to their plans, the teacher’s activity has an evaluation and stimulating character; learning goals are put forward by students based on personal needs; in self-directed learning, it is not the amount of knowledge that is important, but the ability to use it independently; students find sources of explanation of unfamiliar material on their own; the main way of determining the effectiveness of self-study is the ability to practically apply the learned material in professional and everyday activities. The students were offered a number of courses designed for independent study using the method of audiovisual translation, which, as a modern trend in linguistics, is rapidly developing as digital technologies are constantly improving. This method was adapted for our purposes using parallel translation of lexical items and texts, which were voiced and placed on the YouTube platform. Results. The volume of training lexical and grammatical tasks, which students perform independently, was increased, and the opportunity to independently study a significant number of socio-cultural and professional topics was provided. Originality. The double presence of lexical items, available both as symbols on the screen and as a sound series, helps students refresh and consolidate it, and parallel translation gives them a full understanding of the statement in the shortest possible time. Practical value. The proposed approach with the usage of audiovisual translation has a great potential in the field of self-directed learning of foreign languages, as it offers a variety of convenient, affordable and accessible digital resources for self-study.