Foreign Communication Skills Research Articles

Candidates’ modification of global perspectives via international student teaching: A case study

I investigated U.S. elementary teacher candidates’ global perspectives before and after completing a student teaching experience in the People’s Republic of China (PRC). The samples, four elementary teacher candidates (TCs), purposely selected for the present study, completed student teaching in a Primary School in Xian, PRC, because they all come from Midwestern-culture family, complete teacher preparation course work, and are ready to do student teaching. I employed math lessons in this exploration of TCs’ global perceptions, looking for modifications; my primary interest was in potential changes from provincial to more refined perspectives. It is worth noting that the questions may have may have communicated expectations that such changes would occur. Interviews and class observations were collected from the four candidates and analyzed by means of an axial coding process across the four candidates. Results demonstrated that pre-service teachers change from what I termed a “local” (or what might be termed “parochial)” perspective to more “global” views of schooling and culture. The four teacher candidates evinced this new sophisticated understanding along three axes, (1) the global cognitive development, (2) the social strategies change under different physical environments, and (3) noticing and appreciating cultural divergence. An evolving sense of justice appeared to connect the three concepts. A tangentially connected issue that came up, as might be expected, was the vulnerability of candidates’ foreign communication skills. TCs’ effectively developed their global perspectives in teaching math lessons and suggest that math or STEM may be better for acquiring global perspectives than are either social studies or language arts.

SITUATIONAL EXERCISES IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF COMMUNICATION SKILLS

The article is devoted to the problem of teaching foreign languages in non-linguistic universities. The issues of ESP are considered. Particular attention is paid to develop communicative competence. The learning process should be aimed at mastering the students’ communication skills – the ability to substantiate the opinion, support the conversation, discuss and solve problems in a certain professional field. Communicative situation is considered as a concrete action of communication, which includes the partners and encourages its participants to communicate. The article analyzes the creation of a professional-communicative situation, which occupies a special place in training and it is an important motive for developing and improving the skills of foreign communication. The main purpose of each situational exercise is to attract students to solve a common or professional problem. The directed activity of the student promotes the accumulation of professional experience, the formation of creativity for solving practical problems.

Використання альтернативних технологій для удосконалення іншомовної комунікативної компетентності в аудіюванні та говорінні студентів вищих навчальних закладів

The article analyzes interactive technologies for the teaching of speaking and computer technologies for the teaching of listening, which are used to improve the foreign communication skills of students of higher educational institutions. The test tasks for checking the English listening competence at each of the stages of working with audio text are introduced as well as the most widely - spread Cooperative Learning structures known as Kagan Structures, particularily the strucutresTeam Statement, Three-Step-Interview, Inside-Outside Circle, which can be effectively used for developing speaking skills at the foreign language lesson, as the goal of Cooperative Learning is to provide the students with ample opportunities of using the language. So they are more likely to attain fluency or communicative competence. Computer tests are offered to improve students’ listening skills and abilities. Various computer exercises are used to check, assess and evaluate lexical and grammatical skills, language and semantic anticipation, understanding of the gist, details and specific information of the text. The stages of working with a listening text (pre-listening, while-listening and post-listening) are provided. The analysis of the “Hot Potatoes” software is given. The following types of computer exercises: multiple choice, multi-select, gap-filling, matching and jumbled-sentence are described and elaborated. A certain computer exercise is used at a certain stage to check and assess a particular skill or ability.

Cooperative Learning to Enhance Horticulture Skills and Raise Funds for Professional Development

Increased global trade coupled with diversified employment opportunities have generated demand for college graduates to possess enhanced interpersonal and foreign communication skills and a well-developed understanding of foreign culture. Horticultural employment opportunities also require students to possess a mastery of horticultural theory with an established record of direct, hands-on experience. Despite these needs, financial limitations of students and academic departments coupled with a lack of available opportunities may restrict students from developing these critical skills. Through development of cooperative learning programs, students have an opportunity to master and refine their horticultural skills while simultaneously raising funds, which are allocated for professional development including an international learning program. This article provides a successful overview of a student-based cooperative learning program that enhances student learning opportunities.