Foreign Language Activities Research Articles

TEACHING ENGLISH TO VISUALLY IMPAIRED STUDENTS IN ECUADOR THROUGH L.G.B LEARNING BRAILLE BOOK.

The following study investigated how visually impaired students are taught English through L.G.B Learning braille book that englobes English as a foreign language content, techniques, and activities teachers use to teach English at Dr. Luis Benavides School. Three English teachers of visually impaired students were interview. Furthermore, an observation guide was used to follow up on the progress of several classes. Content analysis procedures were implemented to encode and reproduce the data acquisition in the interviews. Observation guides deliver the necessary information to understand the teachers' downsides when presenting the contents, techniques, and orally interacting in the second language with the visually impaired students while developing the activities presented in the braille book. Interview data analysis demonstrated topics of concern that include syllabus, social problems, lack of resources, and the constant use of the audio-lingual method as the only technique available for the teachers. Participants used the same materials in the different levels, adding the braille book developed by a previous study, which was difficult to introduce due to teachers' and students' lack of previous capacitation. Students were exposed to several tasks that the braille book presented, but the same antique methods were necessary for teachers to accomplish them. The study presents suggestions for in-service English learning program updates, especially for those who work with students with visual impairments, for the syllabus to be rebuilt, evaluated, and made more effective for students with special needs. Moreover, it includes comments on the teacher's materials and techniques used.

Дистанционное обучение иностранному языку в высшей школе с использованием платформы Microsoft Teams

The study aims to analyse organisation of foreign language distance education (using the example of Microsoft Teams) at Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation and to determine positive and negative aspects of education in the chosen format. The article considers the concept of “distance education”, experience of using the Microsoft Teams platform to organise students’ foreign language activities online, as well as attitude of educational process participants towards the distance education format. Scientific novelty of the paper lies in identifying the main characteristics of a relatively new way of organising foreign language education at university basing on experience of using the Microsoft Teams platform. As a result of the study, advantages and disadvantages of conducting online foreign language classes are determined and predominantly positive attitude of students and teachers towards distance education is revealed.

ВИКОРИСТАННЯ ІННОВАЦІЙНИХ ФОРМ НАВЧАННЯ НА УРОКАХ АНГЛІЙСЬКОЇ МОВИ

Nowadays foreign language is not just a part of nation's culture, it is also the guarantee of student’s successful career in the future. The achievement of high level proficiency of foreign language is not possible without fundamental language training in higher education institution. Most of them in our country provide students with at least two or even three foreign languages. In the context of higher school reforming, important changes in the educational technologies of foreign language teaching are envisaged. Modern language education is also gradually being modernized, introducing a modular rating system for teaching foreign languages. Interdisciplinary integration, democratization and economization of education determine the manifestation of innovative components in the teaching of the foreign languages. All this requires the formulation of the new claims for teaching and a foreign language teacher in the Free Economic Zone. At the current stage of society development, the purpose of foreign language teaching in higher education institutions is students' mastering of communicative competencies that will allow them to implement their knowledge, skills and abilities to solve specific communicative tasks in real life situations. The introduction of the new effective methods of foreign language teaching in the process of preparing students of humanities and technical specialties has become not only desirable but also necessary. Innovative orientation requires teachers to master and apply the pedagogical innovations, as well as stimulate the search for new forms and methods of educational process organization. High-quality language training of students is impossible without the use of modern educational technologies. The most effective are the professionally-oriented foreign language learning, the project work in teaching, the application of information and telecommunication technologies, the work with educational computer programs in foreign languages (multimedia system), the distance technologies in foreign language learning, the use of Internet resources, the foreign language teaching in the computer environment (forums, blogs, e-mail, etc.). Nowadays, the methodology of the use of computer programs is being developed actively getting more used. Computer programs offer ample opportunities to improve the process of foreign language learning, increasing its efficiency. The computer program provides the perception of information through auditory and visual channels, so it also allows you to organize teaching and control the foreign language acquisition in different modes of independent search and at different levels of complexity. Foreign language teaching means are important to ensure the full and effective organization of students' learning in the classroom to master foreign language activities.

INNOVATIVE APPROACHES IN THE METHODOLOGY OF TEACHING FOREIGN LANGUAGES

The article considers one of the creative approaches to teaching a foreign language for special purposes – the case study method, the essence of which is the independent foreign language activity of students in an artificially created professional environment. It is noted that the cases are extremely rich in content and have the potential to take into account the knowledge already acquired by the student to study the language of the specialty and develop management skills. According to the results of the applied research conducted by the authors, it is established that this method can be used as an extremely effective method for achieving the goals of teaching a professional foreign language and intercultural adaptation.

Opportunities for Anti-Bias Frameworks in Japanese EFL Textbooks

In Japan, recent Foreign Language Activities (2018-2020) policies have explicated the importance of facilitating multiculturalism and global thinking through education and educational tools, including through the use of textbooks. Accordingly, an Anti-Bias Framework (ABF) is one way for educators to develop learners’ global and cultural identities, as well as learners’ appreciation of human differences. ABFs are of particular relevance in multicultural textbooks and classrooms, as they are used for helping students develop local and international identities, and for helping learners eliminate biases. However, the current EFL textbooks (2018-2020) issued by the Japanese Ministry of Education are not inclusive of ABFs. Consequently, there are numerous missed opportunities for teachers and learners to engage in active anti-bias lessons for the facilitation of global citizenship. This paper seeks to address this gap in the textbooks by discussing opportunities for EFL teachers in Japan (and elsewhere) to use anti-bias frameworks in language and culture education. Elaborating upon the Teaching Tolerance Anti-Bias Framework (2017), this article proposes that EFL students in Japan can develop intercultural competencies and anti-bias thinking through an ABF, and offers suggestions for lesson activities, guided classroom discussions, engagement with local interlocutors, for English language development. While positioned against the backdrop of the Japanese EFL elementary classroom, these suggestions can be adapted to other EFL in-person and online classrooms, as well.

The Peculiarities of Teaching Foreign Languages by Means of Information and Communication Technologies

The paper investigates the peculiarities of teaching foreign languages by means of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT). In the course of a comprehensive study the most effective for the development of students’ linguistic and communicative competence, the following types of ICT were singled out and analysed: Internet-based project work, online correspondence by e-mail, chat, blogs, wikis and podcasts and training programs. 
 The aim of the article is to identify the peculiarities of teaching foreign languages by means of ICT 
 The theoretical, empirical and statistical methods have been used to reach the purpose. To check the effectiveness of applying ICT in teaching foreign languages empirical (diagnostic) methods such as testing, observation and discussion were used. The pedagogical experiment with the fourth-year students of Simon Kuznets Kharkiv National University of Economics was conducted. The pedagogical experiment showed the effectiveness of developing foreign language activity by means of ICT. 
 The statistical methods helped to evaluate the results of the research. Using ICT is really helpful to increase students’ language competencies and, respectively, it provides the development of foreign language communicative competence in general. 
 Conclusion: ICT creates a new environment and opportunities for foreign language acquisition; they have become an important educational tool successfully used in foreign language teaching.

Development and Practice of Integrated Learning based on Art and Handcraft and Foreign Language Activities at Elementary School:

Development and Practice of Integrated Learning based on Art and Handcraft and Foreign Language Activities at Elementary School:

Tesol and tete international programs recommendations for training and organizing successful lessons

The article deals with the training NAD organizing successful lessons on TESOL and TETE programs. The head and instructors taught Uzbek core teachers how to train teachers to be more professional in their teaching field. The root theories of SLA teaching, strategies of teaching a foreign language, innovative methodology and many interactive activities teaching workshops had been organized by TESOL and TETE training groups that was supported by Ministry of Public Education and American Councils. According to these seminars, Uzbek teachers practice their new gained methodological skills both during the program and after it, in their practicum phase.

О сущностном отличии «меж-» от «интер-»: От межкультурного к интеркультурному философскому полилогу в европейском культурном пространстве

The article raises the question of the reasons for the “interculturalism” of the Russian philosophical tradition. The problem is that Russian thinkers, despite their awareness of their belonging to Western European philosophical thought, and despite their foreign-language publication activity, are not fully integrated into it, or even into intercultural philosophy. According to the author, the reason is hidden in the very essence of the project of intercultural philosophizing, which originally was aimed at the philosophical legitimization of non-Euro­pean cultures that had been colonized by West Europeans. It is argued that the project of intercultural philosophy can be realized only if its supporters are able to notice the otherness within Europe; it should be stressed that what is being criticized is essentially “Western Eurocentrism”, since it is Western European philosophy that expresses the claim to be the only correct model of philosophizing. Only in this case the intercultural project will deal with the “Other Europe” where there are different types of philosophical thinking, and the “inner polylogue” will have a chance to begin. The author believes that for Russian philosophers the project of intercultural philosophy will be effective if they manage to synthesize the two cultures of philosophical thinking in Russia – religious-me­taphysical and Soviet. The latter can enrich them with the experience of intercultural perception of other traditions of philosophizing, both in Russia and abroad. This philosophical legacy – reinterpreted and recaptured – will allow us to consciously take part in the project of intercultural philosophy.

Reflection of foreign language students in higher education: metatextual level

The article deals with the concept of linguistic reflection in the field of foreign language education and its verbalization on metatextual level. The ability for linguistic reflection is an indicator of a developed linguistic personality. The purpose of this research is to study the reflection of foreign language students in higher school. Definitions of the key concepts for this work are given: linguistic personality and linguistic reflection. Linguistic reflection can be verbalized through metatextual inclusions: metatextual elements and metatext. The definitions of these concepts, a brief typology and characteristics are given. The material for the study was the texts of foreign language messages (oral, written) of Chelyabinsk State University students. Metatextual inclusions that students use in their foreign language statements are analyzed and classified. The importance of using metatextual inclusions for the statement as a whole is considered. The importance of the ability for linguistic reflection is emphasized not only for the development of a student’s linguistic personality, but also for the full functioning of the educational foreign language activity itself. Conclusions are made about the relationship between the ability for linguistic reflection and the common reference level. Students who are capable of reflecting on their linguistic behavior demonstrate a higher level of proficiency in a foreign language.

Characteristics of Elementary School Teachers’ Anxiety and Support for Foreign Language Activities as a Subject

Characteristics of Elementary School Teachers’ Anxiety and Support for Foreign Language Activities as a Subject

КАК ОБУЧАТЬ ИНОСТРАННОМУ ЯЗЫКУ СТУДЕНТОВ ПЕДАГОГИЧЕСКОГО ВУЗА: АКТУАЛЬНЫЕ ПРОБЛЕМЫ И ВОЗМОЖНЫЕ РЕШЕНИЯ

The article discusses a new strategy of professionally-directed (didactic-oriented) foreign language teaching to students of a language pedagogical university (future teachers of a foreign language). The study analyses the components of the teacher’s methodological (linguodidactic) competence, revealing a number of problems concerning their formation in a pedagogical university, as well as showing the dependence of their development on the intensity of their actualisation in the Foreign Language Practice discipline. The article identifies several factors hindering the formation of the linguodidactic competence within foreign language classes. In order to overcome these negative factors, the article offers a new model of teaching foreign languages, described in the formula “from the acquisition of didactic experience to one’s own educative decisions”. The methodology of this model is based on two interrelated methods: contextual teaching and vocation-focused foreign languages teaching, as well as related methods for organizing productive teaching of a foreign language. The model mentioned above assumes a two-stage implementation. At the first stage, analytical work of students is organized. Its aim is to understand and analyse the teaching practice. An important condition is the modelling of basic structural elements and some procedural features of a school lesson while organising university foreign language classes. Particular attention is paid to the implementation of individualised goal-setting, planning and self-assessment (reflection), demonstration of lexis, grammar and phonetics mastering, of active forms and techniques for organising communicative activities, methodological reflection. At the first stage, university students are also offered some methodological tools (for example, goalsetting maps and maps for academic work planning, etc.), which can be used in teaching foreign languages at school. When organising the educational process, much attention is paid to the awareness of methodological facts, phenomena, patterns. Therefore, a new type of exercises (educational-methodological) has been proposed. In addition to an educational task, these exercises contain a methodological task in form of a short comment, an additional question, etc. At the second stage, there is a transition to the organising of a productive methodologically oriented foreign language activity. Three main methods of methodologically oriented teaching are distinguished: modification of authentic (university) materials for different age groups of schoolchildren, conventional “professional test”, and project educational-methodological activity. In conclusion, the main results of the study are summarised.

FORMATION OF FOREIGN-LANGUAGE ACTIVITIES OF 6-7-YEAR-OLD CHILDREN USING THE WEB-SERVICE LEARNINGAPPS.ORG

The study considers the potential opportunities and features of using the Web-service LearningApps.org in the for- mation of foreign-language activities of 6-7-year-old children in English classes. The classification of types of tasks on a functional basis (Multiple-choice, Sequence or Pairing, Order, Filling in, Group Puzzle, Crossword, Word grid, Patring Game and ect.) is carried out. A brief description is given. A strategic analysis of the Web- service LearningApps.org in the formation of foreign-language activities of 6-7-year-old children is presented. A set of methodological, didactic, pedagogical and psychological principles, which is implemented in the process of using Web-services LearningApps.org in English classes, is described. Didactic possibilities of formation foreign-language activities of 6-7-year-old children in English classes are considered. Among them: activation of children’s vocabulary, formation reading skills and abilities, improvement of children’s written speech, development of basic speech skills: listening, speaking, practicing children’s use of grammatical forms, stimulation of children’s word formation. Emphasis is placed on the effectiveness of using the Web-service LearningApps.org for the development of critical and creative thinking; formation of communication skills, in particular: analysis of material, comparison, comparison, establishment of associations; development of logic of sequence of actions and decisions, ability of systematization and generalization of material; teamwork skills in the process of solving problems. Fragments of own development of interactive exercises in the Web-service LearningApps.org aimed at studying lexical units, grammatical skills, listening and consolidation of the studied material by the topic «Parts of body. Appearance» are presented.

Electronic language Portfolio in bilingual education as the latest method of presenting a pupils' foreign language activities

The scientific article explores the problem of using the electronic language Portfolio in bilingual education as the latest method of presenting a pupils' foreign language activities. Its importance at the present stage of education development is substantiated. The role of the electronic platform in the educational bilingual process is analyzed, as with the development of the latest digital technologies there have also been changes in its organization. It is established that the electronic Portfolio is used in bilingual education as the latest method of storage and presentation of the works carried out by the pupils. It presents feedback, recommendations of teachers regarding foreign language activities of the student. It is a kind of platform for discussions, as the Portfolio can serve in the educational environment to connect the pupil and the teacher, to present the achievements and successes of the pupil in foreign language activities. It is established that in the context of bilingual education, the European language Portfolio offers clear, systematic descriptors of pupils' knowledge and skills in mastering foreign languages, and is also used to assess student achievement. This motivates them to work better, allows them to identify gaps in their learning. In the context of bilingual education, the Portfolio can be used to compare and evaluate the level of foreign language skills of the pupils, which allows the teacher to adjust their intervention in the bilingual educational process. It is stated that in today's conditions the electronic language Portfolio is especially effectively used in bilingual education, as it provides interaction between peers, serves as a means of communication between the pupil and the teacher, the teacher and the parents. The use of electronic language Portfolio in bilingual education promotes the integration of positive experience of foreign language activities, encourages pupils to implement its practical aspects, establishes the foundation for professional development.

Principles and Techniques for Competence Formation in Russian Dialogical Speech among Iraqi University of Baghdad Students

The article has an attempt to name the principles and techniques for competence formation in Russian dialogical speech among Iraqi University of Baghdad students. The notion of competence in dialogic speech is defined as the ability to successfully implement spoken foreign language activities in a dialogic form in accordance with the situation of communication. It is established that the competence in dialogical speech is based on the acquired knowledge (declarative and procedural), skills (phonetic, lexical and grammatical) and skills (speech, training, intellectual and compensatory). It is reported that the implementation of every of the above components of competence in the dialogical speech for Iraqi University of Baghdad students occurs through the implementation of certain principles (activity principle, visibility principle, situationality principle, the principle of advanced professional orientation of educational material, novelty principle, functionality principle), and methods or technologies (work in pairs, work in triples, work in small groups, carousel, aquarium), which will enable to achieve high results in training Russian as a foreign language for the Iraqi University of Baghdad students.

小学校における「外国語活動」・「外国語科」の授業が中学校入学時の聴解力に及ぼす影響

小学校における「外国語活動」・「外国語科」の授業が中学校入学時の聴解力に及ぼす影響

Formation of the foreign language training system in the context of its conceptuality

Currently, foreign language skills become relevant not only from the point of view of professional necessity but also to obtain the ability to successfully integrate into any multicultural environment in general and the international professional community in particular. In this regard, the article presents the following: A conceptual model of training a foreign language in the university education; The formulation of the main objectives of teaching a foreign language on the conceptual basis; Aspect disclosure of the conceptualization of training a foreign language; Feature description of information and communication support of training a foreign language in a university; emphasis on the opportunity of developing skills in the use of vocabulary in foreign language communication; justification for the use of the conceptual approach to the formation of foreign language activities.

INTEGRATIVE ACTIVITIES AS A GUARANTEE OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF COGNITIVE-COMMUNICATIVE FOREIGN ACTIVITIES OF PRESCHOOLERS

The article considers integrative activities as a guarantee of the development of cognitivecommunicative foreign-language activities of preschoolers. The integration of the content of preschool education, as you know, is one of the pedagogical conditions for “improving the development of the emotional and intellectual sphere of the child’s personality. The child’s educational activity in mastering a foreign language requires new achievements in the development of cognitive functions: speech, attention,imagination and thinking; creates new conditions for the personal formation of the child, through co-study of a foreign language and a foreign culture, and by reconceptualization of a different picture of the world of secondary formation cognitive and linguistic consciousness. Of particular importance in solving the problem of the humanization of preschool education are the tasks and functions of a preschool institution, based on the attitude to preschool age as a unique period of a person’s life, since it is during this period that ideas about the world are formed, and the child’s personality develops intensively.

Representations of multiculturalism in Japanese elementary EFL textbooks: A critical analysis

Recent reforms to Foreign Language Activities policies in Japan have highlighted the importance of facilitating multilingualism and multiculturalism in global contexts. However, as this analysis finds, some of the most recent textbooks (2018-2020) for Foreign Language Activities classes in Japan are English Foreign Language (EFL) textbooks that fail to provide teachers and students with meaningful discussions on society, language, or culture. This critical discourse analysis (CDA) finds that four elementary school textbooks currently being used by boards of education throughout Japan fail to meet the Ministry of Education’s goals for developing multilingualism and multiculturalism in Japanese elementary schools. Working in an anti-racist lens, this paper identifies problematic areas within the textbooks Let’s Try 1, Let’s Try, We Can 1, and We Can 2 (MEXT, 2018) and discusses the necessity of an attitudinal shift from linguistic hegemony to the implementation of anti-bias frameworks in language and culture education in Japan.

The current situation and issues with English language activities in primary schools in Japan after six years of implementation

English education in public primary schools in Japan started in 2011 not as a subject but as an area of foreign language activities in Japan. However, the preparation was poor and homeroom teachers without proper training were required to teach English. Since then, the issue has become highly controversial in Japan. To clarify the actual situation, we conducted surveys three times between 2012 and 2017 and found many problems. Nevertheless, English will become a compulsory subject from April, 2020, but before we see any major improvements by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT), more careful study on the problems is an urgent need and therefore, we would like to utilize the results of our research. This paper attempts to study the changing situation and to point out the necessary conditions for possible reforms by comparing and analyzing the results of the latter two surveys.