Grammatical Skills Research Articles

РЕАЛИЗАЦИЯ НАЦИОНАЛЬНО-РЕГИОНАЛЬНОГО КОМПОНЕНТА В ОБУЧЕНИИ РУССКОМУ ЯЗЫКУ СТУДЕНТОВ-ИНОСТРАНЦЕВ НА ПРОЕКТНОЙ ОСНОВЕ

There is a relevant problem of the development and formation of linguistic and cultural competence. The teaching of foreign students with the help of country-oriented material, the use of which makes it possible to overcome the problems of intercultural communication, is becoming increasingly important. In this regard, the article presents the implementation of the national-regional component in teaching Russian to foreign students on a project basis. The relevance of the work consists in the study of the project method and the development of a specific methodology. The purpose of the research is to show how the application of this method develops and forms professional communication skills and linguistic and cultural competence of students. The novelty of the research is connected with the development of professional projects, taking into account regional specifics, containing lexical comments and a system of exercises for developing communicative, lexical and grammatical skills. This work allows to make a conclusion that prospects of the project method in the process of teaching RFL took place as well as the feasibility of developing a learning strategy based on projects of linguistic and cultural topics in teaching RFL. The use of regional materials provides a meaningful basis and creates situational professional communication as well as contributes to the formation of linguistic and cultural competence of foreign students; it integrates the regional knowledge from the other subject areas, prepares for international professional communication.

A preliminary study of the relationship between working memory, language experience, and grammatical skill in dual language learners

Purpose: This study examined the relationship between verbal short-term and working memory, language experience, and English tense-marking skill in Spanish L1-English L2 dual language learners (DLLs). Methodology: Ten Spanish-English DLLs, in kindergarten and first grade, participated in the study. Children completed the Test of Early Grammatical Impairment, a narrative retell task in English, and verbal memory tasks. Parents provided information regarding language input and output in the home and school environment. Data and analysis: Correlational analyses were conducted to examine relationships between English and Spanish input/output, forward and backward digit span, assessed in English and Spanish, and the accurate and productive use of English tense morphemes in various linguistic contexts. Conclusions: Study outcomes indicated varied use of English tense morphemes among DLLs. Additionally, a strong, positive association was found between the use of a variety of distinct tense forms and verbal working memory performance. Originality: This study is the first investigation to examine verbal short-term and working memory and home language experience to advance our understanding of the specific child internal and external factors that may account for the variability in tense marking during English second language acquisition. Significance: This research provides further insight to the effects of individual differences on the acquisition of second language grammatical skill during childhood.

Developing Grammatical Competence in Preschoolers

The article presents a theoretical review of relevant sources on the topic in question and, consequently, formulates the basic principles, obstacles and guidelines for developing grammatically correct speech in preschoolers. The article contains the author’s linguodidactic model for developing grammatically correct speech in preschoolers, as well as pedagogical conditions for its implementation: ensuring the interrelation between the perspective trends in learning, speech activity and speech experience of children; developing preschoolers’ grammatical skills using the specially developed methodology; teaching preschoolers the rules of morphology and methods of word-formation in language lessons; applying different effective forms and methods of organizing learning and speech activity for preschoolers. The article proves that the consideration and implementation of these factors have contributed to developing the suggested linguodidactic model for developing grammatically correct speech in preschoolers. It has also allowed one to create and practically implement it within the framework of the quasi-experimental educational process. The article indicates certain noticeable shifts in children with high and sufficient levels in all parts of the language being analyzed. It indicates that mastering the methods of word-formation as a means of enriching vocabulary helps preschoolers to learn the rules of form change and word-formation. Besides, the article has proved the effectiveness of targeted development of grammatically correct speech in preschoolers. The article may be of interest to university teachers and theorists in teaching East Slavic languages as native (at the beginning of their study) or as foreign.

Quality of L2 Input and Cognitive Skills Predict L2 Grammar Comprehension in Instructed SLA Independently

Input is considered one of the most important factors in the acquisition of lexical and grammatical skills. Input has been found to interact with other factors, such as learner cognitive skills and the circumstances where language is heard. Language learning itself has sometimes been found to enhance cognitive skills. Indeed, intensive contact with another language has been found to sometimes boost cognitive skills, even in intensive instructed settings, such as immersion programs (bilingual advantage hypothesis). In this paper, we report a cross-sectional study to assess grammar learning of 79 fourth grade German students learning L2 English in two immersion schools. Verbal teacher input was assessed using the Teacher Input Observation Scheme (TIOS, Items 14–25), and the learners’ L2 grammar comprehension was tested with the ELIAS Grammar Test II. Cognitive skills, including phonological awareness, working memory, and non-verbal intelligence, were determined using standardized assessment procedures. The results show that verbal input quantity and quality correlated significantly with the learners’ L2 grammar comprehension. None of the cognitive skills moderated the effect of input on grammar comprehension but all predicted it independently. The combination of L2 input and phonological awareness was found to be the most robust predictor of L2 grammar comprehension.

Lexicogrammatical skills in 2-year-old children with and without repaired cleft palate

ABSTRACT The purpose of the current research was to compare the lexical–grammatical skills of two-year-old children with and without repaired cleft palate (CP), accounting for the effect of variables such as vocabulary size at 18 months of age, maternal education level, and gender. Participants included 52 children with CP and 25 typically developing (TD) children. The CDI-WS was employed to measure vocabulary and grammatical skills. Significant differences were observed between the CP and TD groups with respect to the number of words, word forms (irregular nouns and verbs), word endings (overuse of plural (-s) and past tense (-ed) markers), the mean number of morphemes in their three longest utterances (M3L), and sentence complexity. In addition, compared to TD children, significantly smaller proportions of children with CP were observed to use words to talk about past and future events or use words to talk about an absent object. The difference between the CP and TD groups in terms of the size of vocabulary at 24 months of age remained statistically significant in the multivariable model. Among all predictors, the size of vocabulary at 18 months of age was identified as the most robust precursor of lexical and grammatical skills at 24 months of age. Gender was identified as a predictor of the M3L measure as an index for syntactic ability.

FORMATION OF GRAMMATICAL COMPETENCE OF FUTURE PRIMARY SCHOOL TEACHERS BY MEANS OF INTERESTING LINGUISTICS

The questions of formation of grammatical competence as a component of an individual’s linguistic competence have been considered, the essence of the definition of “grammatical competence” has been analyzed and author’s comprehension of this notion has been suggested. The structural components of grammatical competence (grammatical knowledge, grammatical skills and abilities and grammatical awareness) have been singled out. It has been emphasized that the study of grammatical system of a language requires logical operations, such as scientific information analysis, ability to compare, relate and summarize the linguistic facts and deduce certain regularities. The possibilities of the subject “Formation of primary school students’ language personality by means of interesting Linguistics” in the process of formation of students’ grammatical competence in the context of linguistic subjects cycle have been outlined. Special attention has been paid to the application of interesting Linguistics elements while teaching students notional and categorical apparatus. It has been suggested to take into account the interpretation of linguistic terms by linguists, consider and correspond the modern ones with their equivalents in the old Grammar books. It has been proved that the definition of the term “Grammar” has been narrowed down diachronically. There have been outlined the other methods and techniques applied to form student’s grammatical competence (revealing linguistic notions etymology, using linguistic aphorisms, Comparative Historical Linguistics elements, didactic poetry, linguistic fairytales, entertaining tasks, exercises, jokes, learning projects) that contribute to enlargement of future teachers’ scientific perspective and their professional level growth.

Language Profiles and Their Relation to Cognitive and Motor Skills at 30 Months of Age: An Online Investigation of Low-Risk Preterm and Full-Term Children.

Purpose Wide interindividual variability characterizes language development in the general and at-risk populations of up to 3 years of age. We adopted a complex approach that considers multiple aspects of lexical and grammatical skills to identify language profiles in low-risk preterm and full-term children. We also investigated biological and environmental predictors and relations between language profiles and cognitive and motor skills. Method We enrolled 200 thirty-month-old Italian-speaking children-consisting of 100 low-risk preterm and 100 comparable full-term children. Parents filled out the Italian version of the MacArthur-Bates Communicative Development Inventories Infant and Toddler Short Forms (word comprehension, word production, and incomplete and complete sentence production), Parent Report of Children's Abilities-Revised (cognitive score), and Early Motor Questionnaire (fine motor, gross motor, perception-action, and total motor scores) questionnaires. Results A latent profile analysis identified four profiles: poor (21%), with lowest receptive and expressive vocabulary and absent or limited word combination and phonological accuracy; weak (22.5%), with average receptive but limited expressive vocabulary, incomplete sentences, and absent or limited phonological accuracy; average (25%), with average receptive and expressive vocabulary, use of incomplete and complete sentences, and partial phonological accuracy; and advanced (31.5%), with highest expressive vocabulary, complete sentence production, and phonological accuracy. Lower cognitive and motor scores characterized the poor profile, and lower cognitive and perception-action scores characterized the weak profile. Having a nonworking mother and a father with lower education increased the probability of a child's assignment to the poor profile, whereas being small for gestational age at birth increased it for the weak profile. Conclusions These findings suggest a need for a person-centered and cross-domain approach to identifying children with language weaknesses and implementing timely interventions. An online procedure for data collection and data-driven analyses based on multiple lexical and grammatical skills appear to be promising methodological innovations. Supplemental Material https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.14818179.

Reticence is not a Virtue in Aviation: Improving English Speaking Proficiency of Future Aviation Specialists

English language proficiency is a vital requirement for air-to-ground communication for aviation specialists. A special attention should be paid to developing speaking skills of future pilots, air traffic controllers and engineers. Our research has shown that future aviation specialists come across certain challenges in the process of communication in English: insufficient aviation knowledge to give an opinion, low motivation to speak, poor grammatical skills and insufficient knowledge of vocabulary items, uneven participation in discussions, and fear of making mistakes. To overcome these challenges some recommendations were formulated for teachers to follow. The problem-solving activities were chosen and designed to enhance students’ speaking skills. They include value-clarification tasks, discussions, role-plays, information-gap activities, describing pictures, and discussing videos. This research aims to define the impact of applying these problem-solving activities on developing students’ speaking skills. 120 second year students in aviation specialties took part in this experiment. They were divided into a control and an experimental group of equal numbers. In both groups, the teachers taught the same Aviation English content which corresponded to the syllabus. In addition, in the experimental group the teacher implemented the problem-solving activities, which contributed significantly to the development of future aviation specialists’ speaking skills.

Application of pedagogical cues for teaching grammar in technical higher education institutions

The purpose of the paper is to prove the effectiveness of using pedagogical cues in the form of comic strips, NLP graphics and color when learning the grammar of the English language. The experiment presented in the research (in which 57 students from 17 to 25 years of age participated) proved that grammar rules are comprehended easier, faster, and more effectively if visualized cues are used when memorizing the material. A methodology for teaching grammar with the use of comic books was developed as well as the methodological materials for teaching grammar to students of technical higher education institutions. The experiment confirmed that in case of applying the proposed methodology the formation of grammatical skills is 17% faster and more effective.

КОМУНІКАТИВНИЙ ПІДХІД ДО ФОРМУВАННЯ ГРАМАТИЧНОЇ КОМПЕТЕНТНОСТІ МАЙБУТНІХ УЧИТЕЛІВ ІНОЗЕМНОЇ МОВИ

The article deals with peculiarities offorming future foreign language teachers’ grammatical competence in realization of communicative approach. The notion "future teacher’s grammatical competence" and its constituents are specified. The constituents offoreign language teachers’ grammatical competence comprise grammatical knowledge, grammatical skills (receptive and reproductive) and grammatical awareness (students' ability to register and recognize grammatical phenomena in oral and written speech, features and patterns of their formation and functioning). The types of communicative exercises, characteristic for the formation of grammatical competence of future foreign language teachers in the process of realization of the communicative approach, are offered and substantiated. The grammatical competence of the future foreign language teacher as a component of professional competence can be defined as intuitive (determining the creative and spontaneous use of language) and intellectual (which can be manipulated consciously) knowledge and ability to use grammatical resources of the language which can be achieved due to the integrated approach to learning grammar material, which provides an organic combination of conscious and subconscious components in the learning process, which will ensure their success in further professional activities. While communicative approach realization communicative (linguistic) tasks are prioritized. After all, it is the latter that bring the development of grammatical skills and abilities closer to the conditions of real communication - motivated and purposeful. Each grammatical structure can be carefully processed and automated thanks to the creative approach of the teacher to the selection of tasks.

Toddlers' Early Communicative Skills as Assessed by the Short Form Version of the Estonian MacArthur-Bates Communicative Development Inventory II.

Purpose The purpose of the current study is to develop a valid and reliable screening tool to identify children with risk of developing language difficulties for Estonian-speaking 2- to 3-year-old children. Method Nine hundred ninety parents of children ages 1;8-3;1 (years;months) filled in the Estonian MacArthur-Bates Communicative Development Inventory II (ECDI-II SF)-containing a 100-word vocabulary checklist, questions about decontextualized language use, and sentence production. A subset of parents filled in the long form of the MacArthur-Bates Communicative Development Inventory: Words and Sentences (n = 131). We examined the results of 31 children with language problems on the ECDI-II SF to assess the accuracy of the instrument. Results The concordance of scores on the ECDI-II long form and ECDI-II SF is high. Toddlers' results on the ECDI-II SF are related to their gender, with girls outscoring boys on the expressive vocabulary and sentence complexity subscales. We also found that children of highly educated mothers outperform others in the acquisition of grammatical skills. The sensitivity and specificity of the ECDI-II SF vocabulary section supported the implementation of this screening tool in order to identify toddlers with difficulties in their language development. Conclusions ECDI-II SF vocabulary scores are the most informative for determining whether a 2- or 3-year-old is following typical developmental patterns or should be referred to a speech and language specialist for a direct assessment. We provide a discussion on early language screening process and its implications for public health policies.

The Place of Grammar Instruction in the 21st Century: Exploring Global Perspectives of English Teachers towards the Role of Teaching Grammar in EFL/ESL Classrooms

This study explores the perspectives held by English teachers around the world regarding the role of teaching grammar in EFL/ESL classrooms and whether the divergence in these perspectives is influenced by variables such as gender, country, seniority, or educational background of the participants. To accomplish these objectives, a comprehensive questionnaire survey from literature comprising 46 items was carried out on a group of 304 participants from 22 countries who were voluntarily involved in this study using the snowball sampling method. Descriptive statistical methods were deployed for accurate data analysis. The findings revealed that the participants had a positive and constructive attitude regarding the importance of grammar instruction and were in unanimous agreement that good grammatical skills enabled the faster acquisition of proficiency in the target language. The participants agreed that grammatical mistakes’ immediate correction was detrimental students’ self-confidence levels and considered unnecessary interruption. These views highly influenced teaching methods and classroom practices. An overwhelming majority preferred an inductive and explicit approach to grammar teaching. It was concluded that while statistical differences in age, gender, and educational background did not influence the participants’ perspectives, seniority and country of origin played a vital role in these beliefs. After due consideration of these findings, a comprehensive discussion of the pedagogical implications and recommendations has been presented in this study.

Students’ mathematical communication in teams games tournaments (TGT) learning model on trigonometry topic

This study aims to observe the result of students’ mathematical communication in a Teams Games Tournament (TGT) type cooperative learning model. This study uses a qualitative descriptive method in which the result of the observation and investigation of the students’ mathematical communication will be described. This research subjects were the first semester college students of class A in school year 2019/2020. There were 30 students who were taking the Trigonometry learning material in the Mathematics Education study program of Math and Science Faculty in Universitas Negeri Malang. The learning process was done by applying the TGT type cooperative learning method. The results of this research showed that the learning model had a positive influence on most of the students’ mathematical communication, especially on their oral and written mathematical communication aspects. On the oral aspect, on average, the students had a good communication skill with several indicators as follows: grammatical skills; sociolinguistic skills; and strategical skills. The students were expected to have a mathematical thinking and reasoning skills. Whereas on the written aspect, the indicators were as follows: interpreting mathematical ideas rationally, changing mathematical problems into mathematical models, and expressing mathematical ideas in the form of a description. From the results of this study, it was obtained that most of the students had good written mathematical communication skills. It can be concluded that the TGT learning model had a positive influence on the students’ mathematical communication skills.

Linguistic and didactic aspects of the “linguistic consciousness” formation in teaching foreign languages: grammar skills formation

The process of learning grammar is quite time-consuming. Poor grammar is often the reason that prevents people from communicating freely and competently in a foreign language. Definitely, some textbooks offer a sufficient number of grammar exercises, but, as a rule, these exercises are not aimed at communication. Therefore, it is quite natural that at the beginning of the formation of grammar skills, students do not have sufficient linguistic competence and psychological readiness for full-fledged foreign language communication. Consequently, the task of teachers is to create such conditions in the educational process where students are involved in communication step by step, with a gradual increase in psychological stress and linguistic load, at the same time including grammar tasks in the learning process. Thus, the relevance of this article is determined by the increased requirements for the quality of teaching a foreign language with a view to earlier communication and the undeveloped issues related to the problem of developing and improving grammatical skills.

THE ROLE OF INNOVATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE FORMATION OF LEXICAL AND GRAMMATICAL SKILLS WHEN TEACHING A FOREIGN LANGUAGE

The article deals with the use of innovation technologies in the educational process, in particular, when teaching a foreign language. It is shown that the modern educational process is provided by the interaction of its participants through the electronic information and educational environment integrated with the Windows operational system and Zoom platform for more efficient implementation of educational goals. In teaching a foreign language such innovation technologies as blog technologies, means of asynchronous and synchronous Internet communication, linguistic corpus, electronic dictionaries and translators have a great didactic potential, helping to form lexical and grammatical skills when working with a specialized text.

Language-Related Skills in Bilingual Children With Specific Learning Disorders

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to better understand the characteristics of the language-related skills of bilingual children with specific learning disorders (SLD). The aim is achieved by analyzing language-related skills in a sample of bilingual (Italian plus another language) and Italian monolingual children, with and without SLD.Patients and methods: A total of 72 minors aged between 9 and 11 were recruited and divided into four groups: 18 Italian monolingual children with SLD, 18 bilingual children with SLD, 18 Italian monolingual children without SLD, and 18 bilingual children without SLD. Each child underwent tests to evaluate different aspects of language skills: lexical and grammar, metalanguage and executive functions.Results: With regard to lexical and grammatical skills, the conditions of SLD and bilingualism both impact naming in terms of total number of errors for words with low frequency of use, while the condition of SLD has an effect on semantic errors for words with low frequency of use. The condition of bilingualism impacts on the total errors for words with high frequency of use and on circumlocution-type errors for words with low frequency of use. There were significant effects of bilingualism and SLD on the metalinguistic test for understanding implicit meaning, and an impact of SLD on phonological awareness was also found.Conclusion: The results suggest that both SLD and bilingualism have an effect on some lexical skills, in particular for words with low frequency of use. Both conditions, bilingualism and SLD, seem to impact on metalinguistic abilities that depend on lexical knowledge. These findings reinforce the importance of improving understanding of the neuropsychological profile of bilingual children with SLD.

Dynamic Linguistic Interconnectedness and Variability in Toddlers.

This investigation examined the existence of interconnectedness between developing linguistic subsystems. Spontaneous speech samples were collected from 31 typically-developing Greek-speaking toddlers across two age levels, at 28 and 36months. Correlational analyses were performed synchronically and predictively, revealing significant positive relationships among all language skills within ages. Phonetic and grammatical skills also showed predictive value for later skills. In addition, a cluster analysis on the basis of performance on each individual skill revealed variable linguistic profiles: Low performers showed multiple interactions within and across ages, while High performers showed minimal such interactions. The current results revealed complex interdependencies among the different language skills with children exhibiting variable linguistic profiles, as supported by dynamic systems theory approaches to language acquisition.

Exegetical Gems for Biblical Greek: A Refreshing Guide to Grammar and Interpretation by B. L. Merkle

Reviewed by: Exegetical Gems for Biblical Greek: A Refreshing Guide to Grammar and Interpretation by B. L. Merkle Annelie van der Bank Merkle, B. L. 2019. Exegetical Gems for Biblical Greek: A Refreshing Guide to Grammar and Interpretation. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic. ISBN 978-0801098772. Pp. 192. Paperback. $14.62. Benjamin L. Merkle is an accomplished scholar who has authored, coauthored and edited quite a number of books. He is professor of New Testament and Greek at the Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, USA. Exegetical Gems, his newest book published in 2019, is an accessible book consisting of thirty-five chapters, each of which explains some aspect of NT Greek. It can be used as a supplementary tool for new students learning biblical Greek for the first time, but it is also quite valuable for former students, whose skills need honing, as well as for lecturers who need a "refreshing" strategy to keep students motivated and inspired to study their subject material. While it dispels the assumption that learning Greek will reveal and explain all the treasures in the NT, it does live up to the positive comments on the blurb, one of which states that the book is "a very valuable guide for any student learning or relearning Greek." It is a dense volume, considering that its thirty-five chapters are limited to less than two hundred pages. Therefore, the reader should not expect to find elaborate explanations about the finer detail of Greek syntax. However, because the objectives of the book are stated clearly, it is doubtful that anyone would have such an expectation. Nevertheless, the amount of information on each grammatical concept is adequate for a former student that needs refreshing, or a current student who just needs another point of view from which to understand the practical relevance of the concepts. Each of the chapters follows a fixed outline—a good strategy to achieve a standardised pattern. It begins with the introduction of a particular text, followed by a brief summary of a specific element of Greek syntax—for example, a specified case of the noun, or a certain form of the verb, or other elements such as discourse analysis, exegetical misnomers, etcetera, and then concludes with a particular interpretation of the "gem" text. However, for a book on biblical Greek, it does have precious little Greek in it. The "gem" texts are found as text references in the subtitles to the chapter headings, for example, Rom 5:1 or Eph 4:12, but the wording of the text is not supplied. Therefore, when the author refers to the importance of the article in 1 Tim 3:2 (see chapter 8), there is no text for the reader to see the articles that form the subject of the chapter, especially if (s)he may not have a Greek NT at hand. Those passages that are printed in full are translated texts (in English) with only a particular word or phrase in Greek, and I suggest that it would have been more meaningful if [End Page 211] the particular passages—none of them very long—were quoted in Greek in their entirety, especially since the book also targets readers whose Greek is "rusty" and may need some reminding. This being said, overall, I did find the book "refreshing," as the title promised. The material in the "overview" section of each chapter gives a quick brush-up explanation of the subject matter and, despite the fact that it shares information that can be found in a textbook, it does not seem like a timeworn repetition of tedious facts, but a refreshing reminder of what a genitive noun (for example) can mean, and why the particular passage chosen as the "gem text" should be interpreted in a certain manner. Therefore, I strongly recommend this as a good read for students busy learning Greek, for pastors who do not read biblical texts in Greek regularly and for anyone who may need to brush up on their grammatical skills. Annelie van der Bank Stellenbosch University annelie.vanderbank@gmail.com Copyright © 2021 The New Testament Society of Southern Africa (NTSSA)

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.

Social networks as a modern tool of teaching foreign language

The modern educational process involves the active use of information and communication technologies that contribute to create a productive educational environment between a student and a teacher. The subjects of the educational process have access to information support. They can quickly transfer and receive knowledge, to study in distance, use the latest information technologies fully. Electronic textbooks, video materials, online trainers, specialized training platforms, programs and applications and social networks are information and technological tools of a modern teacher of foreign language. The student as an active user of social networks can use these resources not only with entertainment purposes, but also to get knowledge of foreign language and communicative skills. The article deals with the concept of social networks in the context of the modern educational environment. The role and significance of social networks as an additional tool of training have been determined. The didactic characteristics of such social networks as Lang-8, MyLanguageExchange, Interpals, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Tiktok are defined. Attention is paid to opportunities and advantages of using social networks by the modern teacher. For example, the platform Lang-8 is focused on communicating in a text format, improving spelling punctuation and grammar. Services MyLanguageExchange, INTERPALS are effective tools for the development of spoken language. The virtual educational space of YouTube is able to practice grammatical skills, renew the vocabulary, improve pronunciation and broaden horizons. Unique language environment can be created in the popular Instagram, Facebook, Tiktok networks with original tasks. It can motivate students to study a foreign language. It has been established that the use of social networks is an effective tool for teaching a foreign language.