Level Of Foreign Language Proficiency Research Articles

Transition from traditional to innovative approaches in learning L2

The use of cutting-edge pedagogical and information technologies in foreign language instruction is becoming more and more popular these days. This is partly because, unlike traditional education, which taught students to acquire only pre-existing knowledge, modern technology’ enables them to search for, independently study, analyze, and even draw conclusions about their level of foreign language proficiency. During this process, the teacher serves as a leader and a guide while also establishing the conditions necessary for the individual's growth, formation, acquisition, and raising. In the process of learning, the learner takes center stage. Because of this, the practice of instructing students in a contemporary manner using cutting-edge techniques is spreading rapidly. Additionally, this article addresses cutting-edge techniques for teaching foreign languages.

Research into the capacities of the global digital environment for obtaining cultural and conceptual information at institutional and individual levels

Introduction. The article examines the problem of using the global digital environment as a resource of information about the concepts of German linguistic culture. The purpose of the article is to study the functions of the digital environment, identify its capacities for institutional and individual familiarization with cultural-conceptual information, justify the criteria for selecting media texts, and summarize recommendations for using the environment as a source of information about linguistic concepts. Materials and Methods. The study of the digital environment was conducted during two semesters in 12 groups of undergraduates studying German at MGIMO University of the Russian Foreign Ministry. During the research, the following methods were used: survey and study of written and oral statements of students in the process of their immersion into the digital environment, analysis and systematization of the accumulated experience in teaching the concepts of German culture. Results. The article summarizes the experience of researching the global digital environment as a resource of cultural and conceptual information. The functions of the environment used in teaching a foreign language are determined: informational, educational, motivational,and diagnostic. The prospects for institutional and independent familiarization with information about key concepts of culture are identified. The criteria for selecting media texts used as a resource of cultural-conceptual information are substantiated: the availability of data on the concepts being studied, compliance with the value guidelines of Russian society, relevance and novelty of materials, matching with the level of foreign language proficiency of international relations students. Conclusions. The authors have revealed the capacities of the digital environment for obtaining cultural and conceptual information at institutional and individual levels. Implementing the research provisions in teaching practice will contribute to the effective use of the virtual cultural and linguistic space and improve the quality of language and professional preparation of international relations professionals.

Foregn language training of specialists in higher educational institutions of Ukraine and the republic of Poland in the context of theEuropean language policy: experience and prospects

The article deals with the problem of foreign language training of specialists in higher educational institutions of Ukraine and the Republic of Poland in the context of the European language policy. The aim of the study is to determine the features of specialists’ foreign language training in the higher education system of Ukraine and the Republic of Poland in the context of the European language policy and to analyze the main provisions of the All-European recommendations on language education regarding the level of foreign language proficiency and criteria for assessing the knowledge and skills of students in Ukraine and Poland. The author underlines that foreign language training of specialists of any profile in modern Europe directly relates to the guiding principles of language policy of the European Union, concentrates around basic life competencies of the individual, needs and challenges caused by the globalization of the modern world, including linguistic issues, the provisions of the Bologna Declaration on the construction of a single European educational space. The study of modern trends in foreign language education in universities of Ukraine and Poland shows the interest of the institutions of the Council of Europe and the European Union in the state of problems of foreign language education and support for its solution. It has been substantiated that the European Union has determined the main criteria and indicators of foreign language training of specialists, and has determined the language proficiency requirements for Ukrainian and Polish graduates universities.

POTENTIAL AND EFFECTIVENESS OF DISTANCE TEACHING A FOREIGN LANGUAGE

The subject of the article is reflection on the use of e-learning in language education. Based on the opportunities provided by distance learning in language education, a description of an empirical study is given, the main purpose of which was to evaluate the effectiveness and analyze the properties of distance learning in the process of teaching/learning foreign languages. The main goal of the planned study was to evaluate the effectiveness and analyze the properties of distance learning in the glottodidactic process. During the discussion, the conditions and possibilities for introducing e-learning in the context of language education at the academic level were discussed. Our own research was quantitative and qualitative in nature. The effectiveness of distance learning in editing written statements in a foreign language was assessed on the basis of statistical analysis of data obtained as a result of a training experiment. As part of the survey study, observations covered various aspects of distance learning. Based on the above considerations, it is worth emphasizing the need to continue research on the use of e-learning in the glottodidactic process within the framework of various language skills and at various levels of foreign language proficiency. Of course, organizing the process of distance learning, as well as contact learning, requires appropriate actions to individualize learning and, as a result, constant adaptation of the concept of classes conducted in a distance model to the specific educational needs of students, which can lead to a more conscious and effective use of the potential e-learning in language education. The most important results of the study are discussed later in the article.

PECULARITIES OF INCREASING THE EFFICIENCY OF THE PROCESS OF LEARNING FOREIGN LANGUAGES

This article discusses some features of improving the quality of education in teaching foreign languages in universities. The results of the analysis of problems arising in the process of teaching foreign languages are given. Attention is paid to improving the effectiveness of training sessions, through the use of various audio and video materials, with the help of computer technology. The possibilities of the technology of individualized learning, which contributes to increasing the level of foreign language proficiency, are discussed. The main factors on which it is necessary to pay attention to the teacher in theorganization of the educational process for teaching a foreign language are proposed.

Learning from academic video with subtitles: When foreign language proficiency matters

BackgroundPrevious multimedia research suggests that learning from an academic video in a foreign language may represent a boundary condition for the redundancy principle, such that subtitles assist learning, especially for low-proficiency learners. AimThe effects of the subtitle language and the learners’ foreign language proficiency level plus any interaction between the two on learning from a subtitled video were examined. Sample and methodsIn an online study, 131 francophone students allocated to three English proficiency levels studied a video lecture under three conditions: subtitles in English (same as audio), subtitles in French or no subtitles (control). They were then asked to provide subjective ratings (cognitive load and interest) and perform comprehension tasks. ResultsNeither a main effect of the condition nor interactions were found on any measure. However, there was a main effect of language proficiency on inference and transfer outcomes as well as on extraneous cognitive load. ConclusionThe findings did not provide evidence for any effect of subtitles in the same or native language, but confirm the leading role of foreign language proficiency in content learning from video in a foreign language.

The specifics of teaching a foreign language to false beginners in non-linguistic universities

Despite recent active popularization of foreign languages in our modern society, the issue of teaching languages in non-linguistic universities still remains relevant, especially when a considerable proportion of newly enrolled students define their level of foreign language proficiency as false beginners. The authors of the study analyzed a number of national and foreign scientific papers on the issue of teaching false beginners in a non-linguistic university and noted that this issue has not been resolved yet within the context of the methodology of teaching foreign languages. Nowadays, there is an insufficient number of experiments on teaching false beginners aimed at improving their language training efficiency. The purpose of the study is to identify the features of false beginners’ language proficiency and to develop a hybrid model of teaching false beginners in a non-linguistic university. Methods of generalization and systematization (analysis of scientific literature on the research topic), abstract modeling of the situation, observation and experiment were used in the study. The research will be interesting for foreign language teachers who work with students of non-linguistic programmes of study.

The impact of digital technologies on the effectiveness of english language learning by medical students

Globalization and increasing demands on specialists determined the need to learn a foreign language in the modern world. Consequently, higher education institutions need to improve the educational programme for the preparation of future specialists for professional activities. The aim of this research was to determine the effectiveness of the use of modern digital technologies during the study of a foreign language by medical students. The research employed the methods of expert evaluation, preand post-testing (CEFR), a survey with the inclusion of a technology perception model. Cronbach’s alpha was used to check the reliability of the used questionnaires. Cohen’s kappa coefficient and Pearson’s chi-squared test were used for statistical processing of the results. The study found that students of the experimental group who studied using different digital technologies showed significantly more success in improving foreign language skills after the final test than students of the control group. The novelty of this study is that the study of English by medical students was carried out using digital technologies that were chosen according to the age, profession and foreign language proficiency level of the experimental sample of students. Prospects for further research may be to determine the effectiveness of artificial intelligence during foreign language learning by medical students.

An exclusive phonological method of teaching a foreign language with a professionally oriented approach

The relevance of the topic of the article is due to the reassessment of the goals and objectives of professionally oriented language education at the undergraduate level in the light of UNESCO initiatives. The hypothesis: use of the proposed methodology in the course of teaching English with the indicated approach at a technical university can significantly improve pronunciation. The purpose is to determine the effectiveness of the phonological methodology in teaching a foreign language based on a professionally oriented approach. Methodology: pilot experiment, comparison, observation, description, Wilcoxon's T-test, induction. The experiment in 2019-2020 involved 60 students of the Moscow Aviation Institute (National Research University). Most relevant results: repeated control testing revealed an increase in the level of foreign language proficiency. The Wilcoxon t-test confirmed the significance of differences in the results: Temp=0< Tcr (n=4; p≤0.01)=1. Practical testing of this study showed that the vocalism technique provides effective opportunities for implementing an individual learning path. Thus, future research suggested by the results will continue to improve the phonology of pronunciation. The novelty of the study lies in the fact that this experiment was conducted for the first time at an aerospace non-linguistic university.

THE EFFECTIVENESS OF “WARM-UP ACTIVITIES” AT ENGLISH LESSONS FOR THE FIRST-YEAR STUDENTS OF HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS

This research is devoted to the actual problem of using the “warm-up activities” at English classes with first-year students. It is specified that “warm-up activities” (warm-up exercises or communication and game exercises) are short-term activities, which are performed at the beginning or during the lesson that do not require special preparation and are intended to introduce the initial element of the positive adjustment of pupils and the teacher to productive work and full interaction on the given topic. The purpose of the article is to study theoretically the phenomenon of “warm-up activities”, to determine the effectiveness of its application at English classes with the first-year students.It was underlined in the article, that learning any foreign language is determined as a multifunctional, long-term process that requires regularity, and certain creative and emotional moments, which are characterized by scientific and pedagogical representatives as the key directions of introducing the foreign language into the public environment for better adaptation to modern trends of the English language in Ukraine. Choosing the forms of language trainings in order to ensure their effectiveness, the teacher must take into account some general rules: pay attention to the level of foreign language proficiency; to hook the students with a certain technique at the beginning of the lesson in order to promote their interest immediately; “warming up” should be related to the main tasks of the lesson; remember the short duration of “warm-up activities”.It has been established that “warm-up activities” should be used at English language classes, as it builds the joint potential of those who teach and those who study.
 Keywords: warm-up exercises; “warm-up activities”; positive attitude; foreign language competences; speech skills; interaction.

Exploring multilingual education in Morocco: official documents and teachers’ perceptions

ABSTRACT The Moroccan Ministry of Education has recently implemented a multilingual programme, called ‘language alternation’ (LA). The programme aims at improving students’ foreign language (FL) proficiency level and promoting plurilingualism by using French, English, and Spanish, for the teaching of math, physics and life and earth sciences at the secondary level, instead of the official language, Arabic. The study sought to understand this new tendency in Moroccan education by examining official educational documents and exploring teachers’ perceptions using Grounded Theory (GT), which is a hypothesis-generating methodology. The findings showed a gap between the conceptualised language recommendations in the official documents and the implementation of these recommendations in Moroccan schools. In addition, it seems that the new enacted educational policy has brought about challenges for both students and teachers. The interviewed teachers were concerned about their students’ initial FL proficiency, the negative effect of the new policy on students’ content learning, the lack of trainings in the methodology of the new medium of instruction (MOI) policy and limited agency of teachers in the conceptualisation and implementation of the new policy.

Pedagogical Practices for Dyslexic Learners in Moroccan EFL Classroom

Dyslexia is a specific learning disability that affects not only students’ first-language literacy skills but also foreign language learning. It is characterized by difficulties with accurate and/or fluent word recognition as well as poor spelling and decoding abilities. It does not indicate a lack of intelligence or idleness, but rather it is a typical condition that influences the manner the brain processes written and spoken language. In order to ensure that dyslexic students successfully acquire the necessary levels of foreign language proficiency, they need additional support. A total of forty-seven teachers took part anonymously in an online study. A questionnaire was used to provide a descriptive account of the training requirements of EFL teachers who face the challenge of teaching dyslexic students within the mainstream classroom in the six largest universities in Morocco. The findings indicated that foreign language teachers often lack adequate understanding of the nature of dyslexia and the challenges it poses in foreign language learning, and they are unfamiliar with the relevant teaching techniques and methods to support dyslexic students’ language learning processes. However, they expressed their interest in some courses that would help them expand their knowledge and skills and be able to teach dyslexic students more effectively and inclusively.

APPLYING OF DESIGN THINKING APPROACH IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF FOREIGN LANGUAGE COURSE

A lot of people comprehend the necessity to acquire foreign languages and particularly foreign languages for their professional needs, but in most cases, their enthusiasm and motivation decrease and sometimes even disappear when hard work on a regular basis starts. The greatest advantages of the Design Thinking approach in teaching foreign languages are the development of foreign languages’ competencies and the making of the learners more motivated. The aim of the paper is to analyze the development outcomes of communicative competencies by applying the Design Thinking approach to teaching foreign languages to Bachelor level law students who acquire legal English and Bachelor level Information Technology students who study German as a second foreign language. The following methods were used while doing the research: survey data analysis of the foreign languages courses’ target audience and the qualitative analysis of the data content. A questionnaire of the students was developed and carried out, the answers were processed. The research experience was analyzed, the conclusions were drawn and the proposals for future work were worked out. The framework of learning was based on the Stanford method: empathizing, defining the problem, ideating, prototyping, and testing. The results of the study proved that the design thinking approach is effective as the learners solve many real-life problems. This encouraged collaboration and activity as they discussed simulated professional and real-life issues. The results also proved that the design thinking approach is recommended for learners with a higher level of foreign language proficiency. The pros and cons of the approach, based on the learners’ results and questionnaires have been summarized.

Features of the formation of aviation discourse of the future teachers of a foreign language

This article discusses the ways and possibilities of preparing aviation students to study an industry-specific foreign language according to the ICAO language proficiency level scale, which stands for International Civil Aviation Organization and represents a clearly described international set of requirements for knowledge of a foreign language. To improve the real safety of aviation around the world, it is important to develop the international standard for language proficiency requirements. Training on the ICAO language level scale was initiated by the Ministry of Education and Science in 2019, after this study was undertaken. This level scale is designed to determine the content in terms of proficiency in aviation terminology and phraseology in English at the so-called levels. The ICAO language level scale identifies six levels that correspond to the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR), which defines six levels of foreign language proficiency: A1, A2, B1, B2, C1, C2 (ascending). In this regard, the authors of the article identified the tasks of solving the selection of language materials and structuring them into modules. These tasks and cases are professionally content-oriented and communicative, which could give the opportunity to practise and improve students’ skills and competences.

РОЗВИВАЛЬНЕ НАВЧАННЯ – ОСНОВА ЯКІСНОГО ЗАСВОЄННЯ МАТЕРІАЛУ НА ЗАНЯТТЯХ З ІНОЗЕМНОЇ МОВИ

The article analyzes and clarifies the need for a certain change in the vector of foreign language teaching in Ukrainian higher education institutions, considers the influence of innovative technologies on the development of the internal potential of students of Ukrainian higher education institutions for their acquisition of foreign language competences. The study, in particular, showed that the use of elements of developmental learning in the process of teaching foreign languages ​​accelerates the process of assimilation of foreign language vocabulary, which creates a basis for a creatively oriented class, which in itself stimulates students to self-develop, self-improve and promote the emergence of a new creative personality as such, which in its the professional future will have significant achievements, success and even triumph. Actual methods of developmental training are highlighted. The article also focuses on the special importance and role of developmental education, which involves the continuous development of the student's personal abilities. At the same time, the relationship between the student's ability to learn a foreign language and the result of mastering it has been established. The article substantiates the effectiveness and correctness of the use of modern multimedia technologies to increase the level of foreign language proficiency of students of Ukrainian higher education institutions. The need to change the approach to the application of new forms of teaching the subject, which is determined by the need for future specialists to have a high level of foreign language vocabulary, as well as to have the skills of fluency in a foreign language, in general, within the limits of their professional activity, is proved. The study suggests to use such active learning methods (interactive methods) that would contribute to the transformation of learning into a successful creative process, and the student into a bright personality, into a great specialist in the future.

ДИДАКТИЧНИЙ ПОТЕНЦІАЛ МОБІЛЬНИХ ЗАСТОСУНКІВ ДЛЯ ВИВЧЕННЯ АНГЛІЙСЬКОЇ МОВИ ЯК ІНОЗЕМНОЇ

The article is devoted to the didactic potential of mobile applications for learning English as a foreign language by students of non-philology specialities. Since mobile learning acquires complex and systemic features, it is extremely important to investigate specific means that contribute to the implementation of educational tasks and the acquisition of necessary competencies by students getting higher education. The purpose of the article is to review existing mobile applications designed for learning English as a foreign language by Ukrainian students in order to determine their didactic potential. Research methods: the analysis of sources on the topic of research made it possible to understand the state of development of the topic, the main directions of domestic and foreign research on mobile learning; descriptive provided an opportunity to generalize the experience gained during reconnaissance; synthesis of the obtained data contributed to the conclusion of the research concept and its implementation. The didactic potential of mobile applications in learning English as a foreign language is considered. A number of mobile applications offered by Google Play were analyzed, and it was determined that they can be typologically classified according to various characteristics (age of the target audience, level of foreign language proficiency, developer expertise, amount of processed material, number of downloads and the score with which users rated a certain application). The applications that can be logically and naturally introduced into the educational process of students of the 1st year of the elementary and pre-intermediate levels were analyzed. 8 applications were considered. As a result of the research, it was found out that despite the considerable diversity of the analyzed applications, their common feature is the implementation of the “edutainment” concept, in which educational goals are achieved by combining the game form and the educational component of the material under consideration. Application developers pay the most attention to grammatical material and thematic vocabulary. Learned topics can be consolidated with the help of tests, often presented in a game form. An indisputable positive point is that the studied lexemes, grammatical constructions and whole sentences are voiced by native English speakers. Based on the concept of interval repetition, the developers include tools in the applications that allow students to memorize the material as easily and naturally as possible. These can be, for example: a repetition calendar, a reminder system, associative pictures, quizzes, the ability to create word cards by your own, transcription of words in English, examples of the use of polysemantic lexemes in different meanings, accompanied by translation and voiceover in a male or female voice. Both individual and group work is provided in the applications. The function of group English learning can be easily used during classroom classes. Mobile applications are a powerful resource that a teacher can refer to when dealing with specific topics. It is convenient for the student to use mobile applications outside of class time, consolidating information learned from textbooks and expanding it with the help of material provided in the course. However, mobile applications in no way replace the main textbook, being only one of the varieties of didactic material which is modern, relevant and understandable for a modern student of higher education.

ОСОБЛИВОСТІ ОРГАНІЗАЦІІ НАВЧАННЯ ІНОЗЕМНОІ МОВИ У РІЗНОРІВНЕВИХ ГРУПАХ СТУДЕНТІВ НЕМОВНИХ СПЕЦІАЛЬНОСТЕЙ

There are many strategies that can be put into practice to meet the needs of all students, but unfortunately, no "magic method" will guarantee every student's academic success. Today, most schools have students of different levels and abilities, which is a challenge for teachers. The teacher's goal is to reach all students by observing them in a variety of ways to achieve effective learning. Almost most students think of English as a subject they have to learn in school and do not realize that English is a language of communication that is used all over the world. A systematic approach is needed to solve these problems. Education should be aimed not at knowledge, but at skills. The article is devoted to the organization of the foreign language learning process in groups of students with different levels of foreign language proficiency. The reasons for the appearance of such groups, as well as the problems that may arise when studying in such an educational environment, are considered. The problem of heterogeneity of groups is successfully solved by using a special technology of multi- level training. In this study, it is noted that in the conditions of teaching foreign language communication of students of higher educational institutions, this technology involves diagnosing the initial level of each student and building individual learning trajectories of students in the zone of their immediate development. Methodical strategies for the implementation of multi-level differentiation are proposed, which will contribute to the effective learning of a foreign language by students of non-linguistic majors. The form of group interaction of students, which will be effective in the learning process in this format, has been determined. The expediency of using educational materials of different levels of complexity during teaching foreign language students in groups of different levels has been confirmed. The article also states that this format of work aroused interest among students, most students began to respond more actively in class. As a result, their foreign language skills improved.

Обучение английскому языку студентов специалитета морского института в электронной образовательной среде вуза

The article is devoted to the topical problem of educational process organization in e-learning university environment. The aim of the study is to describe the experience of teaching the English language to the Marine university students. In this paper the standard structure of the English courses has been introduced, the pedagogical experiment on revealing the efficiency of e-learning English courses focused on the increasing of motivation and formation of foreign language competence of specialist degree students at the Marine university by the example of Sevastopol State University has been represented. The scientific novelty of the research article consists in clarifying the notion “foreign language training of the Marine university students in e-learning educational environment” and identifying the criteria of assessment and levels of formation of foreign language competence of specialist degree students at the Marine university. As a result, the growth of students’ level of foreign language proficiency in the sphere of navigation has been observed owing to the use of e-learning courses. E-learning courses assist the students to increase the understanding of professionally oriented material and improve their skills of working in e-learning university environment.

The role of evaluation tools in the formation of linguistic competence of students of non-linguistic specialties

This article discusses ways to control the formation of linguistic competence of students of non-linguistic directions of training in modern conditions of teaching foreign languages. Special attention is paid to such types of control as dictation, test, translation tasks and mental map, which can be effectively used both as part of the current control and during the final certification. There are different types of dictations: bilingual, monolingual, continuous and selective. The basic requirements for tests as one of the evaluation tools are established. The importance of translation tasks in the framework of monitoring the formation of students' language competence is noted. The role of creating mental maps and working with them in the integrated assimilation of new information, as well as in the development of creative abilities when learning foreign languages on the example of French and German, is emphasized. In the conditions of technologization of the educational process, new forms of conducting these types of control are proposed: online dictation, computer testing, creating mental maps using various Internet services. Attention is focused on training sites containing monolingual online dictation and tests designed for different age groups and levels of foreign language proficiency.

THE ROLE OF LEARNING A FOREIGN LANGUAGE IN THE GLOBALIZATION PROCESS OF HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS

The article substantiates the expediency of globalization of higher education institutions andthe role of foreign language learning in this process. Four main justifications for globalization areoutlined: academic, socio-cultural, political and economic. Current trends in the internationalization ofhigher education in European countries have been identified, and aspects of the institute’s activitiesrelated to the development and implementation of the globalization strategy have been investigated.Factors determining its successful implementation and factors hindering this process are determined. Theimpact of globalization on the competitiveness of Ukrainian universities and the professional risksassociated with a low level of language proficiency are described. The role of the institute’s languagepolicy in the implementation of the internationalization strategy is defined. The regulatory and legaldocumentation in the field of development and reform of higher education is studied. The prerequisitesfor reforming the English language teaching methodology are considered. The method of globalization ofhigher education in foreign language classes is proposed. It is concluded that the process of globalization,the main goal of which is to improve the quality of education and scientific activity, has become thestrategic direction of higher educational institutions. In this regard, considerable attention is paid tosupporting the provision of pedagogical conditions for the formation of all intercultural competences ofstudents. The results of the empirical study indicate that the key areas of activity of universities in thecontext of internationalization are the development of students’ academic knowledge, mobility, creationof joint educational programs with foreign universities, development of international scientific activity. Itis found that the main factors that stimulate these processes are the development and monitoring of theimplementation of the globalization strategy. The problems of implementing this strategy, as before, areof a financial nature and are associated with a low level of foreign language proficiency and insufficientmotivation of students and teachers to participate in academic mobility programs and internationalscientific projects.