Lecture 1: General problems of Foreign Language teaching

Cluster. Splitting into cluster is a pedagogical method, which develops the variativeness of thinking and the ability to establish the links and relation of the investigated phenomena, helps the students to think freely on a certain top. The word cluster means "brunch". Cluster awakes fresh associations, involves the new ideas into the thinking process. It's very useful to have "cluster" before the study of a certain topic. For example, here are the clusters on the topics: "Professions ", "Education system in the USA", "Relations".
having a rest
S itting doing nothing listening to the music

h aving a holiday

to go to the country

doing the house work

having a picnic
having party
Making up the cluster we should keep the following succession;

1. 
   Write the key word, sentence or topic in the middle of the blackboard a piece of paper.
   
2. 
   Write down the words or sentences connected with the discussed question (topic).
   
3. 
   Establish the links between different ideas and phenomena.
   
4. 
   Write down as many variants of ideas as possible.
   

A free letter. The technique “a free letter” may be done on a certain topic in the classroom. The students have limited time and they write everything in their mind. They should write without stopping and correcting any Mistakes. The work in written form let us fix the ideas and express them more exactly.
T-scheme and cross discussion. T-scheme is a universal graphical organizer of comparing two things (object, phenomenon, etc). Yes / No, For -Against. It's very useful for contradictory things creating contrast.
Cross - discussion is the mechanism for discussion lead by the students themselves. Let's illustrate some examples of these Techniques.

	Living in the city is better than living in the country
For (Yes)		Against (No)
1. Living conditions are better than in the country. 2. People are more civilized and intellectual. 3. There are many places of interest, theaters, museums, libraries for the development of knowledge and intellectual level. 4. Flats and Houses are more comfortable than those ones in the country. 5. There are many places where people (especially young people) can spend their time: cafes, restaurants, purples picture galleries, etc.		1. We don't see real nature; there are many constructions everywhere. 2. People are rude, inattentive, and indelicate. 3. People in the city are always in a hurry people living in a country are kind and good - natured. 4. People living in the city are nervous and irritated. 5. There is little fresh air, because of much traffic and poisoned gas (air-pollution). 6. Everything is natural, including food in the country: bread, milk, fruit, and vegetables.

Role-play is engaging device to stimulate students to use their newly acquired English. Several people can interact in a role - playing situation. Plays are especially popular activities in cooperative learning.
Reading by "Zigzag" methods; this is a technique of cooperative learning, when every student gets an individual task which is a part of general task of the group.