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TRANSLATION TEXT FROM RUSSIAN INTO ENGLISH
PART I
THEORY OF FOREIGN LANGUAGE TEACHING
Chapter 1
METHODS OF TEACHING FOREIGN LANGUAGES AS AN ACADEMIC, SCIENTIFIC AND PRACTICAL DISCIPLINE
1.1. Methodology as an academic discipline
The term "methodology" (from three, methodos — the way of research) means a branch of pedagogical science that studies the regularities of teaching a certain educational subject. In modern theory and practice of teaching a foreign language, this term is used in three meanings: methodology as an educational, scientific and practical discipline.
The methodology as an academic discipline provides theoretical and practical training for future teachers, including teaching foreign languages.
The course of methodology as a discipline usually includes the following sections:
1. Linguodidactic foundations of teaching.
This section discusses: the content of the methodology as a discipline; its relationship with other Sciences; research methods; the training system, including goals and objectives, principles, methods, tools, organizational forms of training; interpretation of the basic categories of the methodology and its conceptual apparatus.
2. Methodological foundations of teaching language communication tools (phonological, lexical, grammatical, stylistic, sociolinguistic).
3. Methodological bases of teaching communication activities (listening, speaking, reading and writing).
As a result of familiarization with the main provisions of the methodology as a discipline, students get an idea of what the goals of language teaching are (what should be the result of educational activities), what the content of training is (what should be taught), what methods and techniques are used to ensure language acquisition in the allotted time interval (how to teach), what means should be used to achieve the goals and implement the planned content of training (what to teach).
Thus, the course of methodology as an academic discipline is designed to ensure the formation of professional competence in future teachers, i.e. the ability to learn a foreign language as a result of familiarity with the techniques and methods of teaching it.
Since the object of the method is a foreign language, it is important to have an idea about the features of mastering this subject in comparison with other disciplines of the curriculum.
Language, as we know, is a system of signs (graphic, sound) that exist in human society, through which people exchange thoughts. According to the figurative definition of the German philosopher and linguist V. Humboldt (1762 -1835), language is the soul of the people, it captures its entire "national character". The most important function of language is to serve as an instrument of thought expression and a means of communication between people.
However, there are significant differences between the knowledge of native and foreign languages. A person learns the native language not because of a conscious desire to know the language, but because of the spontaneous development of thinking at an early age. The native language is first a means of assimilating the child's social experience, and only then-a means of expressing their own thoughts. The famous psychologist L. S. Vygotsky defined such a way of mastering the native language as a "bottom—up" path, i.e. the path is unconscious and unintentional, in contrast to learning a language at school, when the language, in addition to what has already been learned practically, is studied as a system and a set of rules. Such language acquisition is characterized by a "top— down" path, i.e. conscious and intentional. It is also typical for learning a foreign language, when students are given the necessary knowledge for practical language proficiency in the form of rules and instructions and provide for the implementation of special exercises that ensure the consolidation of acquired knowledge and education on their basis of speech skills and abilities.
Most researchers of children's speech believe that the study of a foreign language should begin on the basis of already formed experience of native language proficiency, i.e. at the age of 5-6 years, and must continue at school. Of course, mastering a foreign language does not exclude the possibility of using the "bottom—up" path, which is typical for classes using direct methods. However, the conscious way of language acquisition is more preferable, since it provides for the students ' awareness of ways to form thoughts using the means of the language being studied and the rules that determine how to use such methods when building their own statements and for understanding the statements of other people. After all, learning a foreign language is associated with mastering a new language code, i.e., new ways of expressing thoughts in a non-native language, which provides support for the principle of consciousness in learning.
The method of teaching a foreign language takes into account the features of the subject "Foreign language", which are as follows:
1. The purpose of training is not so much to acquire knowledge about the subject itself, i.e. about the language, as to form skills and abilities in different types of speech activity. On the basis of the relationship between knowledge —skills—abilities, a foreign language occupies an intermediate place between theoretical disciplines (Humanities, natural science and educational cycle) and practical disciplines (music, drawing, sports, etc.). Thus, a foreign language, as well as other practical disciplines, involves the implementation of a large volume of training exercises for its assimilation, which lead to the formation of speech skills and abilities. At the same time, as in theoretical scientific disciplines, a significant amount of language knowledge is provided in the form of rules and instructions. However, these rules and instructions themselves should have a practically significant character and occupy a fairly modest place in the General system of classes with a practical orientation of training.
2. A foreign language is primarily a means for expressing one's own thoughts and understanding the thoughts of other people, captured in written or oral texts.
3. A foreign language as an academic subject is unlimited, i.e. there are no borders in language acquisition. The boundlessness of the language forces teachers to strive to limit the volume of the studied language, sufficient for practical use, taking into account the needs of students. Thus, the possession of 2,000 lexical units is considered sufficient to understand 75 % of any foreign language text. As a result, language minimums are created for different stages and training profiles.
4. Foreign language, according to the psychologist I. A. Winter, non-objective, i.e. it is a means for learning in other disciplines. Nowadays, language courses focused on mastering the specialty language (Languages for Specific Purposes) are particularly popular.
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