The development of future teachers’ subjectness within the course "english for specific purposes"

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THE DEVELOPMENT OF FUTURE TEACHERS' SUBJECTNESS WITHIN THE COURSE “ENGLISH FOR SPECIFIC PURPOSES”

english specific purposes

Shekhavtsova S. O., Doctor of Pedagogical Sciences,

Professor of the Romance and Germanic

Department Luhansk Taras Shevchenko National University

Summary. This paper deals with the methods and techniques of developing future teachers' subjectness within the course “English for Specific Purposes” (ESP). This paper studies the teaching context of the compulsory ESP course, which is focused on the development the future teachers' subjectness, on the one hand, and the improvement of the current level of English on the other. This course should take into account the learners' professional needs and the language teaching context, their desires and wishes to learn Englishin order to develop subjectness. This course suggests approaches to stimulate future teachers', motivation to construct and recognize their own subjectness.

Key words: future teachers' subjectness, the course “English for Specific Purposes”, professional training, methods and techniques.

Шехавцова С. А. Формирование субъектности будущих учителей в курсе «Иностранный язык для профессиональных целей»

Аннотация. В статье рассматриваются методы и приемы формирования субъектности будущих учителей в рамках курса «Английский для профессиональных целей». В статье представлен учебный контекст обязательного курса ESP, который направлен, с одной стороны, на развитие у будущих учителей субъектности, а с другой - на усовершенствование уровня знания английского языка. В контексте обучения в данном курсе должны учитываться профессиональные потребности студентов и контекст преподавания языка, предпочтения студентов в изучении английского языка для формирования их субъектности. В рамках данного курса предлагаются подходы, которые стимулируют и мотивируют будущих учителей формировать собственную субъект- ность в изучении английского языка.

Ключевые слова: субъектность будущих учителей, курс «Английский язык для профессиональных целей», профессиональная подготовка, методы и технологии.

Шехавцова С. О. Формування суб'єктності майбутніх учителів у межах курсу «Англійська мова за професійним спрямуванням»

Анотація. У статті розглядаються методи і прийоми формування суб'єктності майбутніх учителів у межах курсу «Англійська мова за професійним спрямуванням». У статті представлено навчальний контекст обов'язкового курсу ESP, спрямований, з одного боку, на формування у майбутніх учителів суб'єктності, а з іншого - на вдосконалення рівня володіння англійською мовою. У контексті навчання в курсі мають ураховуватися професійні потреби студентів і контекст викладання мови, мотиви студентів щодо вивчення англійської мови, формування суб'єктно- сті. У межах цього курсу пропонуються підходи, які стимулюють і мотивують майбутніх учителів формувати власну суб'єктність у процесі вивчення англійської мови.

Ключові слова: суб'єктність майбутніх учителів, курс «Англійська мова за професійним спрямуванням», професійна підготовка, методи і технології.

Nowadays the modernization of higher education requires the formation of new type teachers, which would have valuable attitude to choose teaching as a profession. They would be able to adapt to new socio-economic conditions and also to take the initiative, implement their own approaches to professional and educational activities and in such a way their own activity would be able to transform the surrounding environment. In addition, future teachers (in different disciplines, who study English as the second language) should aspire to constant professional and personal development throughout their life.

Nowadays modern schools need professional teachers (pedagogues in different subjects) with high level of general and professional educational culture, personal potential, which would promote self-improvement and individual creativity in their own teaching profession.

The problem of the professional subjectness is discussed in a variety of scientific works (K. Abulkhanova-Slavskay, L. Abd- alinoyi, B. Bardyninoyi, M. Borytka, S. Kashleva, A. Leonova, V. Markina, O. Meshka, T. Ol'khovoyi, V. Petrovs'koho, L. Sko- rych, L. Stakhnyeva, V. Tkachova, O. Tsymbal, V. Chernobrovkina and others).

The aim of this article is intended not only to the formation of future teachers' personal qualities, but also to the development of self-determination, creativity, ability to reflect, take an initiative, the ability to facilitate the self-improvement throughout life the course “English for Specific Purposes” (ESP).

In the context of the theory of the subjectness, most of researchers (K. Abulkhanova-Slavskay, A. Leontiev, etc.) indicate that it is primarily for individual to have an opportunity for self-expression, providing an ample opportunity for constant creativity [1].

S. Kashlyev believes that the specific features of subjectness determine the regulation of activity, which is urgent in a certain period of the future teachers' professional statement. The formation and development of professional activity is the result of transformation of universal behaviour into personal which is directed to find the professional life sense [2, p. 22]. In addition, subjectness is always a unique and an individual form, which is defined as an activity or ability to solve problems using all means of human potential, optimization of the future teachers' active position.

The significant contribution to the study of the personal integrity and the problems of professional development was made by A. Markin, L. Mitina. The study explains the personalities' inner world his active role and the need to self-realization in the career paths. The realization of the future teaches' professional creativity conduct the integral qualities, such as competence and mobility [3, p. 8].

It is obvious that the modern university education is considered as the main platform to implement the formation of future teachers' subjectnessin the process of professional training. That is all because the university education:

- is focused on personality and the future teachers' professional development, which is based on their previous achievements and considering their possibilities, needs and expectations;

- is multiple in various educational areas which help to maximize the scope for future teacher's self-identity;

- gives an opportunity to choose options to subject creativity [4, p. 110].

The formation of future teachers' subjectness within the professional training happens due to self-determination. The future teachers should build their own system of values, professional and pedagogical strategies of future career. The forms of such activity may be shown in an “I-concept” (an individual orientation or an individual subjectness).

The formation of the future teachers' subjectness within the university is considered to pay special attention to the improvement of the level of language (English) proficiency by means of informational and communicative technologies.

The development of the international mobility requires the need to increase an importance of foreign language training of the future teachers' professional training (within the ESP course). That is why the influence on the development the future teachers' subjectness is held both externally and internally within the ESP course.

It should be mentioned that the personality's orientation to active foreign language acquisition, professional pedagogical abilities and skills, will contribute to the development of future teachers' subjectness.

The formation of future teachers' subjectness is impossible without the international context. Current professionals should constantly participate in cross-cultural dialogue, because it allows, on the one hand, to be aware of international educational experience and to analyse their own professional and pedagogical productivity during an international cooperation.

Internally the solution to such problems within the ESP course is based on: the strengthening of the future teachers `motivation which is directed to the process of mastering foreign language; the usage of informational and communicative technologies in order to optimize the process of foreign language training.

Before starting the ESP course the future teachers had a chance to define their proficient English level. In order to do this the future teachers took part in discussions with professional teachers of the highest category; got tested using assessment questionnaires; were interviewed by school employers, managers, directors and university supervises.

It was investigated that the future teaches should have B2 level of English proficiency or even higher, but unfortunately their level is much lower (approximately A1-A2). Thus, before starting the ESP course the future teachers should obtain the basis of general English, for instance B1 level of grammar, vocabulary, listening, writing, speaking, and reading skills. What is more, the learners have poor ability to apply their awareness into communicative environment that is all because they haven't had enough English communicative practice before. It has to be mentioned that most of them are highly-motivated for promotion in their future teaches' career. That means that professional English level of future teachers has to be improved first of all before and then during the ESP course.

Within this study there is no goal to show the process of improvement the basis English, though it is inevitably necessary. The task of this survey is to pay attention to the development of future teachers' subjectness within the ESP course. In order to realize this task the ESP lecturers should feel constant administrators' support [5].

Therefore, within ESP course, the development of future teachers' subjectness should be directed to the enhancement of reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills.

In order to improve the ability to read professional literature the future teachers are able to know not only reading rules, but it's obvious to develop a large terminological professional vocabulary. In such a way it should stimulate the reading comprehension. During reading exercises lectures are aimed to pay attention to learn professional key words mentioned in the texts; develop the fluency of reading; form the learners' ability to be aware of text structure (during the crucial reading comprehension).

There is no doubt that writing is one of the most difficult skill to be mastered by learners. The current level of future teachers' writing is intermediate and pre-intermediate. In order to improve this situation lecturer should increase the amount of writing tasks during the ESP course. First of all, future teachers should develop the skill to express their simple personal and professional ideas into readable written text. The attention should be paid to spelling, word choice and punctuation.

The future teachers have also poor listening skills. Typically, they are terrified of listening practice, that's why they seem to be low-motivated in listening professional authentic texts. At the same time the learners (future teachers) are able to comprehend simple information, such as: the information about their country, the holiday events or the sequence of events, the description of the places in some details. From one hand, the learners can understand the general idea of the professional conversation. That is way during the ESP course the main attention should be paid to preparing tasks using the fluent speed of native English speakers attaching the situations from the professional sphere. What is more the subsequent task should be directed to an opportunity of answering back or clarifying the information using an active professional vocabulary.

The current future teachers' level of speaking is quite simple. They have an intermediate level of using grammar vocabulary, and semantics. Moreover, the learners have poor knowledge of how the native speakers use the language in the socio-cultural contexts of interpersonal interaction. The learners need in a specific speaking skills and strategies to use them during professional communication should become the basis of constructing the classes during the course. In addition, the attention should be paid also to the non-verbal elements, such as gestures, body-language, face expression which can also make difficulties in efficient future teachers `professional communication.

During the ESP course the learners (future teachers') are not seemed to be very knowledgeable and educated about the professional content area, because they have lots of specific courses on their specialty during their study at the university. Nevertheless most of them work at schools or having had school practice before, that's why they have rather good level of knowledge about the content professional area.

Typically, the future teaches have additional disciplines\courses besides the ESP course, such as methodology, innovative technologies etc. In general, the future teachers don't use English in learning other courses, as the university lecturers of these disciplines don't know the language enough properly for teaching in English, that's why ESP course includes the topics appropriate to these disciplines.

After having the course, the future teachers pointed out a high necessity to be proficient enough in conducting professional cross-cultural communication with foreign colleagues and setting professional tasks in English, in handling controversial professional topics taking into account sensitivity and cultural differences of foreign colleagues. The learners intend to improve professional communicative language skills such as speaking (communication strategy, fluent speech) and listening (comprehending different English accents and the native speaker's speech), because communicative skills are extremely necessary at their professional work context (to respond appropriately to professional information over the telephone; to interact appropriately in small talk, write an article or take part in the international workshop or in the conference).

The learners also need to make a well-organized Report Presentation son specific professional topics as they typically present their practical, scientific results or projects to their foreign colleagues using Power Point presentations.

The future teachers really want to develop writing skills as well because these skills are extremely necessary for writing specific papers such as e-mail, CV, Covering Letter for the CV, Resume, Letter of Application, Letter of Recommendation, Article, Theses etc. They need to be more competent and proficient in professional terminology that enables them to comprehend professional correspondence, publications, the last news and events in their sphere and to be up-to-dated professionally.

Conclusions. This article has briefly represented the teaching context of the course “English for Specific Purposes” which is aimed to develop the future teachers' (in different disciplines) subjectness. In order to develop subjectness effectively the following aspects should be mentioned: the future teachers' current professional level of English; future teachers' language weaknesses and strengths in writing, speaking, listening and reading skills; their ESP perspectives in their professional content area; and the designed ESP syllabus where the aspects mentioned above are reflected.

References

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