Higher education tutoring English in modern environment

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Higher education tutoring English in modern environment

N. Vasylyshyna, T. Skyrda

Abstract

The article presents the results of the theoretical analysis of the formation of foreign language communicative competence in the process ofprofessional training of modern applicants for higher education in the digital age.

The objective of the study. The aim of the study was to consider innovative trends in the organization of foreign language education, in particular English-language education in the context of digitalization as a means of modernizing the training of students.

A review of the classical operational and methodological tools offoreign language education allowed to identify significant shortcomings in the formation of foreign language competencies.

Methods. During the study the research philosophy, research approach, methods of data collection, sampling and ethical considerations application methods were applied.

Results. The findings of the study showed that the use of presentations, information and communication technologies, dictionaries will contribute to the effectiveness of professional training, especially English preparatory part. It is worth noting that the stages of involvement, training and active work of the three-stage method of organizing English classes will contribute to the modernization of the educational process in higher education institutions of Ukraine.

Conclusions. We came to the conclusions that the introduction of digital technologies requires a completely new rethinking of the functioning of higher education: until now, our ideas about education were based on the norms and values of the twentieth century. In this way, students are prepared for the challenges of the past, not for the new challenges of a society that is undergoing constant change.

However, young people must be prepared for their future intellectually and emotionally as well as under the right conditions. Digitalization is fundamentally changing our global society at all levels. Just one look at the rapid development of artificial intelligence gives an idea of what awaits us in the near future. It has been proven that audio and visual perception of information, experiments and verification of using digital technologies diversify classes and have a positive effect on student motivation. Thus, thanks to the digital components, individual and collective learning bring more satisfaction and the learning process becomes more visible.

Key words: innovative; foreign language; communicative competence; technologies; presentations; approaches and methods; dictionaries; digital age.

Introduction

The word “innovation” is derived from Latin word “innovare”, which means to change something new. In other words, it can be said that „innovation" involves the practical implementation of new ideas. Due to tremendous progress in information and communication technology, the scenario of contemporary teaching techniques is entirely changed.

And the teacher of 21-st century should shed traditional concepts and techniques of classroom teaching and should adopt the recent and innovative teaching techniques. Teaching English depends on the potential excellence, skills and update knowledge of English teachers.

The role of English teacher in present context has remarkably changed because of various factors such as social, cultural, economic and technology developments across the globe.

The subject of teaching English at this level is very wide and the difficulties the teacher faces are at large. Due to globalization the world is changing rapidly, hence a teacher has to improve and update knowledge of innovative techniques to meet the demand of changing era.

English language teachers must be innovative, imaginative, and resourceful and have thorough knowledge of the subject and adopt new techniques to change socio, economic status of the country ( Brunner, Fasca, Heinze, Honey, Light, Mandinach & Wexler, 2005).

All around the world, students of all ages are learning to speak English, but their reasons for wanting to study English can differ greatly. Some students, of course, only learn English because it is on the curriculum at primary or secondary level, but for others, studying the language reflects some kind of a choice.

Many people learn English because they have moved into a target -language community and they need to be able to operate successfully within that community. A target-language community is a place where English is the national language, for example Britain, Canada, New Zealand or where it is one of the main languages of culture and commerce. Some students need English for a Specific Purpose (ESP). Such students of ESP (sometimes also called English for Special Purposes) may need to learn legal language, or the language of tourism, banking or nursing, for example.

An extremely popular strand of ESP is the teaching of business English, where students learn about how to operate in English in the business world (Gupta, 2005; Vyas & Manish Patel, 2009).

Many students need English for Academic Purposes (EAP) in order to study at an English-speaking university or college, or because they need to access English-language academic texts.

Many people learn English because they think it will be useful in some way for international communication and travel. Such students of general English often do not have a particular reason for going to English classes, but simply wish to learn to speak (and read and write) the language effectively for wherever and whenever this might be useful for them.

The purposes students have for learning will have an effect on what it is they want and need to learn, and as a result will influence what they are taught. Business English students, for example, will want to spend a lot of time concentrating on the language needed for specific business transactions and situations.

Students living in a target-language community will need to use English to achieve their immediate practical and social needs. A group of nurses will want to study the kind of English that they are likely to have to use while they nurse. Students of general English (including those studying the language as part of their primary and secondary education) will not have such specific needs, of course, and so their lessons (and the materials which the teachers use) will almost certainly look different from those for students with more clearly identifiable needs.

The aim of this paper is to provide a review on how we currently understand the higher education teaching English in the digital era. This topic is not easy to tackle and there is no current research that can objectively tell us what would be the most beneficial way to move forwards. The problem goes far beyond technology. Current research literature indicates that we are moving from an individualistic knowledge acquisition culture towards a collaborative knowledge creation culture of learning.

Research Methods and Methodic

The digital revolution is transforming our work, our organisations and our routines. It is transforming the way children and young people play, access information, communicate with each other and learn. But, so far, this revolution has not transformed m ost schools or most teaching and learning process in classrooms.

There is no doubt that education has an important role to play in increasing the European competitiveness and reducing unemployment.

In the frame of our research methods of data collection and data analysis represent the core of research methods. Also we have addressed to a range of additional elements within the scope of our research. The most important elements of current research methodology include research philosophy, research approach, methods of data collection, sampling and ethical considerations.

The acquisition-versus-learning debate may seem to be a relatively recent argument, yet for as long as languages have been taught people have argued about the best way of doing it, and how to help students to learn more effectively. The great linguist Harold Palmer made a similar distinction between spontaneous and study capacities in a book published in 1921.

And this was just one of many writings before and since which have tried to pin down what makes a good language lesson or an effective method. Current teaching practice is the direct result of such argument and discussion, and not only on the subject of acquisition and learning (Gupta, 2005; Nunan David, 1991).

Both abstract theory and practical techniques have been debated, have gone in and out of fashion, and have influenced what was and is included in classrooms and teaching materials.

In the 1990s, for example, there was considerable discussion about the Lexical Approach, where it was suggested that we should structure our curriculum around language chunks. These are the various phrases of two or more words which we use as units of meaning to communicate with. In the 1970s, methods such as the Silent Way or Community Language Learning were advocated, and although they may not be used much any more - certainly not as they were originally envisaged - still some of the techniques they included have been incorporated into modern teaching practice.

Amongst the plethora of ideas and techniques which have been offered over the years, some trends have had - and continue to have a significant impact on how languages are taught today (Brunner, Fasca, Heinze, Honey, Light, Mandinach & Wexler, 2005; Orlikowski & Barley, 2001; Vyas, Manish & Patel, 2009).

Results

Task-Based Learning (TBL) TBL is a natural extension of communicative language teaching. In TBL, the emphasis is on the task rather than the language. For example, students perform real-life tasks such as getting information about bus timetables, or making a presentation on a certain topic. Later, after the task has been completed, they can look at the language they have used and work on any imperfections that have arisen, correcting grammatical mistakes or thinking about aspects of style.

In other words, instead of language study leading to a task, the task itself is the main focus and jumping-off point for subsequent study later. This approach puts communicative activities at the heart of learning, and as a result a TBL syllabus might well be a list of tasks and activities, not a list of language (Nunan David, 1991).

A typical TBL sequence starts with a pre-task, where students are introduced to the topic and told what the task will be. This is followed by a task cycle where the students plan the task, gathering language and information to do it, and then produce the piece of writing or oral performance that the task demands. In the final language focus phase, students analyze the language they used for the task, making improvements and practicing any language that needs repair or development. TBL, like a communicative methodology, has allowed teachers and students to concentrate on how we achieve things with language, and how we can use language for certain tasks. It is a significant departure from the original PPP sequence, since it takes the third element (production) as the starting point, not the end-point of the procedure. From our perspective task-based learning must comprise three interrelated stages such as: engage, study and activate.

Engage. Most of us can remember lessons at school which were uninvolving and where we “switched off” from what was being taught. We may also remember lessons where we were more or less paying attention, but where we were not really `hooked'. We were not engaged emotionally with what was going on; we were not curious, passionate or involved.

Yet things are learnt much better if both our minds and our hearts are brought into service. Engagement of this type is one of the vital ingredients for successful learning. Activities and materials which frequently engage students include: games, music, discussions (when handled challengingly), stimulating pictures, dramatic stories, amusing anecdotes.

Even where such activities and materials are not used, teachers can do their best to ensure that their students engage with the topic, exercise or language they are going to be dealing with by asking them to make predictions, or relate classroom materials to their own lives.

A lot will depend, of course, on what the individual students are like, as we saw in Chapter 1, and how well the teacher provokes and encourages engagement. The reason why this element is so important in teaching sequences, therefore, is that when students are properly engaged, their involvement in the study and activation stages is likely to be far more pronounced, and, as a result, the benefit they get from these will be considerably greater.

Study. Study activities are those where the students are asked to focus on the construction of something, whether it is the language itself, the ways in which it is used or how it sounds and looks. Study activities can range from the focus on and practice of a single sound to an investigation of how a writer achieves a particular effect in a long text; from the examination and practice of a verb tense to the study of a transcript of informal speech in order to discuss spoken style (Orlikowski & Barley, 2001). Students can study in a variety of different ways. Sometimes we may show them a new grammar pattern, repeating each element separately or putting a diagram on the board before getting them to repeat sentences. But at other times, we may show students examples of language and ask them to try to work out the rules. Such discovery activities ask the students to do all the intellectual work, rather than leaving it to the teacher.

Sometimes students can read a text together and find words and phrases they want to concentrate on for later study. At other times, they may spend time, with the teacher, listening to or looking at the language they have used to see when it has been more or less successful.

Activate. This element describes exercises and activities which are designed to get students using language as freely and communicatively as they can . We will not be asking them to focus on the use of a particular structure, or to try to use words from a list we give them. That would make what they are doing more like a study activity, where they are expected to focus on the accuracy of specific bits of language, rather than on the message they are trying to convey or the task that needs to be performed. The objective in an activate activity is for them to use all and any language which may be appropriate for a given situation or topic. In this way, students get a chance to try out real language use with little or no restriction - a kind of rehearsal for the real world.

Socio-constructivist or socio-cultural theories of learning have become increasingly important in learning sciences. There are numerous tools that may help to reduce the load on human memory. Books, notes, calendars, and calculators were used in the past to help people to outsource parts of their cognitive functions and, consequently, expand their intellectual resources.

In an information society, we use increasingly more intelligent technologies (computers, search engines, artificial intelligence) to expand our biological memory. These external conceptual artefacts support human cognition in many ways. It is important that such external tools capitalize on the strengths of human cognition or help to overcome its weaknesses. Individuals need to rely on external supports to help them focus on crucial features of the problem rather than forcing them to try and track more information than they are able to process. In many ways, we are still just beginning to understand how to use technology more to support our thinking rather than distract it. Learning is an interactive process of participating in cultural practices and shared activities that structure and shape cognitive activity in many ways.

Learning always takes place in a context. This context is not only situational, but it relies on culturally and historically developed structures. Human beings have evolved in such a way that their normal cognitive development depends on a certain kind of cultural environment for its realization (Vyas, Manish & Patel, 2009; Wayman, Jimerson & Cho, 2012).

Computer-Based Technologies and Programs. The big revolution in classroom technology has been in the development of computers and associated hardware and software. We will look at three areas in which computers are most commonly used: presentation, information getting and composing .

Using computer-based technology for presentation. When hooked up to data projectors, computers can show a variety of presentation media including pictures, both still and animated. By using programs such as PowerPoint, they can offer animated and highly attractive presentations using a combination of text, pictures and slide animation. When computers are hooked up to interactive whiteboards, not only can we project anything we want (word-processed text, PowerPoint presentations, film footage) from the computer's hard disk, but we can also save onto that hard disk anything that has been written or drawn on the board.

Where students have wireless keyboards, for example, they can put their own work on the IWB, and also access the Internet, from where they sit and it will appear on the main board (Nunan David, 1991; Vyas, Manish & Patel, 2009). As with other visual technology, clarity and size are vital. And as data projectors use a light beam, teachers have to be careful not to have the beam shining in their eyes every time they turn to face the class. Using computer-based technology for information-getting Computer-based technology has allowed users to access an extraordinary wealth of information in ways that were impossible before. Whether we use the Internet or specially designed CD-ROMs or DVDs, computers are fantastic reference tools. We can use search engines such as Google to find information, and many dictionaries and encyclopedias are now available - either online (Internet-based), or on CD-ROMs. Good MLDs (monolingual learners' dictionaries) are an invaluable tool for students, and when offered electronically have impressive features including visuals, audio and sophisticated referencing.

The Internet is an endless source of activity and information. Whether students are researching a project on their own or following a web-quest we have designed, the information they can find on the web is extremely rich and varied, and dissolves the walls of the classroom (Gupta, 2005; Purushotma, 2005; Vyas, Manish & Patel, 2009). education innovative student language competence

Audio and video resources application. A lot of classroom technology is designed so that teachers and students can listen to audio and watch film and video. CD players have all the advantages of tape recorders and are in some ways easier to use and CDs are easy to carry around. However, some teachers stick with tape recorders because they prefer tape counters to CD information. Video and DVD players allow us to show students film, TV programmes, coursebook excerpts and home-produced efforts.

Once again, the quality of the machines and the monitors we use is vitally important. It is important to make sure that students do not watch passively (as they may watch TV and DVDs at home); we need to ensure there is a good reason for watching, and appropriate tasks for them to undertake (Brunner, Fasca, Heinze, Honey, Light, Mandinach & Wexler, 2005; Odikowski & Batley, 2001).

Modern language laboratories have both audio machines and computer monitors and keyboards. This allows teachers and students to listen, word process, watch video clips or other presentation programs. Teachers can have students work individually, individually with the teacher, in small groups or in lockstep - that is, the whole class working with the same material at the same time. Care needs to be taken, however, in case overuse of the laboratory makes teaching and learning too machine-based. Nevertheless, modern language labs have come a long way from the drill-only booths that once characterized them (Orlikowski & Barley, 2001). Where possible, we should encourage students to download podcasts or record English-learning material onto their MP3 players, or have CDs (or tapes) with material which they can listen to on the way to and from school or work, or whenever they have a moment free.

Watching English -language films with subtitles is also a very good way of getting appropriate listening practice. It often helps if student s record themselves on audio or video. This can add realism to a role-play of a news studio or television discussion programme, for example, and teachers and students can watch videos (or listen to audio tracks) to analyze their language performance and to see how much progress they are making (Nunan David, 1991; Purushotma, 2005).

Dictionaries. Perhaps the most useful piece of `equipment' a student can ever own or use is a good dictionary. Modern dictionaries are clearly designed, have a wealth of information, and help students to understand what words mean, how they are used, how common they are, and what phrases they occur in. Bilingual dictionaries Most students start, quite rightly, by using a bilingual dictionary, such as the example here from a Polish-English dictionary. It is important that students choose a dictionary that gives good information, including accurate translations, examples and collocational information.

Monolingual learners ' dictionaries (MLDs). Good MLDs are now designed better than ever before. The data is clearly presented, with information about frequency (how common a word is in speaking and writing), appropriate definitions, authentic examples, and most importantly, information about how the word operates and what other words it collocates with.

The example here shows how, for the second meaning of `heavy', the phrases the word occurs in are highlighted immediately. This is extremely useful information since it is usually in these phrases that the word with this particular meaning is found (Nunan David, 1991; Purushotma, 2005). Dictionaries and technology. Non-book/paper dictionaries come in three forms: on the Internet, on CD-ROMs or as separate pocket electronic dictionaries. The great advantage of all three is that users no longer have to worry about alphabetical order. They can find what they want just by typing in a word or phrase. Especially on CD-ROM-based dictionaries, users can go from words to phrases and associated language at the click of a mouse rather than having to turn pages backwards and forwards. Modern portable electronic dictionaries are now much more impressive than the originals since they have bigger windows, better navigation systems, and often two or more dictionaries bundled into the same device.

Discussions

In line with the words of W.B Yeats “Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire”, the teachers of the 21-st century have improvised specific methods to make learning more fun and easily understandable. Language teaching has its challenges.

Most of the time, it is a foreign language that the learner can't pick up from his or her surroundings and you should teach patiently and systematically so that the students become confident and can read, write and speak the language effortles sly (Nunan David, 1991; Purushotma, 2005).

The English language is the language of the world, and English teachers have changed their methods of delivery over the years to suit the present scenario. In this article, we will be discussing specific popular and efficient ways of teaching the English language, which fulfills the demand of modern learners.

Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL). This method applies to universities where most of the important subjects are taught in English. This is prevalent in modern classrooms. The focus is on the content and the lessons are tailored to suit the student's needs and preferences. CLIL is effective in teaching students the real-life application ofthe English language as ameans ofexpiessing culturally (Odikowski & Badey, 2001). Communicative Language Teaching. This broad term is an accepted standard of teaching English in modern times. It does not focus on grammatical fluency. Instead, it emphasizes on communicating the meaning of the message; in other words, it focuses on how well a person (non-native speaker) can deliver in the English language.

The various characteristics of this method are:

- Interaction in English language results is a proper understanding of the language.

- Students are taught strategies to understand English.

- The experiences of the students are focused on making up the content of the lessons.

- Authentic text in English is used for teaching

- Principled Eclecticism: This refers to the variety of teaching methods, depending on the aptitude of the learner. Different methods are put together to suit the requirement of the student.

Task-based approach. This approach focuses on competencies the students want to develop and is based on the idea, why is English taught? Rather than what is shown. So here, the language is learned by doing certain activities and relating English to daily conversation. The tasks given range from `o rdering in a restaurant' to `reviewing a movie,' and the grammar and vocabulary revolve around the job itself (Nunan David, 1991; Purushotma, 2005).

Project-based approach - as a teacher, you need to ask yourself why your students have come to learn English. Now keeping their requirements in mind, you need to devise a project which the learner works on. The project might be a role-play or a presentation.

Lexical Syllabus. In this approach, the teacher is supposed to develop the student's vocabulary, which is specific to their needs. The word list, if found to be big, is categorized under different headings. For example, the coronary syndrome is terms related to medicine, and so their word list will consist of these words. Usage of smartphones in the classroom. Smartphones have become an inevitable part of our existence. It also provides many essential tools to students like a dictionary, reference apps, or grammar apps. The only thing is that we must guide students about how to use it. Any single method has its strengths and weaknesses. Therefore, it may not be suitable for a specific learner, so the teacher in this approach uses a combination of techniques to make the language understandable.

Conclusions

Due to globalization, English has got the status of global language, world language and international language. English is a powerful market language and transaction of modernization. The changing scenario of English is impacted on English curriculum and teaching methodologies to cater the need of present era.

Teachers are the torch bearers of a civilized society. For ages, teachers have used different methods, approaches, and styles to suit the child's requirements. Teaching English as a second language i s a challenge as we can see that for non-native speakers, various methods need to be devised. In India, English teaching is an exciting task, as we are multi-lingual and have a diverse socio-economic background. Still, general thinking identifies the English language as a mark of being literate. So teachers of this century put together all the methods to find the best one for our country.

Although too much use of visual aids and gamification of education are still not widespread in our country.

Overall, it is important to base our conclusions on perceiving learning as knowledge creation, rather than emphasizing mere knowledge acquisition. 21-st century skills are integral parts of learning. Learning takes place between people and their cultural surroundings.

It is therefore important to develop collective cultural practices, physical learning environments, and institutional routines (e.g. assessment) to support engagement, innovation, and knowledge creation at school. Paradoxically, this can be done by supporting local agency and participation.

The knowledge practices of digital natives are different from previous generations, even though there is no reason to assume that their cognitive system is profoundly different from ours. They have just extended their minds differently with new kinds of tools. Well -being and Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) are at least as important as other 21st century skills (such as media literacy, cultural awareness, and complex problem solving). Arts, music, sports, and handicraft are also important for balanced emotional and cognitive development. Instead of computer-supported learning, it would be advisable to talk about new forms of Socio - Digital Participation (SDP). This includes media literacy, such as using social media and search engines. There is no evidence that learning styles or types would be informative in designing learning environments.

Alternatively, it would be advisable to observe users' motivational profiles or study orientations. Meaningful and engaging learning methods are advisable, which support collaboration and self-regulation.

Pedagogical innovations are needed - technological innovations are often pedagogically weak. Fragmented projects start and end, but fundamental structures remain the same. Systematic development of flipped and inquiry-based learning programs with meaningful use of technologies would be advisable.

References

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Brunner, C., Fasca, C., Heinze, J., Honey, M., Light, D., Mandinach, E. B., & Wexler, D. (2005). Linking data and learning: The Grow Network study. Journal of Education for Students Placed At Risk, 10(3), 241-267.

Gupta, D. (2005). ELT in India: “A Brief and Current overview”. Asian EFL Journal, Volume 7, Issue 1, 12 - 17.

Nunan David (1991) “Communicative tasks and the language curriculum”. TESOL, Quarterly 25 (2), 279 - 295.

Orlikowski, W. J., & Barley, S. R. (2001). Technology and institutions: What can research on information technology and research on organizations learn from each other? MIS quarterly, 25(2), 145 - 165.

Purushotma, R. (2005). “You"re not studying, you"re just”. Language Learning and Technology, 9 (1), 80 - 96.

Vyas, A., Manish & Patel L. Y. (2009). “Teaching English as a second language - a new Pedagogy for a New Century”. PHI Learning. New Delhi. 211 - 342.

Wayman, J. C., Jimerson, J. B., & Cho, V. (2012). Organizational considerations in establishing the Data-Informed District. School Effectiveness and School Improvement, 23(2), 159 - 178.

Резюме

Викладання іноземної мови у закладах вищої освіти в умовах нового освітнього середовища

Н.Василишина, Т.Скирда

У статті представлено результати теоретичного аналізу формування іншомовної комунікативної компетентності у процесі фахової підготовки сучасних здобувачів вищої освіти в умовах цифрової ери.

Мета дослідження. Метою дослідження був розгляд інноваційних тенденцій організації іншомовної, зокрема англомовної освіти в умовах диджиталізації як засобу модернізації професійної підготовки студентів. Проведено огляд класичного опереційно-методологічного інструментарію іншомовної освіти, що дав змогу виявити значні недоліки у формуванні іншомовних компетентностей.

Методи. У межах наукового пошуку розв'язання проблеми були використані метод дослідницької філософії, дослідницький підхід, метод збору даних, метод відбору і спроб, а також метод застосуванню етичних міркувань.

Результати. Результати дослідження продемонстрували, що використання презентацій, інформаційно-комунікаційних технологій, словників сприятимуть ефективності фахової підготовки в її англомовній частині. Варто зауважити, що стадії залучення, навчання та активної діяльності трьох-етапної методики організації заняття з англійської мови сприятиме модернізації освітнього процесі в закладах вищої освіти України.

Висновки. Ми дійшли висновків, що впровадження цифрових технологій вимагає абсолютно нового переосмислення функціонування вищої школи: дотепер наші уявлення про освіту спиралися на норми і цінності ХХ століття. Таким чином студентів готують до завдань минулого, а не до нових викликів суспільства, яке зазнає постійних змін. Проте молодь повинна бути підготовлена до свого майбутнього - інтелектуально та емоційно і за коректних умов. Дигіталізація ґрунтовно змінює наше глобальне суспільство на всіх рівнях. Вже один лише погляд на стрімкий розвиток штучного інтелекту дає уявлення про те, що нас чекає в найближчому майбутньому. Було доведено, що аудіо та візуальне сприйняття інформації, експерименти і перевірка з використанням цифрових технологій урізноманітнюють заняття та позитивно впливають на мотивацію учнів. Таким чином, завдяки цифровим компонентам індивідуальне та колективне навчання приносять більше задоволення, а навчальний процес стає наочнішим.

Ключові слова: інноваційний; іноземна мова; комунікативна компетентність; технології; презентації; підходи; словники; цифрова ера.

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