Teaching aviation English through stories (on the example of the novel "Airport" by Arthur Hailey)

кандидат педагогічних наук, доцент, доцент кафедри іноземних мов математичних факультетів Київського національного університету імені Тараса Шевченка (Київ, Україна)

У статті досліджуються переваги використання методу навчання англійської мови за допомогою оповідань авіаційної тематики. Запропоновано способи введення оповідань у процес навчання та викладання та створення привабливого навчального середовища. Дослідження доводить, що вивчення англійської мови за допомогою оповідань авіаційної тематики сприяє формуванню у майбутніх фахівців авіаційної галузі почуття професійної ідентичності. Вивчення англійської мови з використанням означеного методу забезпечує перетворення особистості в професіонала та набуття професійної ідентичності. Використання наративного підходу робить процес навчання мові творчим та мотиваційним, сприяє розвитку навичок вільного спілкування англійською мовою та ефективної взаємодії. Проаналізовано програми Google Apps, які є чудовим доповненням до вивчення англійської мови. Вони пропонують короткі оповідання та аудіо для різних рівнів, а також інтерактивні вправи, які роблять процес вивчення мови змістовним, захоплюючим та незабутнім. Визначено критерії відбору оповідань. Доведено, що основним критерієм є цікавий та з майбутньою професійною діяльністю зміст. Тому інтерес розглядається як складова процесу вивчення англійської мови. Стратегії розуміння прочитаного розглядаються як цінний інструмент для засвоєння мови. Оскільки англійська мова для академічних цілей зосереджується як на засвоєнні мовного, так і предметного змісту, доведено, що домінуючою стратегією читання є інтенсивне читання. На прикладі адаптованої розповіді Артура Хейлі «Аеропорт» було розроблено систему комунікативних завдань, спрямованих на створення насиченої взаємодії, знаходження подібності та відмінності, розповіді, обміну особистим досвідом, вирішення проблемних завдань. Розроблені інтерактивні завдання дозволяють студентам взаємодіяти з носіями мови в академічному та професійному середовищі. Вивчення англійської мови за допомогою оповідань дає змогу розширити словниковий запас студентів, розвинути вільне мовлення та розуміння, щоб володіти різноманітними лінгвістичними, психологічними, когнітивними, соціальними та культурними цінностями. Цінність методу навчання англійської мови за допомогою оповідань полягає в тому, що цільова мова вивчається в процесі природного навчання, так як діти вивчають рідну мову.

Ключові слова: вивчення англійської мови за допомогою оповідань, наративний підхід, оповідання Google Apps, англійська мова для академічних цілей, професійна ідентичність.

Problem statement. Learning English through stories enhances both reading and listening skills. Reading and listening to stories enables to expand students' vocabulary, develop fluency and comprehension to be a confident English speaker, a range of linguistic, psychological, cognitive, social, and cultural skills. The value of the story learning method is that the target language is learned in a natural learning process, the way like children learn their native language.

Analyses of recent research and publications. Vocabulary proficiency enables learners to speak, write, read and listen. We can express an idea without knowing grammar well, but it is impossible to do it if we do not know words, “without grammar very little can be conveyed, without vocabulary, nothing can be conveyed” (Hammer, 2002).

Therefore, teaching vocabulary is a part of language teaching. We applied Nunan's principles for teaching vocabulary when developing the English training course. First, when we work with a story, the priority is given to the most useful vocabulary for students, high-frequency vocabulary, in our case work-related vocabulary, aviation terminology. The next principle considers the way the students should be taught, appropriate and efficient teaching methods. Third, aviation terminology gets deliberate attention while working with the story. Last but not least is that teachers should encourage students to reflect on and make them realize that they keep responsibility for their learning (Nunan, 2003). The use of stories in the context of teaching and learning English as a foreign language supports the development of literacy (Damayanti, 2017). Some studies confirm that the students' attitudes towards short stories application are positive. “The students preferred reading English short story because of two reasons; because it was a fun activity and the text did not have many words. It also indicated that using English short stories could enhance their reading skill, imagination, and creativity. It could also enrich their vocabulary bank through short stories” (lasha, 2018). It is also concluded that “the use of short story was more effective in teaching and learning reading comprehension toward students' achievement in vocabulary mastery than without using the short story” (Rohimajaya, & Zatnika, 2018). Prinsloo expands the current theory “regarding the use of short stories for English language learning and a conceptualization of literature-based actualization as plausible pedagogic paradigm” (Prinsloo, 2018). The author considers pedagogy as one which is related to teaching principles, teaching methodology, motivation. In English learning through stories, context pedagogy acts as a motivation factor to encourage the reading for gratification.

The study focuses on 1) investigating the benefits of using aviation stories both in English and English for academic purposes learning, 2) suggesting the ways how to introduce stories into the learning and teaching process and create an attractive learning environment, 3) investigating how learning English through aviation stories fosters the students' sense of professional identity.

Research methods. The value of the narration approach in our study is that the students learn vocabulary and get fluency by listening and reading adopted to their level stories, discussing them in the target language. Doing this constantly, they begin to speak more confidently without fear of making mistakes. We find the narration approach for learning Aviation English through stories the most efficient as it makes students “master grammar automatically without grammar tables and boring drills. And it also builds fluency such as slang and expressions with fUn, fast and easy without any difficulties just as one master their mother tongue which enhances all the four Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing skills of communication” (Anuradha, & Rengaraj, 2019). A case study method enables one to “understand and interpret the world in terms of its actors” (Cohen et al., 2005). In the context of our research, the actors are the functions of stories. A task-based approach to language learning suggests giving students interactive tasks, the implementation of which involves communicative interaction in English (Konoplyanyk, 2008). Taskbased language teaching can make language learning in classrooms “closer to the natural route and may reach a higher rate of language acquisition because it provides learners with a clear communicative goal, interaction is needed to reach the goal, and input can occur, and then language acquisition is facilitated” (Wang, 2006). This approach “serves as a multiskilled developing weapon where the students not only develop a broader perspective about a task or new role but also the horizon of understanding others behavior resulting into empathy, teamwork, better communication, interpersonal skills and management development” (Dorathy, & Mahalakshmi, 2011).

Presentation of the main material. For learning English, we use story-telling Google Apps which make great supplements to the English learning process.

1) “Learn English By Stories” provides us short stories with transcription and audio for different levels to further improve English reading, writing, and listening skills. Each story also includes small practices to help learners check their comprehension skills.

2) “Beelinguapp” offers dual-language audiobooks and is designed to tell the same story in two different languages. Learners choose the language they want to learn, the language level, and the type of the story. It can be news, novels, short stories, science, and technology. First, they read it in English, then check it in their language. The text can be misread along at the same time. 3) “Learn English through Story” suggests the following lesson structure: reading the text without trying to memorize it; listening to the Vocabulary Lesson a few times; listening to the Mini-Story Lesson several times; listening to the Point of View Mini-Story a few times; listening to the audio as many times as needed; listening to the Commentary. 4) “British Council Learn English” provides learners with selfstudy lessons including different types of texts and interactive exercises to practice reading and speaking skills. 5) “Story Planet English App” suggests the different types of entertaining ultra-short stories (love stories, science fiction, interesting facts, unusual anecdotes, and day-to-day life stories) each of them consists of five chapters. It doesn't take much time to read each chapter, just one minute. If learners meet an unknown word they click it and add it to their vocabulary list. Stories with new real-life learning content are added every week, so learners can choose anything relevant and interesting to them. 6) “Cambridge Assessment English” presents stories with engaging context making language learning meaningful and memorable. The stories are selected according to the following criteria: 1) exciting content to motivate learners to keep reading. A good story makes the reader believe that he or she is a part of the story and feel empathy with the characters. It is so-called participation in the story; 2) an accessible narration's language level. Vocabulary and grammar should be neither difficult nor easy for learners;

3) topics or content that can link into the curriculum, in our case these are aviation-related stories; 4) an appropriate story's length. If the story is too long it can lead to losing interest and getting distracted; 5) an exciting ending with an appropriate conclusion; 6) repetitive words and phrases; 6) a clear message or moral. One of the most important criteria for selecting stories for the course is interesting, exciting content. If students are interested, they are more likely to want to master English (Shostak, & Pryshupa, 2014). Thus, we consider interest as a component of the English learning-teaching process, but “...spoon-fed method of teaching plays an unfavorable and unacceptable role in English teaching, and it reduces students' interests in English and this kind of forced-feeding teaching would not be good for students' development, even it can gradually make them lose their interest in English learning” (Tianjuan, 2019). We developed an enjoyable English course intended for students who want to speak English without fear and thinking about mistakes (Suslova et al., 2004]. The course aims to develop students' critical thinking skills and to bring learning to life by covering profession-related topics. We consider the method of learning English through stories as the most effective for language learning in the English study club. Therefore, the course is based on learning English through stories. Working with texts, the students learn how to analyze information, divide it into main and secondary. The students are suggested to start with stories with English subtitles to make them easier to follow. The course focuses on aviation-related stories as it targets students of the aviation faculty. We designed a step system that motivates our learners and builds their confidence step-by-step from B2 to C1 level. The course was introduced into the English study club's language-learning process for two reasons. 1) We believe that the study club provides a less formal, more supportive environment that enables students to master English in life-related situations. 2) The students speak freely, without being afraid to get a negative grade for their answers. The course is based on the idea of extensive and intensive reading strategies. Both reading strategies bring benefits to English language learners and teachers. The extensive reading (ER) strategy is considered a valuable tool for language acquisition, reading comprehension, reading speed, and positive attitudes toward reading through the selfselection of reading material (Tarnavska, 2010). This reading strategy involves students reading stories for pleasure and is often overlooked. Unlike extensive reading, intensive reading means reading in detail with full concentration and full comprehension of the vocabulary, grammar, and expressions involved. Since it is a time-consuming strategy it enables the learners to truly understand the meaning of the words in context. As English for academic purposes focuses on both language and subject content acquisition, the dominant reading strategy in the course is intensive reading. The classes are built around amazing aviation stories by Arthur Hailey “Airport”; Stephan Wilkinson “Spitfire Ride”, “Crusader Fail”, “Seat Belt Fastened at All Times”, “Free Fall”. Some classes are based on the most common phrasal verbs and multi-word verbs in an aviation context. “At the Airport, a phrasal verb story” is incredibly valuable for aviation students as it includes a wide range of phrasal verbs which are commonly used in everyday English. Phrasal verbs are hard to learn. The reason is that they might have different meanings in different contexts. However, learning phrasal verbs with stories makes it easier for students to master them in a funny and the shortest possible way. This collection of stories proves that learning English can be interesting and exciting for students. It increases students' interest in learning English and stimulates them to develop and improve foreign language communication skills. Aviation terminology along with general English make these amazing stories valuable. On the example of the adapted story “Airport” by Arthur Hailey, we show how aviation students learn English through stories. This novel is especially interesting and informative for them because the author, who is a former pilot, describes in detail and realistically the area of the future professional activity of students, namely the work of the International Airport, air traffic controllers, flight crew, ground services, maintenance staff. The value of the novel is that the author skillfully combines the technical details related to airport operation and a fascinating story making reading enjoyable. It enables students to interact with native speakers in academic and professional environments. In the novel, the author describes the events taking place at the fictional Lincoln International Airport on a Friday evening from 6:30 pm to 1:30 am, in January 1967. A snowstorm hit the airport, so the airport administration, ground services, and flight personnel are forced to work under conditions of extreme loads to let the airport continue to function. The main character is a former military pilot Mel Bakersfield, the general manager of the airport. He solves many problems - from a missing pickup truck with food for passengers and a plane blocking one of the runways, ending with family troubles. It isn't an ordinary day: a terrorist Guerrero boards a Boeing 707 and sets off an improvised explosive device with the intention to collect insurance. The plane in distress needs to land urgently, but this is impossible due to a strong snowstorm in the airport area. Air traffic controllers can hardly cope with the huge amount of work, hundreds of passengers angry with flight delays, the air traffic controller plans to commit suicide, the flight attendant discovers that she is pregnant, a protest action against the noise made by take-off planes organized by residents living in the vicinity exacerbates the difficult situation. Another character is Mel Bakersfeld's brother, Keith, an air traffic controller whose emotional experiences after the collision of planes in the air are vividly described. Joe Patrony, head of maintenance operations; Vernon Demerest, senior pilot for Trans America Airlines; Tanya Livingston, who works for Trans America Airlines; Gwen Meighen, a senior Trans America Airlines stewardess - are completely different characters with their problems, and hopes. But revealing and combining these characters, commitment to work, professional qualities, such as conflict resolution, positive attitude, responsibility, helpfulness, collaboration, and confidence, the author managed to show us thoroughly the work of the International Airport. The novel gives students a broader understanding of how the aviation industry operates and acquaints students with the norms and culture of aviation careers. Thus, learning English through aviation stories fosters the students' sense of professional identity. They begin to realize their identity with the professional self, belonging to the aviation profession. They have a clearer idea of what personal qualities, knowledge, and skills their future profession requires. At the same time, it makes them think about whether they correspond to their professional image. During professional development, the transformation of an individual into a professional is carried out. The process is accompanied by a change in students' perceptions of themselves, their place in the professional community, ie the acquisition of professional identity (Bereznikova, 2021). Thus, the formation of their professional identity is realized. “For students entering a profession with a strong vocational focus, the development of professional identity and attributes are important components of successful professional practice” (Wendy et al., 2015). We built up a graded set of skill-based activities aimed to generate rich interaction; find similarities and differences; storytelling; share personal experience; problem-solving tasks. The developed interactive activities provide students with essential aviation terminology, listening and writing practice, subjectmatter knowledge, to help them fill speaking and listening skills gaps they have. We suggest the following examples of the language skill-based activities:

1. The teacher reads the fragment of the story which contains some wrong facts. Students listen to it and find factual mistakes

2. Create a 250-300 words story around the situation:

“Out on the airfield, runway three zero was out of use. It was blocked by an Aereo-Mexican plane which lay sideways across it. The front wheels were stuck in the deep mud which lay under the snow near the edge of the runway. Aereo-Mexican had tried hard for two hours to move it, but without any success. Now they were asking TWA to help them”.

3. Who said the following? Under what circumstances?

• “Imagine that! It must be so interesting to work in an airport, especially for an intelligent young man like you. My dear husband always wanted us to visit Rome, but we never did.”

• “I believe you. Now listen to me carefully. We think that your husband intends to use those explosives to blow up the plane he is on. He is heavily insured, and the money would come to you. The explosion would kill everyone on the plane - including children. Inez, you know your husband. Could he do a thing like that?”.

• “As runway three zero is blocked, planes are taking off over Meadowood. The complaints have started coming in already”.

4. Having read the story “Airport” by Arthur Hailey try to describe relationships between Mel Bakersfield and Tanya Livingston; Captain Vernon Demerest and Gwen; Mel Bakersfieldd and Captain Vernon Demerest; Captain Vernon Demerest and Cindy.

5. Compare the texts of a telephone conversation between Mel Bakersfieldld and Air Traffic Control about the complaints from the people who live in Meadowood about the noise made by the planes' engines on take-off found in the novel “Airport” (1968) and the same conversation in the disaster film (1970) based on the novel of the same name. What differences can you see between the two conversations?

6. The students are suggested to study the actual aircraft accident of Continental Airlines Flight 11, Boeing 707 which exploded in 1962. The aircraft crashed in a clover field, killing all 45 crew and passengers on board. The investigation concluded the cause of the crash was a suicide bombing committed as insurance fraud. Ask the students to compare the similar situation described in the novel, when Guerrero decides to solve his financial problems by providing an insurance-fraud death benefit to his family.

7. Practise the conversation. Say what personal qualities, knowledge, and skills your future profession requires. Do they correspond to your professional image?

Conclusion. Reading English stories provides a proper understanding of the target language. The incorporation of narrative approach and task-based approach to language learning is both creative and motivational. It provides useful background for professional activity and increases students' confidence in supporting their studies. Therefore, it creates an efficient learning environment providing meaningful outcomes. The suggested skill-based interactive activities contribute to helping students hone their vocabulary and grammar and incorporate the words, set phrases, phrasal verbs into speaking and writing. Learning English through aviation stories provides the transformation of an individual into a professional and the acquisition of a professional identity.

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