Aims, Content and Means of FLT Methodology

FLT Methodology

Lecture №3-4

Aims, Content and Means of FLT Methodology .

1. The importance of teaching Foreign language .

2. Aims and Content of FLT .

3. Means of FLT.

Qualitatively new requirements to the education lead inevitably to the changes in the system of FLT. According to Kunanbaeva S.S. our Methodology of FL education in called Cognitive Lingiiacultural Methodology (2006). According to the state documents and the programs, the FLT is introduced into the new types of schools-gymnasia, lyceums, profile schools and specialized schools as well as international types of schools at different stages.

The new philosophy of Education proclaims pupil-centered approach, that is the main focus, the main figure is the pupil with all his cognitive mechanisms (memory, perception, thinking and its operations).

The final goal in FLT is Intercultural Communicative Competence and its components (Language Competence, Speech Competence, Socio-Cultural Competence, strategic Competence and Discourse Competence) and the development of "language еgо" (Караулов Ю.Н), (личность субъекта межкультурной коммуникации – С.С. Кунанбаева, 2006). Intercultural Communicative Competence implies the ability to communicate , to use the target language as a mean of communication on the intercultural level.

The importance of FLT can hardly be overvalued; its practical, educational and cultural value is great. Students extend their knowledge of the world, their philological outlook, their notion of cultures by comparing things in FL1, and FL2. It is important to understand what we mean by culture. Culture is a way of life. Culture is everything. It's the context within which we exist, think, feel and relate to others. It is the glue that binds a group of people together. Culture is an ingrained component of FLT.

A language is a part of culture and a culture is a part of a language. The acquisition of a FL is also the acquisition of a second culture. It is co-teaching of culture and language (со-изучение культуры и языка). Co-teaching of language and culture is implemented through content based and context-based language instruction. Content-based teaching of culture focuses on culture-related information, while Context-based instruction emphasizes real-world where people behave in a culturally appropriate way. Content-based teaching is knowledge-oriented instruction and context-based teaching is skill-oriented.

There are different approaches to organization of the process of teaching FL . The most known models are as follows:

M1-FL1+FL2 are taught concurrently (parallelly) in the 1-11 forms (3 hours a week).

M2-FL2 is introduced in the 5(7) forms (3 hours a week).

M3-FL2 is taught in the senior forms (10-11) (3 hours a week). It is considered to be most rational.

Aims and objectives are the first and important consideration of FLT. Цель как закон, она определяет характер и способ действия. Every teacher should know exactly what his pupils are expected to do, to achieve in learning FL, what changes he as a teacher can bring about in his pupils at the term, school year. Aim is the result planned beforehand. Aim is the philosophical category. The aims in the FLT are planned by prgramme.

Traditionally we distinguish the following aims in FLT: practical (or communicative – pupils get some skills in R-g, W-g, S-g, L-g), educational and cultural. Nowadays we emphasize the integrative character of the aim in FLT. So, the aim of FLT is a complex, integral one and it implies 3 aspects:

- Pragmatic that consists in the formation of intercultural Communicative Competence;

- Cognitive that consists in the development of cognitive mechanisms of the learners;

- Pedagogical that consists in the development of "language ego", that is "личности субъекта межкультурной коммуникации" according to S.S. Kunanbaeva (2006).

Cognitive and linguistic development go hand in hand with the development of "language ego" in the process of FLT/L.

Aims are determined by the social requirements, by the requirements of people and society. According to the conception of Kazakhstan in every pupil we should develop a personality, capable of Intercultural communicative competence, so as to integrate in the system of worlds and national culture. We should develop language personality( Language Ego) What makes pupil Language Ego? It is ability to fulfill different types of speech activity and communication. Language Ego is a universal category of creating relations between people. The category of Aim is a developing category. The aims in FLT were not always the same. In the period when the dead languages were taught , when Grammar-translation method was domineering the teaching of FL included reading and translation, development of logical thinking. Pupils were given a list of vocabulary, classical texts to translate from native to foreign or on the contrary, grammar rules to learn. They could never speak. With the development of capitalism, when it was necessary to know language practically, the direct methods appeared, which aimed at teaching Speaking as a mean of communication. Nowadays the communicative aim in FLT at school is determined by the following factors: 1) the economic factors; 2) the political condition of society; 3) the requirements of the society; 4) general goals of education; 5) nature of the subject; 6) conditions( books, equipment,etc )

Aims determine the Content of FLT (What to teach?). This cannot be denied. In different epochs there were different aims of FLT. Nowadays the Communicative-cognitive approach to FLT determines the following components of the content of FLT in general:

Content of FLT

I. linguistic II. Psychological III. methodological

component component component

(learners strategies or

habits (grammar, compensatory skills)

language voc. pronunciation)

material skills (speaking, VI. Socio-cultural

(grammar, listening, reading, writing) (cultural background)

vocabulary

pronunciation) V. emotive component

(interest to the subject)

speech material

(spheres of communication,

themes, situations, texts, speech patterns)

There are 2 aspects in the Content of FLT:

- subject matter (предметная сторона):

- processional matter (процессуальная сторона)

Means of FLT.

The problem of means of FLT is one of the main considerations in modern Methodology. Because the success or failure of FL largely depends not only on the teacher’s qualifications, but on the materials we use. 2 groups of FLT means: 1) Main ( УМК- Учебно-методический комплекс which includes Textbook, Teacher's Book, Workbook); 2) Supplementary means : 1 technical means( tape- recorder, video, computer, TV , radio and Distance Learning); 2 non- technical (traditional) e.g. blackboard , pictures( static and dynamic) 99 ways of work with pictures, different types of albums, postcards, books of illustrations, maps, dictionaries, books for reading, flannel graphs, cards.

Main means: Textbook, Teacher's Book, Workbook, Reader, a set of video and audio cassettes , a set of pictures and tables. E.g. English File , Opportunity, Cutting the Edge, etc.

The main requirements to the textbook:

1) The book should be communicatively oriented

2) Pupil-centered

3) Correspond to the aims at different stages, to the program requirements

4) All didactic and methodological principles should be realized in the text book.

5) Develop all the skills such as L,R,W,S

6) Give an opportunity to use the language in different regimes

7) Be well illustrated with the help of pictures, tables, schemes

8) Be of educative value

9) Be informative

10) Be updated

Functions of T.B.

1) communicative

2) educative

3) organizing

4) informative

5) motivating

6) controlling

There is a tendency not only to use foreign T.B. for our teaching needs, but to create a new T.B. taking into account the advanced experience in this field. All T.B. are leveled. According to a new conception all levels of teaching FL should stick to the program (state document)

Literature:

1. Рогова Г.В., Рабинович Ф.М., Сахарова Г.Е. Методика обучения иностранным языкам в средней школе. М., Просвещение, 1991, гл. 2.

2. Гез Н.И., Ляховицкий М.В., Миролюьов А.А. и др. Методика обучения иностранным языкам в средней школе. М.: Высшая школа, 1982, гл. 3.

3. Типовые программы по иностранным языкам для средней общеобразовательной школы. М., 1985

4. Типовые программы по английскому, немецкому, французскому языку для 5-9 классов школ с русским языком обучения. Алматы: Рауан, 1999

Lecture №5-6

Principles of FLT & FLL

Introduction

The modern process of FLT has greatly changed due to the new philosophy of education aimed at developing students' competence. The existing system of principles, in FLT has also undergone some changes.

What is a principle?

According to C.C. Кунанбаева «под принципами... понимаются исходные положения,
которые, реализуясь в содержании, организации, методах и приемах обучения,
определяют стратегию и тактику обучения» (См. «Современное иноязычное
образование: методология и теории», Алматы, 2005, стр 47).

I. A principle (* lat. Principum) is a guide line to follow, a comprehensive and fundamental rule, doctrine or assumption / basis arid foundation of smth.

It is very important to define the basic principles of FLT. In order to definitely know strategy and tactics of implementing the new conception of FLT. As a Pedagogical science FLT Methodology is based on the principles of didactics, on the one hand, and on the other hand it has its own principles :as well. It is natural that we cannot deny these principles traditionally used in our Methodology but at the same time we should take into consideration the new ones. So, let as analyze the use of the principles traditionally used in FLT:

	Principles of didactics
Principles of FLT Methodology

General principles Special principles Specific principles (in teaching

1. Communicativeness 1. Pattern Practice

2. Domineering role of exercises 2. Oral approach Auding

3. Integration and differentiation 3. Intensive study at Speaking

4. Native language basis the Primary stage Reading

4. Approximation Writing).

Every subject of instruction is based on the universal principles of educative instruction, principles of didactics - consciousness, activity, visuality, accessibility, durability, consecutiveness, systematicness.

The 7 didactic principles are independent and at the same time they are mutually connected. None of them must be overvalued to the detriment of any of the above mentioned. In each school subject these principles are applied specifically. For example, the principle of visuality is differently realized in diffident subjects: mathematics, history, foreign languages.

We shall now stop for a moment on the Specific application of there basic principles in FLT.

The Universal Principles of Educative instruction are chiefly realized through the contents of the texts and illustrations given in the text-books.