SOBOL, Julia
64, Zhukovskogo St., Zaporozhya, 330063, Ukraine, Zaporozhya State Technical University, rector@zstu.zaporizhzhe.ua
Abstract: Dramatic difference in foreign language competence of technical university students who must meet demands set by unified state educational program within limited hours allotted by curriculum - 180 hours - puts forward a task to rationalize a process of teaching so that each student regardless of his/her initial level could get the most out of language studies.
Differentiation in language teaching helps to solve this task. A system of tests for checking language skills of students has been developed. Tests include the assignments on grammar, vocabulary, reading and listening comprehension. On the basis of the test scores and interviews students are distributed into the groups of beginners, false beginners, low intermediate, intermediate, upper intermediate learners. Subdivision of students into such groups creates favorable academic and psychological premises for studies. It is easier for teacher to pick up adequate textbooks and informative learning material for any of such group. Homogeneity of learners allows to involve students into active learning in all four language skills (reading, listening, writing, speaking). At the lower levels the focus is on mastering principal language structures and developing basic communicative skills, intermediate level presumes more thorough and balanced four-skills approach, while at higher levels students perform comprehensive general skills work such as problem-solving work, round-table topic coverage, information-processing activities, etc.
Due to individual learning abilities and progression in gaining language competence students may transfer into groups of higher or lower level on completion of academic requirements. Such transfers have an impact on academic and social image of students as well as on their scores at the final exam, thus creating additional motivation for successful studies.
For the students who prefer to work on their own there are optional extra activities, including video tapes and multimedia programs on CD-ROM. Computer-aided language training is applicable for self-study in conjunction with classroom training. Students improve their pronunciation listening comparing it to the native speaker's pronunciation, recording/playing back their own voices, perfecting pronunciation with the help of visual feedback. By choosing various levels of complexity students reinforce their vocabulary, listening and speaking skills in a lively motivating way. Video lessons help to improve communicative confidence, give insight into cultural life and socio-linguistic context.
Ministry program of language training in technical universities envisages two stages. At the first stage students should improve four basic language skills and at the second they should combine their knowledge of foreign language with their technical expertise. Starting from the forth semester lower level students acquire a comprehensive glossary of important technical terms, master reading skills, talk on the subject they are studying. Higher level students get acquainted with stylistic and cultural aspects of the language, defend their course and diploma projects in foreign language, perform information search and processing on request of University leading chairs. On graduation from the University students of higher level acquire Certificates of translators of technical literature. Thus, differentiation approach in teaching foreign languages during all three years of studies ensures fast progress in language acquisition and favorable learning environment for each student.
Keywords: second language teaching, differentiation approach, methodology, university
Teaching foreign language at technical universities faces certain difficulties. Initial language competence of the students as well as their abilities to learn differ dramatically. The matter is that foreign language is not a subject included into the entrance exams for the technical students, as a result some of the applicants admitted to the technical specialties have very low level of language skills. The applicants for the economic department have to pass entrance exam on foreign languages, it explains the average higher level of language knowledge possessed by students at economic department, but even economics students' language competence is greatly varying as far as academic requirements that should be met by contracted students are much lower compared to those of state budget students. Thus, teaching students foreign languages in one and the same classroom within the same framework of limited curriculum hours (180 hours for technical students, 340 - 450 hours for economists) allocated by Ministry of Education turns into an inefficient, time-consuming and irrational process. To cope with this adversity a differentiation approach was implemented at the Foreign Languages Department.
A system of multiple-choice tests for checking language skills of students has been developed. Tests include the assignments on grammar (90 assignments), vocabulary (30 assignments), reading (30 assignments) and listening comprehension (30 assignments). Grammar and Vocabulary sections are designed to check up the language proficiency acquired by university applicants at school. In the Reading section of the test students are proposed to sort events in order, identify the relationships between the ideas and events, complete the statements, etc. Listening comprehension is checked in the context of general English proficiency. The test is based on listening to authentic tape recordings. Speaking proficiency is being checked in oral interview. The interview is rated according to appropriate and flexible use of grammar and vocabulary, ability to make assessments, logically express their views, adequately express ideas, communicate effectively.
On the basis of the test scores and interviews students are distributed into the groups (modules) of beginners (score range 14-29), false beginners (30-45), low intermediate (46-59), intermediate (60-79), upper intermediate learners (80-100). Subdivision of students into such groups creates favorable academic and psychological premises for studies - challenging and at the same time feasible learning, systematic and regular progress checking, comfortable moral atmosphere encouraging learners with limited language experience to overcome psychological barriers and complexes and learn faster with more efficiency. It is easier to pick up appropriate textbooks and informative learning material for any of such group and strictly take into account personal and professional needs of learners, the more so as many recently published basic and supplementary materials indicate the level of learners they suit best. Homogeneity of learners allows to involve all the students into active learning in all four language skills (reading, listening, writing, speaking).
At the lower levels the focus is on mastering principal language structures (Basic Grammar - verb system, nouns, pronouns, word order within the English clause, multifunctional 'it', articles and other determiners, propositions) and acquiring working vocabulary, prefabricated lexical phrases (e.g. the problem is that), collocations. The particular language form is highlighted and contextualized. Students produce the target forms under careful teacher's control until they produce them with some consistency. When the learners are able to produce the required forms they pass to the production activity. The focus at this stage is on language use. The teacher relaxes control at this stage and proposes to participate in some kind of a problem-solving activity. At this stage of language training students start to acquire and develop some basic communicative skills in the sphere of general context. As far as university students are adult learners we suppose that contrastive analysis of native language with target second language from the viewpoint of structural differences and similarities as well as conscious acquisition of language data is quite appropriate and productive. We are aware that the contrastive analysis has recently been criticized as outdated, but we believe that a complete rejection of this method, especially for adult beginners brings a danger of throwing out the baby with the bath water. It seems that it would be most reasonable to use in the students' classroom a variety of language learning activities, e.g. combination of contrastive analysis, conscious analysis of language, audiolingual method and communicative techniques, depending on learners' personal properties, aims and conditions of learning, level of language proficiency. True and false beginners also work at their English pronunciation paying special attention to the correct stress, rhythmic and intonation patterns, troublesome sounds that may cause hindrance in communication, that is oversoming communicative errors. At the end of semester all the students take a semester quiz which indicates the pace with which each student progresses in learning. This stage of language training may last from one semester to one year depending on the initial language knowledge of learners and their progressing in the course of training.
Due to individual learning abilities, diligence and progression in gaining language competence students may transfer into groups of higher or lower level on completion of a set of academic requirements and getting teacher's recommendation. Such transfers have an impact on academic and social image of students as well as on their scores at the final exam, thus creating additional motivation for successful studies.
Low-intermediate and intermediate level training presumes more thorough and balanced four-skills approach. The focus is not so much on a language form as on a language use. Much attention is paid to the accumulating lexical items, conversational formulas and fixed phrases. The learners become less dependent on prefabricated patterns. Extensive use of tapes, videos, texts, multimedia products are suggested to provide learners with sufficient amount of authentic language material necessary for conscious analyzing, correcting, constructing and reconstructing their own language resources. Students begin to experiment with language forms using them in communication, to some extend they start to learn on their own. Language teacher focuses attention on language forms when it is necessary to make students aware and sensitive to nuances of the usage of these forms in communication. A premium is set on fluency through the employment of their existing language resources. Both comprehension (reading, listening) and reproduction (writing, speaking) skills are developed on general and scientific language context. On completion of the intermediate level training the students accumulate basic terminology in particular areas of their majors, have enough language proficiency for using acquired knowledge in real time communication, master the main reading modes (skimming, scanning, searching, thorough reading), perform note-taking, identification of underlying concepts, etc. Students who successfully complete the assessment tests after intermediate level training simultaneously accomplish the tasks set forward by the Ministry of Education for the students of technical universities. To the end of the second year of studies practically all the students meet the requirements of the unified state program for students of non-linguistic higher institutions.
At upper-intermediate level students perform comprehensive general skills assignments such as problem-solving work, round-table topic coverage, information-processing activities, etc. Due to excessive use of video lessons and feature movies students learn to think in English through the natural association of words and actions shown in real-time situations on the video. Students are provided with plenty of language material to work on and are encouraged to employ their creativity and intelligence both as producers and receivers of language messages. It is a stage of critical language study, when students refine their language systems due to conscious exploration of language forms and language meanings. Students get acquainted with formal and informal styles of speech, language of scientific literature, build extensive vocabulary in both general context and specific field of study. Technical students prepare their term and diploma papers in foreign languages and defend them, participate in conferences delivering reports on their independent research. Economics students master additional aspects of language such as effective and forceful business communication, business correspondence. In addition they have additional language practice since they attend special courses delivered by American professors. These extra-curriculum communicative activities supplement core syllabus. On completion of the language course graduates have an opportunity to obtain certificates of interpreters/translators of technical literature in case of successful accomplishment of the qualification exam. A lot of our graduates simultaneously work as engineers and translators at industrial enterprises of our city.
For the students who prefer to work at their own pace there are optional extra activities, including video tapes and multimedia programs on CD-ROM. Computer-aided language training is applicable for self-study in conjunction with classroom training. Students improve their pronunciation listening to the native speaker's pronunciation, recording/playing back their own voices, perfecting pronunciation with the help of visual feedback. By choosing various levels of complexity learners reinforce their vocabulary, listening and speaking skills in a lively motivating way. Video lessons help to improve communicative confidence, give insight into cultural life and socio-linguistic context.
Ministry program of language training in technical universities envisages two stages. At the first stage students should improve four basic language skills and at the second they should combine their knowledge of foreign language with their technical expertise. Starting from the forth semester even lower level students acquire a comprehensive glossary of important technical terms relevant to the students' major, master reading skills including skimming and scanning techniques, talk on the subject they are studying, learn to work with all kind of reference literature. In addition to these obligatory requirements, higher-intermediate level students get acquainted with stylistic nuances and cultural aspects of the language, acquire fluency and accuracy in their speech, master effective and forceful communicative abilities, apply foreign language for academic purposes in their specific field of study and scientific research, perform information search and processing on request of University leading chairs, participate in the work of conferences at the university and beyond. On graduation from the University students of higher-intermediate and advanced level acquire a second specialty: technical literature translators. Thus, differentiation in teaching foreign languages during all three years of studies creates conditions under which all the students achieve better results in a shorter time. It doesn-t necessarily vouch for weaker students to overtake or leave behind students that used to be stronger at the beginning of the studies, but undoubtedly each student learns foreign language faster, in a more optimal and motivated way.