TSATUROVA, I. A.
Taganrog State University of Radioengineering, 13-49 Chekhov Str. Taganrog Russia, tel. (863-44) 6-16-60, 4-73-60; tsaturova@tsure.ru
Abstract: The tasks set to the socially changed society in Russia put forward new aims in training engineers. There is a great need in creative specialists, those who would be able to solve many arising problems in their speciality. Therefore the main task in training is to create conditions which allow to develop the potential creativity of the students.
We need, therefore, such an education system which could be able to unslave the creative nature of the student personality. It became vital that the education system should be organised in accordance with the needs and interests of the students taking into account the capabilities and the possibilities of the students. It must fully satisfy the students needs in the language education and create the favourable conditions for the development of the intellectual, creative potentiality of every student, hence, it must be personality oriented. We define: the personality oriented system of language teaching is a system which is able to create conditions necessary for the realization of every student's personal aims, needs, capabilities and possibilities through the foreign language study (POLT).
We developed multi-leveled course "Foreign Language at the Technical Universities" which allows the student to satisfy his/her educational needs in the foreign language depending on his/her capabilities, possibilities and desire. It gives the student the right to take any level and doing this it defends his/her interests as a personality who chooses his/her own way of education. At the same time depending on the student's capability and his/her readiness for learning on the next level it provides him/her the conditions for constant deep training for the future professional activity.
The developed course consists of two parts: the basic education level and the professional level and is supported by a special method of learning - "case method".
Keywords: personality, oriented, multi-level, capability, readiness
The tasks set to the socially changed society in Russia put forward new aims in training engineers. There is a great need in creative specialists, those who would be able to solve many arising problems in their speciality. Therefore the main task in training is to create conditions which allow to develop the potential creativity of the students.
Therefore we need such an education system which could be able to unslave the creative nature of the student personality. It became vital that the education system should be organised in accordance with the needs and interests of the students taking into account the capabilities and the possibilities of the students. It must fully satisfy the students needs in the language education and create the favourable conditions for the development of the intellectual, creative potentiality of every student, hence, it must be personality oriented. The personality oriented system of language education is a system which is able to create conditions necessary for the realization of every student's personal aims, needs, capabilities and possibilities through the foreign language study (POLT).
In 1985 the structure of the course "Foreign Language in the Engineering University" and the personality oriented teaching system which is focused on the student, his/her needs, aims, values and creative development was developed.
For the personality oriented system of education the multi-level structure of the course "Foreign Language in the Engineering University" was developed as well.
Multi-level structure of the developed course allows the student to satisfy his/her educational needs in the foreign language depending on his/her capabilities, possibilities and desire. It gives the student the right to take any level and doing this it defends his/her interests as a personality who chooses his/her own way of education. At the same time depending on the student's capability and his/her readiness for learning on the next level it provides him/her the conditions for constant deep training for the future professional activity.
The developed course consists of two parts: the basic education level and the professional level.
Such a system of the language study must possess the methods and the aids which could create the conditions for stimulating the development of the creative initiation as well as the development of the self-realization and self-determination of every student in the study process.
For the personality oriented language teaching system we have chosen and investigated the case method which suits our aims perfectly. The rest of my report will be devoted to the case method.
For the last two decades I teach advanced level students, students who enter our university having sound, knowledge of grammar, sentence structure, rather big vocabulary. They have rather good, command of English in such skills as reading and speaking and my experience brought me to the conclusion that I'm to teach them something more than grammar rules etc. I'm to challenge them to think, to develop their mode of thinking, doing that I'm to improve their command of English. Then English becomes the means of expressing thoughts, ideas, motives.
In searching the right methods, the right tools for the teaching in this manner I understood , that it is the case method, that will work for my purposes. I knew that this method was widely used in teaching students of economics as their speciality. Then it was transferred to teaching English as a second language to students of business and management, to executives. It was not almost used in technical universities. I decided to transfer this method to teach EFL very advanced students of engineering specialities.
The case method is a technique based on discussion and decision making. In fact, the word decisional has been used to contrast the case method with expository teaching. Since students participate in group analysis and discussion of a problem, they are trained to think by interaction of individual attempts to reach a decision. A case is simply a set of data or a record of any special issue concerning a real-life decision-making situation. The cases are written in such a way that the reader can visualize the position of some person or group in the situation.
The student's task is to recognize and identify a problem, analyze the facts and come up with alternative actions. After each person studies a case and analyzes it, study groups of three or four people are usually formed. The small group discusses the case, with each member advancing conclusion and recommendations. The purpose of these small group discussions is not to have students to reach a consensus but rather to refine, adjust and amplify each member's own thinking before the presentation of ideas to the larger group.
It is in the large group discussion that students lay out the case, developing and justifying their line of reasoning. As the discussion builds, new ideas are evaluated, debated and refuted. The group learns to suspend judgement, to hear all views, and to consider all alternatives. In short, students collaborate in the struggle of enlightenment.
It is well known that the major tools of future specialists are communication skills and it is in the case discussion that these skills are taught.
While choosing the case a first requirement is that the material be of interest to the students because their co-operation is required. Students must be provided with the material which makes it possible to think purposefully and which permits them to participate in the learning of others, for the discussion opens channels of communication.
Because the material is interesting to them, the students are eager to discuss, and in doing so they use the language naturally and spontaneously. Because they study - and not merely read - the cases, they readily master new vocabulary and idioms. They also pick up and use advanced syntactic structures since they encounter these structures so frequently in their reading. In addition they feel proud of their ability to conduct discussions in a non-native language and they do their best to perform well in front of their peers Moreover, since they are competent and confident in their ability to discuss the issues in the case, they become particularly receptive to improving their communication skill. Each participant can test out his or her communicative competence. Each can discover weaknesses and try to improve them.
This method suits advanced level students particularly well because the responsibility for carrying on efficient and worthwhile discussions lies with the participants themselves They must with the help of the teacher weave together ideas already presented so that the discussions maintains relevance, flow and momentum. Since part of the discussions may involve persuading others to one's own view, participant take care in building logical arguments and in delivering them coherently. They encourage everyone to participate and sometimes even direct a lively debate. Taking responsibility for a meaningful exchange, then it is an activity most students assume quite naturally and willingly. The teacher must lead the case discussion and teach English and communication skills, functions that can be fulfilled only by organizing in-class and out-class time carefully. She/he must also make certain that the course is perceived by the participants as being professionally credible. This can be insured if the teacher chooses cases carefully, prepares for the discussion, and leads it well.
Although much of class time is spent in case discussion, some language instruction and practice should also take place. Usually a case is discussed without interruption for 60 minutes. During the first twenty minutes the teacher reviews the vocabulary, a grammar point, or introduces and discusses some expressions which could help students deliver their ideas more effectively. The final ten minutes can be used to correct some general observed errors or to practice pronunciation or intonation.
Before choosing cases the teacher may want to survey the interests and areas of specialization of the class. One main criterion in choosing cases in the teacher's degree of knowledge about the subject matter. The teacher will inevitably feel more competent preparing questions for a case and leading the discussion if she or he understands, even on a common sense basis, the main issues. The teacher should try to learn about and understand the subject matter so that she or he can prepare relevant questions and probe issues that need to be understood.
The most important condition of all is that the teacher be interested in the learner. In case teaching the teacher not only catches the interest of the learners but also keeps them interested in each other, in the case before them and in the aims of the course.
The teacher should also sense the pace of the discussion and maintain a level at which everyone comprehends but no one is bored. Each speaker needs time to lay out arguments and develop them. The speakers know that they will neither be rushed nor permitted to dominate the discussion.
The teacher must learn to keep out the way and let things happen. Authority comes by creating a context for continuing dialogue, by assuming responsibility for the functioning of the group. He or she will help a student clarify what he is stumbling over, restate an idea that has gotten lost, respect the students and take them and the discussions seriously. By thus setting the tone for the group the teacher will ensure that students soon come to appreciate both this style of learning and also the teacher who provides an environment and a context for learning without taking charge unnecessarily.
The case method suits the learning style of most adults.
The case method starts where the learner is.
It involves adult learners in discussing relevant and interesting situations.
It makes them responsible for their own learning and for the learning of others.
The case system properly used initiates students into the ways of independent thought and responsible judgement.
It faces them with situations which are not hypothetical but real.
It places them in the active role, open to criticism from all sides. It puts the burden of understanding and judgement upon them.
TSATUROVA, I.A. Multi-level system of language education at the technical universities. Doctorate thesis. Moscow, 1995.