NEW CONTENT OF FOREIGN LANGUAGE EDUCATION IN QAZAQSTAN
The article discusses the main changes in the concept of the content of foreign language education in Kazakhstan in recent decades. Globalization and integration have given way to new technologies and techniques that meet the social requirements in teaching a foreign language as an act of intercultural communication. As a result new state standards, school books and technologies are being developed. The educational process focuses on intercultural communication not only as the ultimate goal of learning, but also on the process of teaching foreign languages. Teaching three multi-system languages also leaves a certain imprint on the content of education and learning outcomes.
Key words: new content, foreign language education, intercultural communication, modern approach to foreign language education, multilingualism, information and communication technologies.
INTRODUCTION
The theory and practice of modern foreign language education in Kazakhstan has now undergone significant changes. The end of the twentieth and the beginning of the XXI century marked a new stage in the development of methods of teaching foreign languages in the post-Soviet space. Democratic processes in the USSR proclaimed by M.S. Gorbachev, then the collapse of the Soviet Union, political changes on the European continent changed the social order of society for teaching foreign languages. A foreign language suddenly turned into a means of communication, moreover, a means of survival. As it turned out, not only Foreign Secretary, but also ordinary people needed to know a foreign language. The social significance of a foreign language and foreign language education has changed.
Firstly, the goal of learning a foreign language has radically changed — it was not reading and translating a text based on the studied grammar and vocabulary, but lively, real communication. In a Soviet school and university foreign language skillsweretaughtlike skills «with a dictionary.» Students could not translate texts and speak fluently. They had to turn to the dictionary. The methodology was dominated by the classical method — teaching a foreign language was reduced to a thorough study of grammar rules and exceptions to the rules, reading, translation and retelling of the text, answers to previously asked questions. This approach was dictated by the socio-political realities of Soviet society. Today we live in a different society, where globalization and international integration dictate their own rules of life and learning, including a foreign language. Foreign languages are today priority in the education system and professional activities of people. The emphasis in determining the purpose of training has shifted to communication in oral and written form. There is no need to achieve years of purity of pronunciation and grammatical correctness even in the context of university language education, since it has come to understand that accent, grammatical and stylistic errors are inevitable for students of a foreign language.
Secondly, today, not only graduates of linguistic specialties, but also graduates of nonlinguistic specialties of universities, and, moreover, graduates of schools, should be able to speak a foreign language. This task is realized in Kazakhstan to a greater extent in Nazarbayev schools, Nazarbayev University, in the language specialties of universities. In non-linguistic specialties of universities under the multilingualism program in Kazakhstan, a number of disciplines are taught in English along with teaching English for 2-3 semesters, depending on the specialty. In non-linguistic specialties of universities under the multilingualism program in Kazakhstan, a number of disciplines are taught in English along with teaching English for 2-3 semesters, depending on the specialty. However, with poor school preparation, achieving an optimal level of understanding of theoretical material in the specialty in English is achieved only by a small percentage of students. It should also be noted that teaching a foreign language to students of non-linguistic specialties is carried out according to textbooks that do not have a communicative orientation.
Thirdly, the emphasis in learning has shifted from language to speech, and this circumstance has radically changed the content of teaching foreign languages in Kazakhstan. The Concept for the Development of Foreign Language Education, adopted on the basis of the Common European Framework of Reference for Foreign Languages, adopted in 2006, played an important role in transforming the process of teaching foreign languages at school and university, as Kazakhstan began to switch to level teaching of foreign languages according to the European model, changes followed in state programs and standards of foreign language education.
Fourth, the signing by the Kazakhstan of the Bologna Declaration (2010) and European language competencies had a significant impact on changing methods and approaches to teaching foreign languages, in particular, the introduction of new technological areas into the educational process began; updating the content of teaching foreign languages; received theoretical justification for new methods of teaching foreign languages; new forms of monitoring learning outcomes, etc., have been developed and are being introduced.Famous Kazakhstani scientist S.S. Kunanbayeva developed the conceptual foundations of cognitive linguistics in the formation of a multilingual personality [1], disclosed the features of the methodology and theory of modern foreign language education [2]. The purpose of foreign language education is defined by it as “the formation of intercultural and communicative competence of students of language specialties in the process of foreign language education at the levels of basic sufficiency, basic standard, super-basic standard”[3].
Fifth, a distinctive feature of the modern approach to foreign language education is the emphasis on intercultural communication, not only as the ultimate goal of learning, but also on the process of teaching foreign languages. In Germany, G. Neuner and G. Gunfeld were among the first to develop this approach. In the Soviet-Russian methodology, priority in the development of this problem belongs to S.G. Ter-Minasova.
Intercultural education is carried out primarily through the texts of another culture, the language of which we are studying. This is the process of learning an unfamiliar language in the light of people who speak that language, their historical and cultural experience. In this process, the rapprochement of two cultures occurs — native and foreign, since learning a foreign language involves not only working with unfamiliar words and structures, but also the assimilation of a different mentality, other cultural concepts and moral values.S.G. Ter-Minasova emphasizes that in the process of teaching a foreign language it is necessary to take into account two national principles of teaching foreign languages:national priorities and identifies, which are also acceptable for Kazakhstan:
1. The study of a foreign language should be combined with the study of the native language and native culture, because our graduates will be interested in international communication partners not with knowledge of the foreign world … but with their native world, that is world of Russia.
2. This is a co-study of language and culture. Without background knowledge of the world of the language being studied, one cannot actively use a foreign language [4]. Texts and exercises in foreign language textbooks are updated taking into account these trends and are being tested.Sixthly, today not only oral but also written communication in a foreign language is relevant, primarily academic and business writing.
MAIN PART
Consider the concept of «content of foreign language education.» The generally accepted definition of the content of education is the system of knowledge and skills formed in an educational institution, the general development and social experience accumulated by mankind. Some methodologists understand by the content of training that educational material that is selected in a certain way, methodically organized and designed for assimilation in the learning process. [6, 150] Others include language, speech, speech activity and culture [5, 124]; the third distinguish linguistic, psychological and methodological components in the content of teaching a foreign language [7, 16]. N.D. Galskova identifies five components of the content of teaching a foreign language–this is linguistic material, speech skills, knowledge of the national cultural characteristics and realities of the country of the language being studied [8, 82-83], and S.G. Ter-Minasova adds knowledge of native language and native culture to the content of foreign language education [4].
Currently, in foreign language education in the Republic of Kazakhstan, the study of foreign languages is recognized as socially significant; a foreign language is defined as the language of international communication along with the state (Kazakh) language and Russian as the language of international communication; recognized the need for early learning of a foreign language; conceptually meaningful concepts are clarified and terminologically clarified: “foreign language education” with a projection on intercultural communication; defined «level of training» (a finite set of communicative and speech skills of owning foreign language as a result of the interaction of teaching and learning activities); defined «level of training» (a finite set of communicative and speech skills of owning foreign language as a result of the interaction of teaching and learning activities); describes the “language for special purposes” (LSP) as an object of teaching professionally oriented communication and “language for academic purposes” (LAP) along with the
“language of everyday communication»; a conceptual basis for the implementation of internationally standard levels of training in LSP in republican schools of an international type and a language university was developed and experimentally confirmed; a purposeful implementation of the latest pedagogical and information technologies (including distance learning) was carried out; sample standard programs for the practical course of a foreign language and English for special purposes for linguistic and non-linguistic universities have been compiled; educational-methodical complexes for three European languages (English, French, German) for the primary, secondary specialized schools and the second year of a language university have been created; differentiatedspecialized training of foreign-language teaching staff for schools with in-depth study of foreign language, a secondary specialized school with an economic, engineering-technical, naturalscientific and humanitarian bias and rural low-grade schools has begun [3].
One of the main problems today is the training of specialists of technical and natural sciences who speak English. This is one of the first problems that should be addressed immediately. For this, it is necessary to change the content of foreign language education and the teaching methods of this contingent of students. The company needs specialists in technical specialties who speak a foreign language at the level of professional and academic communication. We need domestic English textbooks with updated content of grammatical and lexical material, which emphasize speech exercises, with professionally oriented texts that motivate teachers. Today, the main textbooks for non-linguistic specialties have been published in Russia, respectively, the Russian cultural component. Such textbooks should be created in Kazakhstanat a faster pace and in accordance with a social request. It is necessary to revise the lexical and thematic content of textbooks, to make them modern. So, E.V. Gunnemarck believes that 800-1000 correctly selected high-frequency words can cover about 95% of what you need to say or hear in the most common situation [10, 49]; at each level of mastery of the language, it is necessary to master exactly such a volume of grammatical information as is necessary for minimal written or oral communication [9, 106-107].
A significant event for the Kazakhstani foreign language education was the process of adaptation to the national education of the Pan-European Foreign Language Competencies, developed on the initiative of the Council of Europe in 2001. This document defines the six-level content of teaching a foreign language and the learning outcomes for each level. The development of this document contributed to the consolidation of European states in all areas of activity, including in the field of both secondary and higher professional education. Kunanbayeva S.S. identified on the basis of pan-European competencies in foreign language proficiency (A1, A2, B1, B2, C1, C2) 4 levels of the adapted national level system (NS) of teaching the trinity languages:
I – NS as minimally sufficient (A1, A2);
II – NS as the level of basic sufficiency (B1);
III – NS as the level of basic standardization (B2);
IV – asthelevelofsuper-basicstandardization (C1, C2) [4, 313].
For non-linguistic universities — level B2 and the full course LSP (professional program); for specialized classes of 12-year-olds (11-12 grades) – level B1 and profile-oriented training programs; [3].
S.S. Kunanbayeva in the Concept for the Development of Foreign Language Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan determines the levels A1 and A2 (survival and prethreshold level) for the main stage of grades 5-10; for specialized classes of 12-year-olds (grades 11-12), level B1 and profile-oriented training programs; for specialized schools, level B2; for language universities — level B2, C1, C2; for non-linguistic ones – B2, [2, 255-256]. Later S.S. Kunanbayeva identified level C3.
Now there is a process of correction of the content of textbooks of English and other foreign languages. This applies to the subject of the textbook, and the ratio of language and speech exercises, the structure of the topic, this is the place of grammar in the process of teaching intercultural communication, the ratio of authentic and educational information in each topic, etc.
One of the main characteristics of the content of modern foreign language education in Kazakhstan is information and communication technology. New technological capabilities of foreign language education became possible thanks to the digital revolution, which began in the 50s of the twentieth century with the transition from analog to digital method of processing, storage and transmission of information. Even then, digital television, photo, video and audio equipment appeared in Europe and America, which contributed to the technological re-equipment of the entire education system. Today, the scientific and technological revolution has come to secondary and higher education in Kazakhstan.
Information and communication technologies make it possible to radically update the content of the educational process in a foreign language, to make it more effective, interesting, individualized and productive. They represent, in essence, the new content of instruction: electronic textbooks, electronic dictionaries, instructional websites containing phonetic, lexical, grammatical, textual content in various forms available for students of any level of training. Thanks to them, students have access to classroom texts, chat rooms, video and audio communication, online learning, which helps to improve their speech skills and abilities, removes psychological barriers, increases self-esteem, promotes self-organization and self-development. In our opinion, innovations should be considered in the professional community of teachers and answer the question — what competencies and skills a modern foreign language teacher should possess. The source of ideas for developing innovative approaches is a teacher. Textbooks and teaching materials play an important role in motivating students. The technological progress of the 21st century has significantly changed the content of modern education, teaching aids, technologies and teaching methods. Currently, almost all training materials are available in digital format on a global network, but the traditional textbook remains one of the main sources of basic information for students.
German scientists V. Steinike, H.-V. Huneke, F. Haßbelieve that innovation should be sought in teacher activity. A foreign language teacher must be proficient in teaching; it organizes the communication of students, motivates them with interesting linguistic and regional information relevant to their age, interests, setting real communicative goals for students and achieving them.All of the above events in the scientific and methodological sphere have had a significant impact on the change in the content of teaching a foreign language in Kazakhstan over the past two decades.
Graduates in chemistry, biology, physics and computer science barely possess reading skills in English, so it’s incorrect to talk about “improving” professional language competence. Subject teachers need level B2 for high-quality teaching of their subject in English, in addition, knowledge of the methodology of teaching the discipline in English is required. There are currently no such textbooks. Today we should speak not about teaching these subjects in English, but about the centralized development of terminological module dictionaries for these disciplines, the publication of these dictionaries in the required quantity, and providing each student and teacher subject with such a dictionary. Only schools — gymnasiums with in-depth study of the English language and Intellectual schools can provide a full-fledged study of disciplines in English. An analysis of publications on the implementation of the multilingualism program in Kazakhstan’s schools gives reason to believe that the bulk of schools in rural areas and small towns are not able to provide teaching and instruction in these subjects in English [3; 4; 5].
CONCLUSIONS
In the conditions of the information and technological revolution in school and university in foreign language education, it is necessary to take a responsible approach to changing the content of education in general and foreign language in particular, creating new textbooks and teaching materials that reflect current trends in the development of teaching foreign languages, taking into account international best practices and national priorities. At the same time, it is necessary to revise the relationship between teacher and student in the school’s educational discourse. It should not be forgotten that the target setting “to teach communication in a foreign language” should find its embodiment in the effective organization of the educational process and the interaction of students primarily with each other, and then with the teacher. Teachers of a foreign language should get away from an authoritarian, leadership in the lesson position, although for many it is difficult.Students should be given the opportunity to communicate in the language they are learning in the class. The density of communication in a foreign language should be maximum. The realities of the new time set the task of practical mastery of the language as a means of intercultural communication. Students should be given the opportunity to communicate in the language they are learning in the lesson
The level of foreign language literacy is an indicator of the civilization of modern society and the individual. A high level of foreign language literacy leads to an increase in the intellectual and moral potential of society, as it opens up access to universal human values of world culture. Each person who speaks a foreign language, to some extent increases the cultural potential of the country. The experience of European foreign language education indicates that the emphasis in the study of a foreign language should be placed on the school, and not on the university. The main goal of the Kazakh school should be to prepare for the society of young people who can communicate in English. Attention should be paid to the quality of teaching and textbooks in English and other foreign languages, to the training of teachers of foreign languages who are fluent in modern technologies and teaching methods for intercultural communication.
REFERENCES
1 Kunanbayeva, S.S. Conceptual foundations of cognitive linguistics in the formation of a multilingual personality. – Tutorial. – Almaty, 2017. – 264 p.
2 Kunanbaeva, S.S. Theory and practice of modern foreign language education. – Almaty, 2010. – 344 p.
3 The concept of development of foreign language education of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Almaty, 2006//[Electronic resource] – Access mode: https://gigabaza.ru/doc/62326.html
4 Ter-Minasova, S.G. Teaching foreign languages in modern Russia. Whatisahead? // [Electronicresource] –Accessmode:http://psihdocs.ru/s-g-ter-minasova-1-prepodavanie-inostrannihyazikov-v-sovremen.html
5 Schukin, A.N. Teaching foreign languages: Theory and practice: A manual for teachers and students. 3rd ed. – M .: Filomatis, 2007 . — 480 p.
6 Methods of teaching foreign languages in primary and basic comprehensive school: a textbook for students of teacher training colleges (Edited by V. M. Filatov). – Rostov on/D:
“Phoenix”, 2004. – 416 p.
7 Solovova, E.N. Methods of teaching foreign languages: a basic course of lectures: a manual for students of pedagogical universities and teachers. — 4th ed. — M.: Education, 2006. –239 p.
8 Galskova, N.D. Modern methods of teaching foreign languages. The manual for the teacher.
— 3-ed., revised. and add. – M.: Arkti, 2004. –192 p.
9 Gunnemark, E. The art of learning languagesю–М.:Eksmo, 2007. – 288 p.
10Steinig, W., Huneke,H.-W. Language Didactics German. – Neuburg Donau: Erich Schmidt Verlag, 2004. – 272 p.
11. German Didactics. Tradition.Innovation.Practice.Editor F. Haß, 2016. – 335 p.
Н.С. Жумагулова1, Л.А. Ахриева2, Е.В. Жумагулова3
Шет тілді білім беру мазмұнының тұжырымдамасы
1А.Мырзахметоватындағы Көкшетау университеті,
Көкшетау, Қазақстан Республикасы
Ш.Уәлиханов атындағы Көкшетау мемлекеттік университеті,
Көкшетау, ҚазақстанРеспубликасы
Мақалада соңғы онжылдықта Қазақстандағы шет тілді білім беру мазмұнының тұжырымдамасындағы негізгі өзгерістер қарастырылады. Жаһандану мен интеграция мәдениетаралық коммуникация актісі ретінде шет тілін оқытуда әлеуметтік талаптарға жауап беретін жаңа технологиялар мен әдістемелерді қолдануға мүмкіндік берді.Жаңа мемлекеттік стандарттар, мектеп оқулықтары мен технологиялары әзірленуде. Оқу үрдісінде мәдениетаралық коммуникация тек оқытудың түпкі мақсаты ғана емес, сонымен қатар шет тілдерін оқыту процесінде назарда ұстайды. Үш түрлі жүйелі тілді оқыту білім беру мазмұны мен оқыту нәтижелеріне ықпал етеді.
Н.С. Жумагулова1, Л.А. Ахриева2, Е.В. Жумагулова3
Концепция содержания иноязычного образования
Кокшетауский университет им. А.Мырзахметова, г.Кокшетау, Республика Казахстан
Кокшетауский государственный университет им. Ш. Уалиханова, г. Кокшетау, Республика Казахстан
В статье рассматриваются основные изменения в концепции содержания иноязычного образования в Казахстане в последние десятилетия. Глобализация и интеграция дали дорогу новым технологиям и методикам, которые отвечают социальным требованиям в обучении иностранному языку как акту межкультурной коммуникации. Разрабатываются новые государственные стандарты, школьные учебники и технологии. В учебном процессе делается акцент на межкультурную коммуникацию не только как конечную цель обучения, но и на сам процесс обучения иностранным языкам. Обучение трем разносистемным языкам также накладывает определенный отпечаток на содержание образования и результаты обучения.