Internet and Distance Teaching Foreign Languages

Originated as a military project the internet has become a global practically unlimited information and communication resource for mankind. Distance education is one of the results of its development. Any internet user can get knowledge staying at home with his or her computer switched to the global network. Such access to education shows a lot of obvious advantages, demolishing psychological barriers being among them. But definite drawbacks and limitations need mentioning too. The lack of real communication between student and teacher, some technical challenges, authenticfication problem first of all, absence of permanent testing and control, constant need of lasting firm motivation on the part of a student make the learning process a challenging activity for students. Yet distance education is sure to remain a promising way of modern teaching and learning.

As far as foreign language teaching is concerned its main distinguishing feature is worth mentioning. The dominating component of the content is not the fundamentals of sciences but language activities: speaking, listening, reading and writing. So a foreign language communicative competence acquisition presupposes developing the appropriate skills. Doing oral exercises is a priority especially when working out speaking and listening. So when choosing optimal teaching means the hub is their didactic potentials and functions. The specific character of ESP as a part of curriculum aiming at forming communicative competence requires priority of interactive teaching methods in individual and group work in ESP classroom.

Methodological research as well as teaching experience compellingly prove that the potential of computer distance teaching foreign languages can be realized effectively enough through discussions of different types, group activities etc. The electronic textbooks offered to Ukrainian consumers today though diverse and numerous, are in fact simplified reference books and can hardly be regarded as a source of profound knowledge. Their typical limitations are careless and non-systematic way of material presentation and overuse of multimedia substituting the content.

Chugu Svitlana (Vinnytsia)

Applying Categorization Procedures in the efl/esl Context

Categorization and categorization procedures are traditionally viewed as basic linguistic notions that are of primary importance in the study of the relationship between language and thought from the linguistic, philosophical and cognitive perspectives. In modern linguistics the main emphasis is put on the ability of the humans to categorize the ideas and information in cognition and in communication. As to methodology the awareness of the importance and relevance of categorization procedures is still inadequate.

A distinct differentiation should be done between two different types of categorization - linguistic and non-linguistic. Linguistic categorization is viewed as an exploration dealing with the nature of human representation of knowledge. In this respect it is mostly procedural knowledge that is investigated as the correlate of general knowledge structures and the ways knowledge is used.

Non-linguistic categorization being prior to lingual representation it is regarded to be the stage in processing the knowledge received in the process of cognition that includes the ways information is stored. Given this broad understanding of the notion it is possible to put forward the hypothesis that the basic knowledge structures may be used to lay the foundation of effective language teaching. Thus, it becomes evident that the research of categorization procedures should be done from different perspectives, with studies in the field aiming both at the process of human cognition and at those linguistic categories that constitute the core of the language areas that are to be mastered by language learners.

This approach calls for joint systemic efforts of linguists and educationalists who are to design ESL/EFL curricula based on the new adequate data and assumptions offered by the experts in the fields so that to help language learners meet communication needs and new global challenges.

Chuhu Y. (The Nerthelands)

Enhancing Language Competence

Current changes in the political, economic, social and cultural spheres call for the reconsideration of the ways of teaching a foreign language with the focus on different aspects of language use, linguistic, communicative, expressive and pragmatic features being the basic ones. These tasks are closely connected with the problems that are being raised and studied within the framework of general research of the competence and performance peculiarities of bilingual and multilingual speakers.

Language behavior of the speaker is characterized by the linguistic, psychological and sociolinguistic factors that are determined by the cognitive processes and situational parameters in interaction, these including societal aspects, such as microcontext and macrocontext. In this respect it is important to draw a distinct line between spontaneous language production and language acquisition.

The other important factor deals with distinguishing basic knowledge from situational discourse knowledge. As different codes imply dealing with different language systems language users are to have a good command of the lexical, structural as well as pragmatic aspects of the languages they speak. These are the very spheres that cause problems, difficulties and ambiguity.

The data investigated prove pragmatic and more specific sociopragmatic ambiguity to be the most difficult to cope with due to the fact that it inheres in a much wider discourse choices not limited merely by the use of lexical or/and structural units and require a more complicated procedure of implementing the correct maxims and maxim confluence. The consideration of the maxims and their confluence enriches the content and the methods of ELT as it opens new possibilities for the learners’ awareness and necessity of more diverse linguistic behaviour.

Current researches in the field resulted in the assumption that bilingual or multilingual speakers use different codes for different languages, code-switching being regarded a norm for competent language users.

Dr. David V. Powell and Svitlana Kuzmina

Southeast Missouri State University (USA)