Статья на тему: "Цели преподавания английского языка в школе".
статья по английскому языку на тему

Муниципальное  Бюджетное Образовательное Учреждение

Средняя общеобразовательная школа № 15

города Калуги

Статья на тему:

"Цели преподавания английского языка в школе".

    Кудрякова Елена Валерьевна

                                                          учитель английского языка

город Калуга

2018 г

Aims of teaching English at school and college

The questions to be discussed

1.1. The category “aims of teaching and learning English”

1.2. Practical and cultural up aims of EL teaching and learning

1.3. Educational and developmental aims of EL teaching and learning

Key terms: aim; objective, means, practical; educational; cultural; developmental; skill; language units; motivation, performance

1.1. The category “aims of teaching and learning English”

Any kind of aim comes out according to the need. Aim is the plod of the planned result and consequence of imagination. If one asked why English is taught at school it may be answered that it is taught according to practical, educational, cultural and developmental aims. Educational aims are the social order-task and it is oriented to formation and bringing up comprehensive intelligent person. Aims of teaching English have always been under discussion in different methodological works. In the second half of the last century the terms practical, educational and cultural aim of teaching and learning English have been explained according to requirements of society^[1]. In the 80s another term developmental aim of teaching appeared^[2]. Detailed analyses of this term was given by the great methodist G.V.Rogova^[3].

According to requirements of State educational standards the main aim of teaching a foreign language is to form communicative competence of learners in all levels in the aim of making them possible to express their ideas in daily, scientific and professional activities. Competences are divided into several groups linguistic, sociolinguistic and pragmatic, accordingly we’ll look through aims of teaching   a foreign language. All these competences are directed to the usage of mastered knowledge, ability and skills in practical aim.  Aims of teaching English are determined by the requirements of school, lyceum and college syllabus to the    

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final level of knowledge, skills and habits of the students are to acquire as a result of learning the English language.

Aims of the English language teaching are influenced by the tasks of all-round development of a personality and up-bringing of students as well as by requirements of the syllabus of a certain type of educational stage.

There are four aims of English language teaching. They are:

- Practical;

- Cultural (bringing up);

- Educational;

- Developmental.

1.2. Practical and cultural aims of EL teaching and learning

The idea of the practical aim is to provide a sufficient level of knowledge and speech habits and skills (in reading, writing, speaking, listening) as well as some experience of independent work so that to enable school leavers to go on with their studies on their own.

According to the syllabus, practical command of a foreign language is specified in two aspects:

1) to teach a foreign language as a means of communication within the limits of the situations determined by the syllabus;

2) to read  texts without a dictionary and more difficult ones – with the help of a dictionary.

There are several ideas about meaning of methodical term “practical” among teachers. There are also some false opinions that practice is “oral speech” or “speaking”. Besides that we can meet such explanations as to get language in practice is to grasp the meaning of other’s speech and get across an idea. On the secondary   educational EL course the main objective of practical teaching of language is to obtain a reading skill, i.e. to get information by reading. School leavers should be available to have reading skills in the foreign language. This is

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the main objective. The intermediate aim can be different. In teaching process or tutorials speaking can be taught as intermediate aim. For instance, at the primary stage oral speech is taught as an objective. At the same time reading and writing are also taught but they are considered as a means.

Now the need of clarifying the opposition of the terms “objective” and “means” emerges. If speech is the means of communication, it should be studied in general practical objective of learning. Any type of speech activity identifies the private practical objective in final or medium level of ambition. For instance communication in the first period of teaching English language is learnt as primary practical objective whereas in upper forms reading usurps the role of communication. In all forms listening is learnt as secondary private practical objective. Another type of speech activity-writing is considered to be the means of teaching language in all forms. The meaning of the term “means” is “assistance in mastering other types of speech activity”. For example, language materials which are learnt will be fixed, revised in writing.

The term objective can be identified as the following. In order to get the title of speech activity type, first of all, there should be educational content (speech topic, speech skills and language materials) second of all, the language materials initially should be learnt in this type of speech activity and thirdly, great force and time should be spent on this, and fourth one, the majority of exercises should be done in this type of speech activity. For example, at the beginning stage speaking is taught by a special theme and language material, in higher stage reading is the same position as speaking. Speaking topics of the beginning stage and lexical grammar materials are revised and fixed by reading and writing. Recommended methodical criteria are enough for interpretation of practical aim. If it is not conformed four methodical criteria in teaching speech activities it will be deprived from its aim’s position, and can be considered as the means of teaching. The English language grammar phenomenon “article” can be taken as an example. Article can be taught in the following activities of speech: listening, speaking,

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writing and reading. The first and the second of activities of speech are the speсial aim of teaching and the rest of them are the means of teaching. There arises a logical question, why are the language materials mastered in all types of speech activities. The issue is that the more analyzers in mastering English language units are used the more dynamic stereotype will be fixed.

To understand the aims of education helps us to find out the general strategy of teaching process. Aim is carried out while doing lessons and self-study tasks by solving many exact tasks. Solving tasks comprise educational tactics. Educational tasks consist of practical work which is done by pupils (to understand, to express one’s idea, to learn language items etc.).

To master English (obtaining practical aim) plays the role of the base and condition during solving educational aims. In brief, practical aim of learning English means to get necessary information and share it with others. The received information is used to develop learners’ knowledge and to educate them.

As we know education and bringing up have always been in common. Cultural aim (bringing up) makes a substantial contribution:

- to the developing pupils’ linguistic outlook, as they get acquainted with some phenomena which are not typical of their mother-tongue (e.g. tenses, articles, EL word order);

- to developing the pupils’ communicative abilities;

- to widening the pupils’ communicative vision of the world, as it makes them acquainted with the life, customs and traditions of the people whose language they study;

- to imply developing the pupils’ intellect, his voluntary and involuntary memory, his imaginative abilities, logical thinking, etc.

The cultural aim is realized within:

- critical, patient and creative attitudes to yourself and others, to a new culture, event, knowledge;

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- the development of different character traits, outlooks, beliefs, moral-esthetic and emotional experience, different kinds of motivation and the abilities to use them to contribute successfully into the process of real and pedagogical communication;

- the development of the awareness of the new activities, new people civilizations;

- the development of the desire to cooperate and socialize;

- the keeping cultural traditions of your own country and understanding and respect others’; to compare different cultures, to express a personal point of view on other cultures, problems as well as to use the knowledge, got from learning other subjects.

It is important to point out and note down that cultural aims are realized within the process of achieving practical aims.

No doubt, education pays attention to the discipline; the idea of bringing up or being brought up can’t be imagined without education. Every school subject has its own place in bringing up pupils. One of the four of objectives teaching English language is bringing up aim. Teachers and methodist-scientists of English language have always paid great attention to it. Very many materials about disciplining have been published in different journals.

In the science of methodic cultural aim of teaching the English language is described as giving pupils ideological-political culture, formation of skills to brainwork, developing their knowledge activity. Bringing up aim can be performed by these two ways. The first one is observation pupils’ training in teaching process.

The second methodic way of finding a means of cultural aim is regarded using language materials. For example, being respective to the conversation partner during talk, using polite words and phrases (thank you, you are welcome and etc) reciting poems, dialogues together to interpret his or his friends activity in English language. These activities lead the pupils to culture.

The news taken from English audio or graphical text is one of the unequal means of methodic. The idea of texts should coincide with the content of programme and be demanded to satisfy bringing up needs of pupils.

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At the primary years of teaching new information is delivered on basing micro texts, at the high levels the extract of manuals related to artistic, political, bringing up and sport events are given to read and the information which described in these books is useful to pupils and improve their background knowledge. There are lots of extracts of textbooks and manuals which educate pupils with high-principled-political ideas. The content of the texts about great thinkers (intellectuals) culture specialists, scientists, spacemen, heroes of labor gives positive results on training pupils. The graphics and audio text regarding the dates which are shown separately in the calendar have great educative influence too.

Cultural aim can be carried out in the process out-of-class activities, group circles organized in the class of foreign language.

The role of educational arrangements of foreign guests, teachers or visitors, friendly meetings with the members of embassy is matchless.

English language is the main factor in providing different deals related to the types of bringing up. Textbook are considered the primary means of pedagogic.

Thus in the process of teaching English language great attention is paid to the upbringing of pupils.

The cultural aim of learning a foreign language intends to form students’ world outlook, ideological conviction, patriotism, morality, self-responsibility and occurring around and aesthetic and spiritual development of the individual. To achieve this goal it is necessary to use all means: contents (the presence of various problems), organizations (discussion of these issues and their interpretation). The potential here is unlimited, it is important not only to limit to good intentions but to identify concrete ways to implement them both during lessons and in extra-curricular work.

1.3. Educational and developmental aims of EL teaching and learning

Educational aim promotes formation of such features of character as diligence and abilities for independent work, persistence, concentration,

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inquisitiveness. Educational aims are also realized within the process of achieving practical aims and presuppose to contribute to:

- all-round development of a personality;

- widening the pupils; world outlook;

- moral education.

Educational aims can be achieved by means of:

- selection of language material;

- correct organization and conduction of English language lesson and effective combination of its main components;

- choice of visual aids;

- the teacher’s manners and appearance;

- teaching the pupils to work with books on their own, e.g. independently.

After the Decree of our President the English language has begun to be taught in the first form at schools. As one of the compulsory subjects the English language contributes to the general education. The result and process of teaching the English language has educational importance. Apart from getting information with the help of English, language units develops intellect, new phenomena are considered interesting for pupils further more it enriches language experience.

Students come across with the events which are not in their native language. For instance, complex form of verb tenses, polysemy of words, phonetic segments of pronunciation in native or second language. Many linguistic features are similar in different languages. Learning the difference and similarities helps to develop the knowledge of pupils. Students get knowledge about the culture, history, literature, and traditional customs of learned language. A cumulative duty of language is blessed as a treasure culture of people.

While acquiring communicative purpose of English language learners can see a “performance” of their own language (mother tongue and foreign language) in the mirror of this language.  In the initial stage of the learning more attention is given to acquire phonetic, lexical and grammatical units of language in the process

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of oral speech. While in the upper stage to collect graphic and audio text in English language helps learners to acquire news of life. Thus a pupil, while learning English language in educational aim, he reaches to obtain educational information two kind of maintenance. The first kind of information consist of rules which emphasize materials learning English language, concept and database about particularity of language occurrence ordinary knowledge which acquired from language learning completely differ from deep theoretical system. The simple knowledge acquired about the language greatly differs from the deep theoretical system and it shouldn’t be too theoretical. It is considered as a methodic rule that simple theory is enough for raising speech skills. It is necessary not to forget the motto “we teach speaking in foreign language (not the collection of knowledge)” which is acknowledged by teachers and emphasized in scientific literatures. General educational materials on mother tongue and second language are widely learned than English language. But nowadays we should take into consideration that teaching English begins from the early stage.

Educational aim of learning English language helps learners to develop their logical thinking, to improve memory and to raise the level of knowledge and general culture. Due to the study of English language learners master the language events as real facts in speech. While learning English language in the mode of conversation learners get the content plan by language means. We may conclude that general educational object is divided into three parts: language occurrence, concept and rules and content of speech. They have certain scope and measures. The only aim of English language teaching is to manage speech activity according to appears to exchange information. But the material used in speech becomes practical knowledge, deriving knowledge in the shape of abstract system of simple rules.

Thus knowledge of rules, language units and the content of the texts is considered as gaining general education.

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General education is fulfilled by practical cognition of the English language. Practical cognition is related as the main way of cultural aim of teaching.

As the above mentioned developmental aim of teaching English language is recently admitted as a scientific category in methodology of teaching foreign languages. However, it is very difficult to find, relevant methodic materials related to this objective. There is brief information about the developmental aim in the book written by G.V. Rogova and I.N. Vereshagina.

The main idea of the developmental aim is how to teach a learner:

- to develop  his creativity, intellectual and cognitive abilities;

- to develop different types of memory (visual/audio, short/long-termed, voluntary/involuntary), attention, skills, necessary for creative activities;

- to develop mechanisms of anticipation, predicting, guessing, etc.;

- to develop the learners’ initiative, logical thinking. These are abilities concerning to start, to go on and to finish their communication are.

Developmental aims develop creativity, intellectual and cognitive abilities of a person. There are achieved by means of different problem-solving tasks, guessing games, etc.

Appearance the fourth aim of education, the methodic term “developmental” unanimous with modern life. The name of this aim came into being through an imitative way to the conception developing method. There is no such kind of method in teaching languages but this term has been appeared in the scientific method as the name of the developing aim of teaching a foreign language. The conception “developmental aim” began to expresses student’s mental, emotional and motivated aspects. It means that to raise student's intellectual level from lower stage to upper one, to make progress in mental aspect, to develop by implication, to provide growing up mentally in positive meaning are the first task implementing of this aim. Secondly while learning English language the developmental aim considers to develop learners’ feelings of senses and analyzers. Thirdly, we can submit to foster internal hit and to activate it to the line of function of the aim. So,

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developing is accepted as the meaning to raise mind, emotion and motivation to the higher degree.

There are sacred and complicated pedagogical actions to educate learners to bring them up and help a pupil to be perfect person while possessing English language practically. According to the acknowledgments of psychologists and educators, if only learners are thought to settle difficulties due to process of studying, it will be possible to develop their mentality quickly. Person's maturity depends on not only progress of thoughts, but development of person's emotion too.

In the science of FL methodology it is substantiated that to perform students’ emotions and motivation is very important. As a result motivation of learning English language rises and studying process gets meaningful and significant. All these cause developmental aim to take considerable place in the English language programme.

In the introductory explanation of national curriculum it is emphasized that educational training and developmental object of teaching English language appears harmoniously.

Person's social activity is defined according to the degree of appearing qualifications and skills in the pupil's study activity.

Four types of qualifications and skills are classified in the educational sphere. They can be called organizational, mental, informational and communicative study skills and qualifications. In the study of English language, organizational skills and qualifications are made with the help of educational methodic means. This process demands the following ways confirmed in school experience: it is recommended that teacher and student, teacher and class, student and class, student and student should work together while learning the English language. It will be more significant to provide independent work of pupils in the language laboratories, to record and listen to their recordings, to read at home and to do homework (especially in written form) helps to form qualifications and skills, correct their

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mistakes and observe their speech by listening. In this case, the expected result will come into being with the help of using tests as an experienced way of control. Nowadays inculcation of computer and new technologies are giving much effect in the self assessment. All of these are supposed to form organizational skills and qualifications during the educational process.

To develop intellectual skills and qualifications the following can be recommended. During the possessing of speech activity, abstract sides of language unities (rules) are learned as thought's production. For example, simple theoretical concept and description are formed with the help of speech samples in learning. Language occurrence makes movement and turn into ideological point from materiality. Mental activities like differentiating language occurrences from each other, generalizing, separating, uniting and systematizing are done. Learners take steps forward intellectual perfection in vocabulary by formation of nouns, adjectives, adverbs and other language units, learning antonym, synonym and polysemy. Learning grammatical occurrence (e.g. formation of plural nouns, forms of the verb, the usage of modal verbs) and abstractions effect fruitfully on the personality of the pupil.

In the process of speech activity e.g. to get information by reading or listening text, i.e. to answer the questions which leads to understand the meaning, to show the attitude towards received information and etc. compose intellectual skills and qualifications.

Mostly developing informational skills and qualification occurs when the information is taken through reading. Reading textbooks and in advanced levels additional periodical publication materials is regarded the source of information. Besides getting information, pupils will be busy with many activities as looking for answers before reading texts, looking up dictionaries, learning margined explanation connected with language, using grammatical reference. These educational activities are in help of possession educational-informational skills and qualifications.

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The next class of educational skills and qualifications is related with communication. Being engaged in the types of speech activity (speaking, listening, reading and writing) is to say communication, as it is expressed according to psycholinguistics. Speaking in English language a pupil uses amazing methods of explaining ideas orally. Giving proof in foreign language, convincing, accepting or not accepting, supporting or opposing can be good instances for educational skills and qualifications.

Through developing above mentioned classes as organizational, educational, informational and communicational skills and qualifications pupils can be more active. The developmental aim comes about due to speech activity. The great difference of developmental aim from educational objective is that achieving information and education are interconnected in thought; the meaning of information and the process getting it are included in the cycle of developmental aim.   Education is considered as the part of development.

The practical, educational, bringing up, cultural and developmental aims of teaching English language are bound with each other. But at the same time the practical aim occupies the dominant position. The aims of the EL teaching and learning can be summarized in the given below chart.

Table . Aims of EL teaching and learning