Статью Methods of teaching English at the seconsary school
статья на тему

I. The Aims of Teaching the English Language

The aims of teaching a foreign language is determined by the state programme that is obligatory for fulfillment.

The aim is the final result of teaching a foreign language. The objective is a task that is to be achieved on the way to that final aim (different objectives of a certain lesson make the aim true). In teaching a foreign language four aims are distinguished: practical, upbringing, educational and developing.

The practical aim is mastering English as a means of communication, using it oral and written forms of English.

                                  Four kinds of speech  activities

Each form / stage has its own objectives and aim. certain habits and skills.

The upbringing aim of teaching English

moral        labour        aesthetic

(love for your place of living,        (habits and skills        (love of beauty

pride for your school, motherland)         of intellectual work)        cognition

The educational aim of teaching English:

1logics        2memory        3widening horizons,

                                                                                                acquaintance with the culture of                                                                                              English- speaking countries.

 The developing aim of teaching English comprises:

• teaching and organizational aim;
• teaching and intellectual aim;
• teaching and informative aim;
• teaching and communicative aim.

1. Teaching and organizational aim means being .able to work on one's own. making self assessment, self-checking, working in various regimes.
2. Teaching and intellectual aim means being able to differentiate, to master the grammar structure of the language, to compare language material in LI and English, to generalize, to gain the habit of making logically connected utterances.
3. Teaching and informative aim - being able to read thoughtfully, to answer questions and use references to the text / story / book.
4. Teaching and communicative aim ensures habits and skills of listening, comprehension and speaking, develops intellectual, emotional and motivational spheres of pupil's personality.

All these aims are interrelated and achieved while mastering English.

II. The Content of Teaching English

1. It is important to differentiate language and speech.

Language is a system of language means necessary for communication and rules of using them. Speech is a usage of language system in certain situations of communication. Language and speech make a whole unit. Sequence of teaching English should be from speech to language, i.e. teaching, the language system of English must be done in speech exercises, in the process of organized purposeful communication. Thus the first component of the content of teaching English is linguistic one.

The linguistic component includes language material, i.e. well sorted out phonetic, grammar, lexical minimum and speech material, i.e. patterns of utterances of different extension in communicative exercises. A speech pattern maybe a typical sentence, a dialogue (pattern), a monologue of some extent e.t.c.

2. The psychological component of teaching English.

It has to do with psycholinguistics, i.e. mental processes and actions that happen while listening and speaking. Dialogues, monologues, any oral and written speech utterances are realized due to speech actions. But speech actions are possible in case language and speech material have the level of habits and skills. Thus, psychology defines the second component of the content of teaching English as forming habits and skills of using the language for communicative purpose.

c)   The methodological component of the content of teaching English includes teaching pupils to use appropriate ways of learning language material and forming skills of using in oral and written communication. It means pupils must be able to use all means of learning English (books, reference grammar books, dictionaries, tape-recorders).

It means pupils must be taught the culture of intellectual work, must be able to plan their independent systematic work, must have the habits of self-control and self-assessment. These habits and skills must be formed in communicative exercises. Thus, methodological component means mastering ways of learning.

2. Specific and General Methodological Principles of Teaching English

Principles - basic, initial theses of cognition and practical activities. The following didactic principles, formulated by Babansky Yu. K.. reflect the whole cycle of educational process.

Specific methodical principles:

• communicative (communicative situations and exercises, variety of them in teaching process, enabling each pupil to take part in communication, favourable psychological conditions of communication):
• differentiated and integrated (teaching 4 kinds of speech activities, using recorded material for listening comprehension, teaching to make up monologues and dialogues, teaching different kinds of reading skills, learning in communicative exercises, usage print script in teaching writing skills):
• usage of LI (getting acquainted with similarities and differences of English and LI and learning to use that in all 4 kinds of speech activities).

General methodical principles of teaching a foreign language:

1. Upbringing principle:

instilling patriotism, feeling of justice and kindness:

the culture of communication;

 the culture                    of intellectual work.

2. Principle of awareness:

                 using different ways of conscious teaching, avoid translation in teaching process;

 gaining the ways of independent work at English;

 to demonstrate the progress of learning.

3. The principle of pupils' activity:

                  motivated teaching;

                   involving each pupil into teaching process:

normal tempo of the lesson;

emotional teaching, using games, competitive exercises.

4. The principle of visualization;

using recorded material; additional visual devices.

5. The principle of simplicity and availability:

taking into account pupils' abilities;

using different tasks for strong, less strong and weak pupils;

giving work that is easily understood.

6. The principle of sound and lasting know ledge:

giving the material for absorbing in various exercises: referring to the background of pupils;

providing pupils with intellectual challenge, making teaching emotional; establishing feedback, using forms of control.

7. The principle of individual approach;

referring to the background of children;

using differentiated tasks taking into account abilities and interests of children: taking into account individual specification of children while doing communication tasks.

IV. Method and Ways of Teaching English

What is method in teaching?

1. It is a certain trend that implies certain aims, content and principles of teaching, like grammatic-translation method that implied the development of logical thinking and forming the ability to read and translate texts. The main point was the knowledge of grammar rules that was considered as the basic means of mastering a foreign language.
2. Another point about the word ''method’' in teaching is the notion of some system in teaching that reflects the concept of the author that suggests it, like Palmer’s Method. West's Method. Losanov’s Method. We are going to clear out method and ways of teaching English that are considered as a system in which there are 2 components: the teacher and the learner. The teacher motivates the learner’s activity and monitors it. The learner is involved into different activities, i.e. the learner is an active participant in educational process.

The functions of the learner:

1. Getting acquainted with the language material the learner must understand the form, the meaning, and the ways of usage of the given material/
2. Understanding should be consolidated by the repetition of the given language material man}' times and in various ways (listening, speaking, reading, writing). Thus, the second function is drilling.
3. The function of using the covered material in communication (in oral and written speech). Thus, the method of the teacher must reflect his/her organizational, teaching, and controlling function enabling the learner the best possibility of getting acquainted, drilling and using the covered material for communicative purposes.

Thus, basic method in teaching a foreign language is presentation, drilling and practice in speech and accompanying methods are control, correction and assessment. In learner's activity there are the same basic methods: getting acquainted, drilling and practice in speech. As for accompanying method, it is self-control, self-correction.

Ways of teaching:

explanation, demonstration (referring to all forms of perception (listening, seeing, watching and speaking);

drilling, using various exercises with and without a printed text;

exercises in oral speech (listening and speaking) and reading (aloud and silent).