The Principle of activity(Activeness)

 

Activeness is largely dependent upon interest. We know that the chief psychological factor naturally conditioning interest is relatedness to self. In order to awaken or stimulate the pupils’ interest in the English language the teacher will tell them at the very first lesson about the manifold possibilities that open out before each of them at the result of studying that language. The learner should feel a need to learn the subject and have necessary prerequisites created for satisfaction of this need; The main sources of activity are motivation, desire and interest in reading the original interesting and useful books written in English; corresponding with English schoolchildren; conversing with foreign guests to our republic, perhaps visiting or being sent on a mission to one of the countries of the English- speaking nations and converting with the residents in their own language. Exchange of pupils freedom support Act, ACCELS and others

.Young people in our republic want to know foreign languages to illustrate this we may refer to the entrance examinations of language departments of higher schools where the competition is great. To the growing number of people who wish to study at various foreign language courses to the desire of parents to sent their children to specialized schools and etc. The great desire to study foreign language is observed among pupil of the 5^th, 6 ^th, form.

 

In other forms (классах) there is a tendency to the loss of interest in language learning. This shows that there is something wrong in teaching this subject. The teachers fall to sustain and develop the desire to learn which pupils have when they start the course. If the teacher wants to stimulate pupils’ interest in the subject he should make them use their knowledge for practical needs while talking, reading, doing various exercises of a communicative character which are creative by nature. Consequently in teaching a foreign language it is necessary to stimulate pupils activity by involving them in the act of communication in the target language either in its oral (hearing, speaking) or written (reading, writing) form. At all stages an Activeness should be coordinated with accessibility.

In our opinion,from the viewpoint of activeness a lesson in a foreign language should be judged by the following criteria:

 

1) The relative extent of the use of the foreign and the native language a) by the teacher and b)by the pupils;

 

2) The relative duration of the part of the lesson taken up by speech in the foreign language by the pupils;

3) The relation between speech by the teacher and by the pupils;

 

4) The readiness and the quality of the pupils’ answers to the teacher’s questions;

5) The use by the pupils of their power of guessing;

6) The number and the contents of the questions asked by the pupils

a) Of the teacher and b) of their comrades.

7) Correction by the pupils and

a) Their own and b) of their comrades mistakes.

 

The principle of visuality in foreign language teaching is consistent with thepsychological principle of associative memorization and with Pavlov’s theory of the two signaling systems: A wide use of visuality in the teaching all the subjects is also as main requirement of didactics. Since the gaining of knowledge begins either with sense perception or with what has been formerly perceived that is with previous experience. In foreign language teaching the realization of the principle of visuality primarily finds expression in the direct or visual modes of semantizing, or explaining meanings i.e. the demonstration and naming by the teacher of objects, pictures and actions, wherefore the learners infer the meanings of the words and expressions used. The use of visual aids develops the pupils habits of speech enhances the emotional influence of visual impressions causing the desire to speak. Visualization allows the teacher to create natural conditions for pupils’ oral practice and “free conversation”. И.Е.Аничков, В.Н Снакянц: Visuality as applied in foreign language teaching of two kinds: Material (предметная нач-ть), consisting in the demonstration of objects and actions, and graphic (изобразительная нач-нь), consisting in the use of pictures, tables, and diagrams.

 

B.V Belyaev suggests the following classification for visualization (see p 57-Y.V.Rogova).In this connection V.A. Artemov writes...... Для классификации

 

существующих и вновь возникающих видов нач-ти при обучении иностранным языкам существенны следующиее различающие их признаки:

 

1)объектная - образная

2)предметная изобразительная

3) педцевитная-мнемическая

4) реальная- схематическая

5) однорецепторная-многорецепторная

6)чистая (синтетическая) - опосредованная (аналитическая 7)комплексно языковая –аспектно языковая

8)театрализовано поступочная - кино поступочная

The use of visualization makes foreign language lessons emotionally colored, gets the pupils interested and awakens their thought. All these provide favorable conditions for the realization of the principle of conscious and active teaching and create natural situations for the use of language as a means of communication.

The principle of individualization in foreign language teaching is of greatimportance since this subject is an essential one in the curriculum in out schools therefore each pupil should habits and skills the syllabys sets. However some individuals in a class learn more rapidly than others. The teacher should access the progress of each individual in the class and find the way hoe to manage the classroom activity so that the slowest learners are not depressed by being left behind and the fastest and most able learners are not frustrated by being held back. Individualization in foreign language teaching is achieved:

 

1) through the use of so-called “individual cards”(раздаточный материал)

2) through the use of the programmed materials when each pupil can work at his own place;

 

3) By special selection of exercises for each group of pupils in the class: bright average and dull; the former can do more difficult exercises than the latter; by the use of additional material, for example: for reading for bright pupils. by arranging pupils communication in the target language so that each pupil can do his best as a participant of the work done in the classroom.

In conclusion it should be said that to apply the principle of individual approach in foreign language teaching the teacher should be familiar with the class, with its individuals.

The foreign language syllabus is the main document which lays down and thecontent of teaching foreign languages in schools.

 

Lecture 3