Alina Kruk
(Kamianets-Podіlskyi National Ivan Ohiienko University)
APPLYING THE COMMUNICATIVE APPROACH IN ESP TEACHING
When teaching English for specific purposes, it is important to take into account such an intensive method as communication. After all, with the use of communicative approach in English classes, according to Sofiia Nikolaieva, “іншомовна комунікативна компетентність” [1, p. 123] is formed in learners. After all, they “навчаються комунікації у процесі самої комунікації” [1, p. 123].
Many scientists and methodologists are writing about the introduction and application of the communicative approach in the study of a foreign language. They are N. Borysko, O. Bykonia, N. Galskova, B. Hutauruk, T. Hutchinson, T. Kameneva, L. Klobuchar, N. Maiier, S. Nikolaieva, B. Paltridge, O. Poliakov, M. Shea, N. Skliarenko, J. Richards and many others. The authors focus on the implementation of communicative approach in the educational process, the formation of foreign language speech skills and skills development through foreign language speech activities. This topic is leading in modern teaching methods, but not exhaustive, because the emergence of new developments on the topic only improves the state of teaching and is a useful guide for every foreign language teacher.
Due to such practice various creative communicative exercises appear, enriching the mentality of students. When we talk about the use of communicative approach in ESP classes, we must focus our attention primarily on the use of various useful exercises that are communicatively oriented. Such exercises are role-playing, speaking out, open discussions (i.e., discuss the problems with your peers or discuss the questions), work in pairs, project work (i.e., make the project paying attention to the viewpoints), sentence completion (i.e., complete the following sentences to support the main ideas of the text), puzz story (e.g., make up a story of your journey illustrating the meaning of the following pictures), matching, T (true) / F (false) or True / False / No Information section, etc. Also useful exercises that help to master vocabulary are various training exercises consolidating the expanding vocabulary. When using all interactive communication exercises, we should not forget about the importance of using computer technology, which is relevant today, and without which at present, neither the teacher nor the student can do. After all, even according to Rosa Muñoz-Luna and Lidia Taillefer, “social sciences, computer sciences and daily technological devices unite to create a more interactive learning background where new frameworks that contribute to the integral development of the student, both academically and personally, can be practised and constructed” [3, p. 4]. The authors note that it especially applies to ESP.
All major components need to be considered when planning communication exercises. Oleg Tarnopolskyi and Maryna Kabanova note that “мовленнєва практика будується як виконання студентами численних суто комунікативних (тобто повноцінно моделюючих реальне мовленнєве спілкування в його типових ситуаціях) вправ у говорінні, читанні, аудіюванні та письмі” [2, p. 149].
In general, there are many communicative exercises that develop communicative abilities and communication skills for students, and these varieties can be invented and enriched a lot. The more we invent communicative exercises, put them into practice and constantly share their practical application, the more we will improve and modernize the methods of teaching and learning ESP.
LITERATURE
- Методика навчання іноземних мов і культур: теорія і практика: підручник для студ. класичних, педагогічних і лінгвістичних університетів / Бігич О.Б., Бориско Н.Ф., Борецька Г.Е. та ін. / за загальн. ред. С.Ю. Ніколаєвої. К. : Ленвіт, 2013. 590 с.
- Тарнопольський О.Б., Кабанова М.Р. Методика викладання іноземних мов та їх аспектів у вищій школі. Дніпро : Університет імені Альфреда Нобеля, 2019. 256 с.
- Muñoz-Luna R., Taillefer L. Integrating Information and Communication Technologies in English for Specific Purposes. Switzerland, Cham : Springer International Publishing AG, 2018. 211 p.