Methods of teaching a foreign language: traditions and innovations

Shorova Madina Borisovna ORCID: 0000-0002-1560-542X PhD in Philology Associate Professor of the Department of Foreign Languages, Kabardino-Balkarian State University named after H.M. Berbekov 173 Chernyshevsky str., building 4, Nalchik, 360004, Russia rysal2727@gmail.com Other publications by this author

Karchaeva Svetlana Hakimovna PhD in Philology Senior lecturer; Department of Foreign Languages; Kabardino-Balkarian State University named after H.M. Berbekov 173 Chernyshevsky str., room 4, Nalchik, Kabardino-Balkarian Republic, 360004, Russia s.karchaeva@mail.ru

Introduction

The modern educational process at all levels is focused not only on the formation of a base of professional knowledge and skills in various fields, but also special attention is paid to teaching foreign languages. Educational organizations themselves choose the most promising models for them: some focus on leading and more universal foreign languages, while others, which, as a rule, have a specialized bias in the language field, offer a qualitative and quantitative variety of relevant learning areas within the framework of the educational process. However, regardless of which specific foreign language we are talking about, the effectiveness of teaching methods is significantly updated, since the formation of students' communication skills depends directly on the chosen approaches.

In the context of globalization, foreign languages and their knowledge are becoming a significant advantage in the labor market, as international cooperation is carried out in many areas of modern human life, both in the context of interaction between private companies and individuals, as well as authorities and states in general. Proficiency in a foreign language allows you to study a much wider range of sources, which is of significant practical importance, including in the context of the development of certain areas of functioning of Russian society, taking into account existing foreign experience.

It is important to note that by now quite a large number of different methods of teaching a foreign language have been developed. Some of them are recognized as traditional and relevant for use regardless of the language specifics, while others are focused on the use of innovative technologies, including taking into account the special needs that arise within the framework of learning a particular language. Also, in the educational process, questions often arise about the prospects of choosing one method or the need for a combination of them in order to improve the effectiveness of the development of relevant knowledge and skills. In the framework of the presented research, it seems necessary to focus on the traditions and innovations of modern methods of teaching a foreign language.

Materials and methods of research

Methods of theoretical analysis and empirical research were used to identify and evaluate the effectiveness of traditional and innovative methods of teaching a foreign language. The theoretical basis of the work is based on the works of modern Russian scientists studying the pedagogical features of teaching foreign languages. Based on the application of empirical methods (observation, comparison, etc.), current trends in the use of specific methods of teaching foreign languages have been identified, their strengths and weaknesses have been identified, which is important to take into account in the framework of their application in the educational process, including in order to combine various methods.

Within the framework of the stated problems, it should be clarified that the methodology refers to the process of applying a set of methods of teaching a foreign language, whereas the method is a separate technique by which appropriate training is carried out ^{[1, p. 127]}. Various methods are focused on the application of certain theoretical and empirical methods, since a combination of theoretical and practical training is of particular practical importance for a foreign language.

It is important to note that many studies have been conducted in modern science on these issues, but most of them either superficially characterize the methods most common in modern educational activities, or focus on certain methods without taking into account the possibilities of combining them with others. Such approaches lack complexity and consistency, while learning a foreign language is a rather complex and multidimensional process, and in order to achieve effectiveness, it is crucial not only to determine the prospects for using a particular technique, but also to increase the potential for its effectiveness, taking into account the specifics of students' perception, including through combination with others.

It also seems fair to criticize the competence-based approach that is currently being implemented in relation to the organization and conduct of foreign language teaching ^{[2, p. 17]}. Despite the fact that this approach is a priority in the modern education system, there is still no specification of the component composition of various types of foreign language communicative competence, which also has a significant impact on the development of modern methods of teaching a foreign language.

Results and discussions

In the framework of the presented research, it seems necessary, first of all, to note the popularity of grammar and translation methods in teaching a foreign language. This method is one of the traditional ones and is focused on the lexical and grammatical development of students. This technique involves a number of areas of study, starting from the passage of grammatical rules and the study of the lexical minimum and ending with their development when translating from a foreign language into their native language and back. This technique, of course, is the basis for mastering a foreign language, since it involves understanding the rules of foreign speech, the formation and development of vocabulary, as well as translation skills. However, this particular technique is often criticized in the context of the dynamics of the development of the modern educational process ^{[3, p. 91]}. Often, when using exclusively the above-mentioned methodology, the process of learning a foreign language becomes as boring as possible for students, but without its use it is also impossible to form the necessary basic language knowledge and skills.

The strengths of this methodology are the formation of basic knowledge and skills, the detail of the learning process, the development of the skill of using language capabilities and the ease of organizing training. Without appropriate attention to the vocabulary and grammar of a foreign language, other more developed formats of interaction are not available.

The weaknesses of this technique are the uniformity of the tasks performed, the large amount of information learned and the need for a high degree of self-organization of students. The use of this technique exclusively creates problems of motivation of students due to a rather boring learning format.

The project methodology is actively used in teaching a foreign language at the present time. Its essence is focused on the independent development of knowledge and skills in the process of solving complex practical tasks related to the preparation of a specific result, designed and presented in a certain way ^{[4, p. 353]}. Project activity is characterized by a qualitative variety of outcomes of relevant activities, as well as organization formats. Students can perform such tasks individually or collectively, which also contributes to the development of communication skills.

The strengths of this method are the high degree of independent and proactive functioning of students, their motivation due to the feeling of practical functioning opportunities, the accessibility of mutual learning practice, as well as the integration of knowledge and skills from different subject areas. This technique makes students fully aware of their language capabilities or the need to improve them, and at the same time contributes to the development of social and business competencies.

The weaknesses of this methodology are the complexity of implementation with fragmented training of students, the lack of interest in group functioning among individuals, the need for careful resource and methodological study, and the close relationship between the effectiveness of training and the degree of responsibility of each student, including in the preparation of collective projects. The project methodology assumes a rather complex and consistently performed activity, which requires a high degree of interest and participation of students. Teams with low activity and initiative in the educational process due to the use of this technique will feel the problems of their preparedness to a greater extent, which to some extent may demotivate them in terms of further education.

Currently, it is customary to refer to innovative methods of teaching a foreign language as communicative, which is focused on mastering not a foreign language, but a foreign culture through communication. The communicative methodology is based on the priority of communication in the educational process, including in the context of specific situations, which contributes to the improvement of language knowledge and skills. This technique is characterized by a variety of approaches, which is implemented through the application of a number of basic principles: the principle of communicative orientation, the principle of situationality, the principle of authenticity, the principle of interactivity and the principle of functionality ^{[5, p. 239]}. In this case, it is not only about the formation of language knowledge and skills of students, but also their constant and purposeful application in the educational process. However, it is controversial to classify this technique as innovative, since it has been used for a long time and is often used in educational practice.

The strengths of this method are the organization of classes in a foreign language, the rapid overcoming of language barriers and vocabulary replenishment, the development of interest in foreign culture, which also has a positive effect on the motivation of students. The communicative methodology focuses on non-adapted educational resources, which intensifies the development of language knowledge and skills among students due to their interest in the content and format of the learning process.

The weaknesses of this methodology are the need for highly qualified teachers and their ability to respond promptly to the dynamically evolving interests of students, the complexity of the methodological and psychological organization of the development of students' language competencies, taking into account their various levels of knowledge and skills, as well as sometimes unreasonable priorities in favor of foreign culture and ignoring Russian approaches to certain issues. The communicative methodology is indeed more focused not only on the use of language skills, but also on a comprehensive understanding of the relevant culture, which in some situations can idealize it in the minds of young people.

Among the innovative methods, the relevance of using distance learning in the modern educational process is also noted, which is associated with the use of modern information and digital technologies and distance learning ^{[6, p. 32]}. In our opinion, this technique cannot be considered as an innovation of the learning process, since since the pandemic, the education system as a whole has demonstrated a fairly successful implementation of distance learning. Within the framework of the stated problems, the remote methodology should rather be considered as auxiliary, in terms of transferring the implementation of individual educational modules to a remote format.

The strength of this technique is the comfort of organizing the learning process, the variability of tasks performed due to the availability of various resources offline and online, the ability to independently organize the process of mastering language knowledge and skills. The student independently determines the format of studying the material that is convenient for himself, and it is also not necessary to spend time and effort on visiting an educational organization.

The weak side of this technique is the need for technical equipment of the learning process, the complexity of using individual resources in the context of information security, as well as the need for a high degree of self-organization of students for timely mastering of the material. The distance learning format of a foreign language requires no less concentration, and if you lose self-control over this activity, it leads to inefficiency in mastering the educational program.

In this context, it should be noted that research on digital methods of teaching foreign languages is also actively developing, which focuses on the specifics of using modern achievements of science and technology in order to form language knowledge and skills of students ^{[7, p. 53]}. Digitalization of education occurs not only in the context of the transition to a distance learning format, but is also successfully applied in the framework of blended learning, when appropriate technologies are used directly in the classroom in educational institutions.

Conclusions

It should be noted that the learning process is characterized by a high degree of dynamic improvement of the methods used, which seems justified due to the active transformation of students' worldview. Many techniques that have been used and demonstrated serious practical effectiveness for decades are still relevant today, but this does not at all indicate their exceptional priority. In this context, it is necessary to emphasize the basic importance of traditional methods of teaching a foreign language, which are currently applicable more as a basis for building the educational process, but not as the only and most promising ones.

It is important to note that approaches to innovative methods of teaching a foreign language are currently being significantly expanded, but a different problem arises here. Most scientists define as independent methods what is in fact the practice of applying specific teaching methods. For example, the methodology of using artificial intelligence technologies in teaching foreign languages is currently being actively discussed ^{[8, p. 72]}. The use of the above-mentioned technologies, of course, improves the learning process, has the specifics of its organization and conduct, however, these technologies can also be used within the framework of traditional methods without changing their essence. To date, there is a very extensive practice of using computer and Internet technologies in the practice of teaching foreign languages ^{[9, p. 103; 10, p. 249]}, therefore, in the framework of the presented study, the introduction of information and digital technologies into the learning process seems appropriate to consider as a natural process of development of the education system in terms of improving teaching methods in conditions of widespread using the specified technologies.

Based on the analysis, it should be concluded that in the modern educational process, the combination of various methods of teaching a foreign language seems to be the most relevant, since each of them has its own strengths and weaknesses, and taking them into account will significantly improve the effectiveness of the development of students' language knowledge and skills. Teaching a foreign language, of course, involves its active use in communication, but its absolute priority will not be effective for any target audience. Further introduction of information and digital technologies into the process of teaching a foreign language also seems promising, since modern youth representatives are largely focused on the use of these technologies and due to them it is possible to increase interest in education in general. The interactive learning format will make it possible to improve knowledge and skills related to the use of a foreign language in a more dynamic way, however, it seems necessary to consider the latest technologies rather through the prism of improving the teaching methodology.