Abstract:

The technological era of innovations and communicational breakthroughs challenges both students and teaching staff at schools and universities. Students, digital natives, expect from the pedagogical staff breakthroughs in educational process on a par with those in technology. A teaching staff, on the other hand, has to keep pace with innovations and adjust their curricula correspondingly. Not always are these challenges met, neither do pedagogical methods of teaching live up to students’ expectations. And it is the biggest and most serious concern for educationalists, as they have to be always developing and improving their methods of teaching in order to enhance educational process and challenge students to creativity and innovative mindset.

As findings in pedagogy have showed, the study of English as a foreign language opens up new opportunities for a teaching staff to ignite students’ creativity, non-standard way of thinking and adjustability to any professional context when they are engaged in a globalized informative-communicational space. Video classes in this respect play a significant role in setting up a global context.

This paper focuses on the video course designed on the materials of TED TALKS and intended for MGIMO-University undergraduates studying English as a foreign language. The aim of the program is, firstly, to enliven and extend the curriculum in English (Proficiency Masterclass by Kathy Gude, et al) by providing students with video materials on the topics covered by the program (People and Places; Our Environment; Language and Culture; Family and Relationships; Safety and Danger; etc.). Secondly, introducing students to different mindsets and viewpoints on the topics, create a global informative-communicative space for students to learn how to adjust to a new milieu for a more efficient communication. Thirdly, video course seeks to considerably broaden the scope of discussion thus allowing students to considerably enlarge their vocabulary on the topics. The video course is designed for two-semester class work (two hours a week); and though initially conceived as the extension and upgrade of Proficiency Masterclass book, synchronized with it, it can be used as a separate full-fledged course. Each of 12 Units of the video course consists of one - three (depending on the length) video talks and class/home assignments. On topic People and Places, for example, students watch ‘Whitopia’ by Rich Benjamin, locate the places mentioned in the talk, explain the meaning of ‘Whitopia’, and discuss the issues raised by Rich Benjamin. Singling out adjectives and determining vocabulary on the topic, analysis of the phrases marked as informal preface a round-table discussion when using new vocabulary, all students describe the places etched in their memory. Students willingly initiate their own presentations on the topics.

Video course noticeably raises students’ motivation and activity. It has encouraged students to hold LET'S TALK at the University. Its novelty is also in updating the curriculum in the English language and imparting it a cutting edge character both in meaning and form.

Keywords:

Technological innovations, an author’s video course, MGIMO-University, TED TALKS, global communicative space.