Abstract:

The purpose of this study is to determine the basic principles of the organization and application of the distance learning platform for foreign language recurrent training of university students. The study reveals the possibilities of distance learning such as: using of vocational training courses; expansion and deepening of the content for advanced level students; ensuring the possibility of duplication of the content to eliminate gaps; ensuring the profile level of a foreign language for students of non-linguistic specialties; ensuring the implementation of training programs at the basic level; the use of distance learning opportunities can be fragmented and helpful in blended learning. These possibilities were implemented taking into account the recurrent appeal of students to the study of a foreign language.

The research methodology is based on personal, professionally-oriented and recurrent approaches to foreign language education at the university. The main didactic means of organizing foreign language learning in this study are the e-learning materials. The main principle of the course organization is the realization of the students’ need for recurrent access to the educational content of the course and the possibility of self-learning when performing tasks. E-courses and their didactic materials were presented to students in the form of a general organizational structure, which made it possible to simplify the interaction of students with the educational electronic platform and the teacher, as well as to reduce the level of psychological stress. When organizing and developing the structure of training courses special attention was paid to ergonomics.

The developed course structure was divided into three main parts:
1) presentation of the digital environment - a part containing lectures, files, glossary, links to Internet resources;
2) assessment of educational achievements - a part containing tests, tasks, a workbook;
3) organization of discussions and communication - a part containing surveys, chats, forums.

For the remote learning LMS Moodle was used. Students were asked to choose their own course in a foreign language and were given the opportunity to study it in accordance with their own terms and the results of preliminary testing. Foreign language teachers from 3 universities took part in the study as the courses’ developers and training organizers.

As a result of the study all organizational and content aspects, such as communication in the digital environment, taking into account cross-cultural factors of interaction, professional and career goals of students, individual needs of students and teachers for the organization and content of training were attributed to the features. The possibilities of remote foreign language training, such as absence of time and location limits, in cooperation with the advantages of recurrent foreign language training of university students, which include variability and flexibility, received a lot of positive feedback from the students and revealed the high potential of the used form of organization of training. The difficulties encountered in the course of the study were solved with the help of the tutor’s guidance via chats.

In conclusion the results of the development and satisfaction of students by organization and content of the training are presented. Also, the structure and generalized model of the recurrent foreign language courses for distance learning is offered.

Keywords:

e-learning, distance learning, recurrent education, foreign language training, LMS Moodle