Abstract:

At present attaining efficiency or quality in education is closely connected to the application of digital technologies. Universities are currently not just educational institutions providing insider value of professional skills. If we want to be competitive and to increase motivation of learners, to enhance their performance, we need to use on-line tools. We have investigated application of LMS BlackBoard at our university which is widely used as a support for independent studies of disciplines. Considering pros and cons of this medium we gathered data on digital means of learning and analyzed them. The aim of this project was to develop a quick and easy-to-use tool for language learners, in particular at a beginner level. The English and Russian languages possess language systems that differ in vocabulary, grammar, etc., and interference of mother tongue prevents fast learning of a foreign language. The textbooks published by leading publishing houses such as Cambridge University Press lack translations of some complex language units (collocations, idioms, proverbs, etc.). If learners skip classes for some reason, it takes much effort and time for them to come up with the language material. To overcome that obstacle in learning we developed a language application that accompanies the material provided in the textbook. The application allows a learner to go through material at his/her own pace and provides sufficient training to master all the intricacies of the subject. Foreign languages are usually taught for a small number of hours per week. One crucial factor here is the reduction in opportunities for forgetting. The occurrence of lexical items in discourse and their relevance for the learning process were the key factors in selecting the language material. Languages are learned and taught more rapidly if they relate to real situations, therefore the example sentences to illustrate lexical units were taken from online reliable sources (dictionaries, quality press and fiction) and were in some cases adapted to meet the requirements of the course (learner’s needs). The technical support for the project was provided by T.Ya.Asadullin and A.R. Gimadiev (KNITU-KAI). The outcomes will be of interest for academics and language centers for training purposes and further investigation related to this field.

Keywords:

Language learning, language app, on-line tools.