DIGITAL LIBRARY
WAYS OF USING INTERACTIVE METHODS IN TEACHING FOREIGN LANGUAGES AT THE UNIVERSITY
1 Peoples' Friendship University of Russia, Moscow Regional State University (RUSSIAN FEDERATION)
2 Peoples' Friendship University of Russia (RUSSIAN FEDERATION)
About this paper:
Appears in: EDULEARN17 Proceedings
Publication year: 2017
Pages: 850-854
ISBN: 978-84-697-3777-4
ISSN: 2340-1117
doi: 10.21125/edulearn.2017.1185
Conference name: 9th International Conference on Education and New Learning Technologies
Dates: 3-5 July, 2017
Location: Barcelona, Spain
Abstract:
The article deals with the analysis of the modern educational process at the university wich is characterized by a wide range of interactive methods. A distinctive feature of interactive learning is the interaction of learners with both the instructor and with each other, as for the learning environment, it can be considered as an area of experience.

In the modern era, one of the main directions in the development of the education sphere is informatization and introduction of modern information and communication technologies into the educational process.

On the one hand, electronic textbooks and interactive training programs are actively being created, automated training systems are being developed, virtual universities are being founded, and distance learning is being introduced into the learning process.

On the other hand, there is an imbalance between technical capabilities of modern teaching tools and the ability of teachers to use them in full. The development of information and communication technologies and the availability of the Internet access do not guarantee the quality of language education.

In our opinion, various methods of interactive learning that involve students in interactive activities in the classroom are becoming particularly important nowadays.

Foreign language is the most important means of learning a “different” culture, a “different” picture of the world. The topical task of teaching foreign languages as a means of intercultural communication is that “languages must be studied together with the world and culture of peoples who speak them”.

Teaching foreign languages at the university with the use of interactive methods is aimed at solving several problems: communicative-cognitive, which teaches communication skills; concrete-cognitive, which considers a specific educational situation; socially-oriented, which shapes and develops adequate socialization of a person beyond the educational situation.

The undoubted advantage of interactive methodology of teaching a foreign language is its orientation to direct live communication. While teaching a foreign language, according to this method, we should refer to documents taken from everyday life (flyers, tourist brochures, restaurant menus, etc.) as often as possible. It’s necessary to create situations that simulate everyday communication, while encouraging creativity of the trainees.

Among the interactive methods of teaching we would like to highlight some of the most effective ones. Such methods of teaching are discussion, collective situation analysis (case- study method) and role playing.

Thus, interactive methods are a useful and fruitful component in teaching a foreign language, due to their inherent advantages in developing communicative, cognitive, creative abilities of students, and also due to the possibility to form students’ continual interest in the foreign language culture of the country under consideration.