Fostering technical specialisation students’ speaking skills: methodological tools of learner-centred approach

Abstract

The main purpose of learning English in higher education establishments is to develop communication skills. The ability to express one’s thoughts and conduct professional dialogue in a foreign language is a prerequisite for the knowledge exchange, improvement of professional skills, social interaction, and cultural life. Methodologists are constantly searching for effective pedagogical approaches that will facilitate the process of developing students’ communicative competence. According to many researchers, the learner-centred approach has proved to be effective, whereby students are active participants in the learning process, shaping it according to their individual characteristics, learning interests and professional needs. This investigation aims to ascertain the conditions for adopting this pedagogical approach into the process of teaching foreign language speaking at technical higher education institutions; to propose a system of teaching and methodological techniques that arranges the practical implementation of the chosen approach ideas. The study has determined that when applying this approach, foreign language teachers face a number of problems that impede effective teaching to speak, namely: the teacher’s lack of information about the students’ level of knowledge, their interests, cognitive abilities; too many students in the study group; a small number of hours allocated for learning and practicing a foreign language; most students’ low motivation. Taking into account these factors, the investigation proposes a system of techniques that would ensure the organisation of learning activities in accordance with the requirements and ideas of the learner-centred approach: 1) defining learning goals together with students; 2) providing an appropriate active learning environment; 3) personalising the work on analysing the obtained skills. The practice shows significant contradictions between the conditions of foreign language learning at the higher educational establishments for technical specialisation students and the ideas of the learner-centred approach. Overcoming these obstacles depends on both the professionalism of the teacher and the reorganisation of the educational process in general.