Methodological principles, their main characteristics

The Methodological principles are regarded as general principles of scientific cognition in the field of FL Methodology which have a tendency to be integrated and interconnected and reflect the essence of the humanistic methodology of Education. They are: cognitive, communicative, linguacultural, sociocultural, conceptual, person-oriented.

To begin with let me remind you of what we call a principle. By principle we understand the main statues, guidelines which being realized in the organization of FLT process, its content, methods and means of teaching determine tactics and strategies of teaching

Cognitive principle is the leading one the in system of methodological principles.

Cognitive activity of a person is a universal quality which characterizes every individual in his process of cognition of the world, creating his own vision of the world, his cognitive image of culture of the country, whose language they study and of their own country.

In the result of his cognitive activity the person creates mental constructions, cognitive structures, frames of knowledge about the world, a system of knowledge of the target language.

Cognitive structures of knowledge as components of general cognitive mechanism form a set of information stored in memory which form new language consciousness (языковое сознание).

The cognitive mental structure having different aspects-social, linguacultural, sociocultural is formed on the basis of the Native language and culture of the learners as the “subjects of intercultural communication” in the process of their resocialization.

The initial stage of the formation of intercultural communicative competence suggests actualization of the cognitive-social aspect of the mental structures of the language learners and the beginning of resocialization.

The cognitive –linguacultural aspect of the cognitive structures reveals itself in the formation of the so-called “cultural models” of language behavior in the process of acquisition of a FL.

We acquire our native language and culture affectively, not cognitively. Our cognitive awareness comes later when we start to school. However most of us do not become aware of specific patterns of culture until we meet someone from another culture who makes understand that our systems of reference to the world of reality are different.

Actually it is possible to find over 500 definitions of the word or concept of culture. My favorite definitions are: 1) culture is everything; 2) it is a system of communications that makes a human society possible (Gregory J. Trifonovich. Culture learning/ Culture Teaching/.

Linguacultural principle suggests that language and culture are inceparapable in FL teaching; it also suggests the formation of “linguacultural complexes.

FL NL     FC NC

 

Culture and FL teaching

Co-teaching of language and culture suggests that in the process of FL teaching they are integrated.

The use of “cultural realia and cultural values, cultural universals” is very important:

1) in the field of language competence: Mc Donalds

Could you consider doing this? Сделай это!

In the English language expressions of commands are more extensive

2) in the field of discourse competence: greetings

Hello (distance of power) In Russian culture most popular themes are wages, politics, sex, religion but in English culture they are a tabo…

3) In the field of language (grammar) competence

No trespassing is appreciated! - По газонам не ходить

No smoking in this area! - Курить строго запрещается

No diving! - Купание запрещено

From the examples we see that the imperative in the native (Russian) language corresponds to the impersonal sentences in the English language

4) in the field of vocabulary: Vocabulary is very sensitive to culture: Mikki Mouse, матрешка, Mc Donalds, home, community, privacy friendship);

“Citizen”- a person who lives in a particular city or town, esp one who has voting or other rights there (Longman)

It is very important to use case-studies the types of which are illustrated by Elizariova G. V.

1) A Russian girl- Natasha is an exchange student at an American University. Once she had a nice talk with an American girl Jane at a party. Before the departure. Jane said: It was nice to meet you. Do not hesitate to let me know if I can help you. We need to talk again. I’ll call you soon. It is so exciting to get to know what is happening in Russia now. Over 2 weeks Natasha was waiting for the call from Jane. Nobody called her. Then Natasha met Jane on campus. Jane smiled and waved her hand but did not even stop. Next time they met in the dining centre. Jane talked lively but did not mention her promise to call. When Natasha asked Jane to help her to use the e-mail provided by the University system Jane answered it was quite simple and that the lab assistant would be resourceful. Natasha felt lonely and unhappy. What happened? Comment on the episode.

2) Another case-study. Liza was an American teacher from Peace Corpus. She worked with our students for some time and then suddenly decided to retire. Her only explanation was: They are cheating me. Always cheating!

- Comment on the case from the point of view of cultural values.

In the process of work with an authentic text it is recommend to use cultural comments at different stages of work: Pre-reading stage, while- reading stage, post- reading stage.

 

Recommended literature

1. Kунанбаева С. С. Современное иноязычное образование: методология и теории Алматы, 2005 г.

2. G. Trifonovich. Culture learning/ Culture Teaching/Readings on English as a second language. Cambridge, 1980, h 550

3. Г. В. Елизарова Культура и обучение ИЯ, Санкт-Петербург 2005

 

Questions for self-control

1. What is communicative competence, its structure?

2. What is a principle?

3. What are the methodological principles, their essence?

4. What techniques can be used in teaching cultural aspect of the language?

 

Module 2

Lecture № 4