The didactic and methodological basis of self-access work of students

 

1. The definition of Independent Work of Students;
2. The principles of Independent Work of Students;
3. The Independent Work of Students and teaching the foreign language;
4. The types of Independent Work of Students;
5. The forms of Independent Work of Students;
6. The stages of Independent Work of Students;
7. The requirements to the new Independent Work of Student

 

The process of knowledge acquisition is realized not only during lectures and seminars, but also while working independently, because in this case the student truly becomes the subject of his activity.

There are very many terms to determine this type of work: “self-access work”, “self-directed learning”, independent work, “autonomous learning”, “independent work ” and “learner-training”.

- autonomy is your capacity to take responsibility for, and control of your own learning either in an institutional context, or completely independent of a teacher or institution. It has been advocated as a way of addressing the fact that many learners have individual needs and learning styles that are not always easily accommodated in a classroom situation;

-Есипов regards independent work as a kind of work which is done without the direct participation of the teacher, but according to his tasks.

-Independent Work of Students is a type of learning activity which is organized and realized by the student at the most suitable time from his point of view. It is controlled be the student himself on the basis of external systematic management from the teacher’s side or by the teaching programme.

There is a number of principles which should be taken into account while organizing Independent Work of Student:

1. the principle of self- activity (Independent Work should be organized in such a way that student were the subjects of the learning process);
2. the principle of self-organization (teaching any subject should be regarded as teaching the students to obtain the content of the subject in the process of their own activity). The teacher shouldn’t only teach but also:

a) help the students study;

b) organize and manage their studying activity;

c) teach them various methods of learning.

1. the principle of variety in organizational forms of work;
2. the principle of co-operating (S-S, T-S);
3. the principle of psychological security (it is necessary to provide the motivation to study and the positive attitude to studying)

During the English lessons we should form the communicative skills, i.e. the skills necessary to communicate in this language.

The language can not be taught, it should be learnt, so the Independent Work of Student is of a great importance. However, this Independent Work should not differ from the auditorial work, I mean if during the lessons students learn to communicate in this language, they should continue this while working independently. Thus, the Independent Work of Student should be regarded as the logical supplement to the auditorial work.

In the Methodology of FLT there are:

 

3 types of Independent Work of Student:

a) the Independent Work during the lessons – Auditorial Independent Work;

b) out of classroom Independent Work

c) Independent Work in the self access resource centre, language laboratory.

 

3 forms of Independent Work of Student:

1. individual Independent Work

2. pair Independent Work

3. group Independent Work

 

3 stages of Independent Work of Student:

1. imitative

2. reproductive

3. creative

 

The imitative stage is characterized by he external motivation, low level of self-regulation; the form of learning –the conscious imitation of the teacher’s actions, doing exercises under the teacher’s supervision. This stage is necessary as during it-the student is trained to work independently.

The reproductive stage is characterized by the domineering external motivation, the middle level of self regulation; independent reproduction of the technique which was acquired with the teacher and the use of this habit/skill in the analogous situations.

The creative stage is characterized by the domineering internal motivation, the high level of self-regulation, the independent fulfillment of the tasks. (conventionally- speech, speech, and communicative) using the acquired technique in the new, not analogous situations.

 

Questions for self-control

1. What is an authoring tool?

2. What is a multimedia program?

3. What computer programms are there in FLT? What are the drawbacks and achievements of them?

4. What are advantages and disadvantages of computer-based testing?

5. What is an ePortfolio?

6. What types of computer exercises do you know?