• Nu S-Au Găsit Rezultate

View of Foreign Language Teachers in the System of Public Education

N/A
N/A
Protected

Academic year: 2022

Share "View of Foreign Language Teachers in the System of Public Education"

Copied!
10
0
0

Text complet

(1)

Foreign Language Teachers in the System of Public Education

Gazieva Shakhnoza Abduvasievna, Babaeva Dilbar Habibdjanovna, Yorova Sayora Karimovna, Khayrullaev Yusuf Sobir ugli, Bozorov

Shokhruz Askarjon ugli, Nasreddinova Farzona Shukhratovna, Samarkand State Medical Institute, Chair of Languages,

Abstract. The article illustrates the main factors of communication that cover significant successful teaching of language via computer technology.

Development of research activities are characterized by the existence of number variety methods of communication which scientists of current era have a great investigation. The article is aimed at identifying linguistic and psycholinguistic features to the problems of interrelationship in bilingual education. The materials of the article can be useful for linguists, psychologists and teachers of a foreign language. The article investigates the striking features of emotional positive and negative verbs and variety reasons of using them in the communication.

Educational reforms including macro-language planning and policies contribute not only to educate its future generation, but also result in immense advantage in Language Teachers‟ Professional development.

Key word: Communication, methodology, macro-language, competence, module, orientation, information, an academic learner.

INTRODUCTION

In Samarkand, there are 75 secondary schools which are coordinated by local educational department which directly obeys to Ministry of Public education. The schools have approximately more than 1000 currently working English teachers of Uzbek, Russian and Tajik nationality. The teachers are all involved in weekly teacher development courses led by teacher trainers to enhance their language proficiency level and inform them about latest innovative methodology in SLA. These courses are organized by Ministry of Public Education with collaboration with British Council in Uzbekistan. This Inset

(2)

program was organized according to Presidential decree-18/75 (2014) that is about measures to improve language learning system in Uzbekistan which can be considered as a macro language planning (Kaplan, 2011).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Current educational reforms including macro-language planning and policies contribute not only to educate its future generation, but also result in immense advantage in Language Teachers‟ Professional development. Indeed, Teacher Development Programs are always entangled with related educational policies.

The project, “Weekly courses for Enhancing Professional Development of Foreign Language Teachers in the system of Public Education at the base of support schools under the districts/cities”, was developed by “the Ministry of Public Education of the Republic of Uzbekistan” and „Central in-service and retraining Institute A. Avloniy” in collaboration with “Republic Innovation Center in teaching foreign languages under UzSWLU”. This Inset program was organized according to Presidential decree-18/75 (2014) which is about measures to improve language learning system. On the frame of the Program, Teacher trainers have been conducting weekly sessions since 2014 first three Fridays of every month. The course has three modules: first module is focuses on writing

&reading, second module focuses on listening & speaking, and third module focuses on teaching language methodology. The course arms to accelerate practicing English teachers‟ knowledge and provides with essential resources.

Indeed, in this era of high-stakes testing and increased accountability, Teacher development courses bring intended results when correctly implemented;

however, it is essential to set these courses so that the burden of responsibility lays equally among actors such as administrators, teachers and students who collaborate to enhance teaching and learning in community (Maggioli, 2004).

Although, Professional Development courses are commonest way of enhancing Language teachers‟ expertise, involvement in individual as well as collective research, participation in professional networks and peer observation followed by

(3)

peer evaluation implement active teaching which includes use of technology and projects that encourage group-work and collaboration (OECD, 2014).Teachers‟

collaboration with their equals plays the most significant role in students‟

achievements (Moolenaar, Sleegers, & Daly, 2012; Yoon, Duncan, Lee, Scarloss,

& Shapley, 2007), since exchanging experience, techniques, knowledge, and convictions as well as materials important to the professional development (Akerson, Cullen, & Hanson, 2009).

However, in secondary schools of Uzbekistan, there is a scarcity of teaching and preparatory materials such as dictionaries (thesaurus, collocation, idiom and phrasal verb…), encyclopedias and exam materials (IELTS, SAT, TOEFL, GMAT…) that prevents Teacher development programs to achieve stipulated goals and objectives such as accomplishing stipulated aims of curriculum.

Existing resources are either too outdated or of low quality. This is the consequence of shortage of Material designers who can design English teaching resources or translating dictionaries such Oxford Academic Learners‟ Dictionary into Uzbek. This gap can be covered by English teachers‟ training on Material Development theories and modern teaching methods such as CALL and MALL methods whose significance in teaching and learning a language is emphasized by Hayo Reinders (2010), and further, Bo‟zdo‟gan underlined the efficiency of modern technologies and electronic devices in learning, in other words Mobile Assisted Language Learning (MALL)equipment, which are portable and ubiquitous to incorporate in teaching and practicing second/foreign languages (2015). Additionally, Segaran, K. et al. (2013) stress that using MALL and CALL in language classrooms can accelerate students‟ pronunciation, whereas Holmes underlines significance of introduction of new resources and methodologies acquired online into teachers‟ practice which ensures teachers advance in their professional development (2013).

Nonetheless, Kaiser (2018) argues that generally, “training programs that prepare teachers to work in ESL and EFL settings often focus more on classroom-

(4)

based strategies without sufficient attention to the external policies or systematic approaches to language instruction that may affect the efficacy of classroom methods”. This fact is also confirmed by Hasanova (2007) by saying that almost all teachers in secondary schools of Uzbekistan use traditional approach while teaching languages due to the fact that there is a shortage of technical equipment and teaching resources at secondary schools, which creates an obstacle to successfully employing innovations in teaching language.

Interestingly, even now when almost all schools are supplied with modern technologies, most of the classroom time is spent for modeling new knowledge while there is left little time for consolidation and application of that new content, which is main characteristic of traditional classrooms. As a consequence, excessive homework is given to do at home where there is neither English atmosphere to practice the learnt language content, nor necessary resources to explore the content further. We can conclude that technology and teaching material deficit is the primary cause of this situation; however, we must also confess that this claim does not work anymore. Every English teacher, having their own laptop or notebook with the internet access, and every student having their own or their parents‟ mobile phones and laptops at home with the internet access, teachers can successfully employ above counted innovations in language teaching. So, we cannot justify teachers‟ ignorance by claiming technology shortage or lack of materials, instead, the main cause of this situation, the ELT teachers‟ in experience about latest methodology of SLA and Material Development, should be corrected.

DISCUSSION

This is the gap which was not covered in above mentioned weekly courses. After all, this course was designed to accomplish the Nationwide Language Policy which began in the early 1990s, with the hope that English will replace Russian as the language of international communication in Uzbekistan(Glenn, 1996), which expresses country‟s intention to model new identity by breaking away

(5)

from Russia and being acknowledged as an independent and sovereign state.

Thus, teacher development plays the key role. Taking these factors into consideration, this proposal aims:

1) to organize an extra session for ELT teachers, which will be held last Fridays of every month on the base of Methodology days, where they will be informed about latest research findings about SLA and Second Language teaching methodology;

2) to introduce and implement Flipped Classrooms into English classes to maximize effectiveness of ESL lessons;

3) to teach English teachers principles and methodologies of Material Development (online teaching materials - using CALL and MALL technologies;

as well as preparing teaching materials using authentic materials - involving printed and online resources).

Primary goal of this course is enhancing English language teachers‟

expertise by motivating to do a self-study and research and stimulating their interest to explore areas of SLA beyond teaching; namely, Material development and Flipped Classroom approach.

Teachers will be able

 to design extra materials to support a course-book, for example, from a simple handout or worksheet to a dictionary, a story book or a grammar reference book, etc…;

 to employ Computer Assisted Language Learning(CALL) and Mobile Assisted Language Learning (MALL) techniques, which will be explored in detail since 90% of Language teachers have difficulty in incorporating these methods into language teaching process;

 find and adapt authentic materials from the internet to use in their classrooms to increase students‟ language use;

 to convert their classrooms from traditional to Flipped classroom to boost learners active engagement in language learning process;

(6)

There are a lot of highly skilled and experienced but undiscovered teachers in Uzbekistan whose works can be equal to that of specialized experts‟. By inspiring them to create their own teaching tools using computers, mobile apps and educational websites and teaching materials including worksheets prepared from authentic materials, we can help the best teachers to sparkle with professionalism as Material Designers, in the process, a strong team of Material Designers can be merged which is what we desperately in need of today. Outstanding and perfect teaching materials will be published by government and funding will be provided by government, too, and these particular materials will serve as resource for new generation learners. Moreover, the designed materials will be distributed among schools and libraries so that teachers and language learners can use them during English classes.

A table of experts specialized in designing materials will be selected and set to assess the teachers‟ works. Analytic assessment should be employed while evaluation process. The evaluation checklist is taken from Richards (2001):

Learners: Learning: Language:

1. make relevant to their experience and background 2. make relevant to their target needs (outside of class) 3. make relevant to their affective needs

4. engage in discovery, problem solving, analysis 5. develop specific skills and strategies

6. target relevant aspects (grammar, functions, vocabulary, etc.)

7. integrate four skills of speaking, listening, reading, and writing

8. use/understand authentic texts

(7)

Social Context : Activity/Task Types : Materials:

9. provide intercultural focus 10. develop critical social awareness

11. aim for authentic tasks 12. vary roles and groupings 13. vary activities and purposes

14. authentic (texts, realia) 15. varied (print, visuals, audio, etc.)

It will not be problem to find common materials such as English-Uzbek or English-Russian bilingual dictionaries or general phrasebooks for everyday conversations; however, on the contrary, finding Thesaurus, Technical vocabulary, Idiom dictionary, Collocation dictionary, Graded readers with activities and authentic materials such as newspapers, brochures can be a real challenge.

CONCLUSION

Similar Teacher educational program; namely, a Small Private Online Course (SPOC), which is integrated as a compulsory module for future teachers, is being coordinated at a large Norwegian university (Lisbeth et al., 2019). The SPOC module enables student teachers to integrate Professional Digital Competence (PDC) during classes and seminars which appear to be rather complicated for student teachers. Future teachers are expected to learn how to implement ICT effectively in teaching and learning. The primary goal is that teachers connect academic and experiential forms of knowledge and have“ the ability to develop innovative ways of using technology to enhance the learning environment and to

(8)

encourage technology literacy, knowledge deepening and knowledge creation”(UNESCO, 2011, p. 8).

Ultimately, this kind of Teacher development courses established in every corner of the world are delivering intended outcomes. Thus, now-proposed course can be regarded as replication and adaption of those highly successful teacher development courses.

The books and teaching resources can be translated from other languages or can be originally designed including differentiated activities. These activities must be designed to enhance students‟ Linguistic skills. For example, to design a graded reader, a teacher will find a suitable source such as a newspaper article, brochure information, a BBC podcast or a short story. Then, these sources will be adapted to the levels of students and revised by adding vocabulary list, which should consist of synonyms, collocations, prepositional phrases, idioms as well as famous quotes and proverbs. These lexical items should be leveled according to students‟ level, too. As for CALL and MALL activities, they can be created online using KAHOOT. it or Purple. mash websites. Teachers receive Funding for designing their teaching materials from their work place, precisely, from Director‟s Fund which supports and gives salary bonuses to outstanding teachers who contributed to the school‟s success by enhancing students‟ knowledge. After submitting materials, teachers receive a modest honorarium by school authority for their hard-work, which encourages and serves as an incentive for teachers;

indeed, many studies have found that teacher retention can be improved by targeted bonuses (Clotfelter, Glennie, Ladd, & Vigdor, 2008).

References

1. Akerson, V. L., Cullen, T. A., & Hanson, D. L. (2009). Fostering a community of practice through a professional development program to improve elementary teachers' views of nature of science and teaching practice. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 46, 1090e1113.http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/tea.20303.

(9)

Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences 195 (2015) 932 – 939.

doi: 10.1016/j.sbspro.2015.06.373

2. Clotfelter, C. T., Glennie, E., Ladd, H., & Vigdor, J. (2008). Would higher salaries keep teachers in high poverty schools? Evidence from a policy intervention in North

3. Carolina. Journal of Public Economics, 92(5–6), 1352–1370.

Glenn E. C., (1996) Uzbekistan: A Country Study. Washington: GPO for the Library of Congres.

4. Hasanova,D. (2007).Teaching and learning English in Uzbekistan.English Today 5. (23).The United Kingdom:Cambridge University Press.

doi: 10.1017/S0266078407001022 Holmes, B. (2013). School teachers' continuous professional development in an online learning community: lessons from a case study of an e Twinning learning

6. Event. European Journal of Education, 48(1), 97e112.

Kaiser, D. (2018). Growing Your Own Onion: Teachers as Writers of Language Planning and Policy Proposals (draft article)

7. Kaplan, R.B. (2011). Macro language planning. In E. Hinkel (Ed.), Handbook of research

in second language teaching and learning: Volume 2 (924-935). New York:

Routledge.

8. Lisbeth, M. B., Greta, B, G., Andreas, L.,&Torunn, A. S., (2019).Transformative agency in teacher education: Fostering professional digital competence. Teaching and Teacher Education 86 (2019) 102875. doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2019.07.005 9. Maggioli,G.D. (2204).Teacher-Centered Professional Development. Alexandria,

VA:Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

10. Moolenaar, N. M., Sleegers, P. J., & Daly, A. J. (2012). Teaming up: linking collaboration networks, collective efficacy, and student achievement. Teaching and Teacher Education, 28(2), 251e262.

(10)

11. Safarova U.A. “The Linguistic and stylistic essence of phraseological contamination”. Journal of Critical Reviews, ISSN-2394-5125, Vol 7, Issue 12, 2020. 949-951 pages.

12. Yorova S.K. “English and medical Conversation Between Doctor and Patient”

(Analysis from a linguistic point of view). Journal of Critical Reviews, ISSN- 2394-5125, Vol 5, Issue 02, 2020.292-294 pages.

Referințe

DOCUMENTE SIMILARE

Identity is thus constructed in interaction, which means that out of a whole host of potential identity features, those features become salient which permit a differentiation of

As a result of this communicative approach to foreign language teaching, language syllabi, textbooks and curricula are focusing more and more on passing on to students more than

The article is a short presentation of the ROMTEXT project, a dated and annotated corpus of selected texts from the bibliography of the Dictionary of the Romanian Language, from

SWOT analysis for professor – student communication in the higher Romanian education.

The Ministry of Labor, Social Solidarity and Family is a governmental institution responsible with the domain of social protection, which assures the development and implementation

 привлекать студентов к деятельности по овладению исследовательскими навыками на основе комбинации обучение различных языков региона

Initial Value Problems for ODEs and DAEs. 5-2 ODE Function Summary.. Changing ODE Integration Properties. 5-17 Examples: Applying the ODE Initial Value Problem Solvers. 5-18

Notulae Scientia Biologicae is a quarterly peer-reviewed journal aimed at disseminating significant research and original papers, critical reviews and short reviews on life