Interactive online services for learning foreign languages

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Introduction

The global digital transformation of society has a direct impact on higher education, so digital tools and the ability to use online learning services become indicators of a teacher’s professional competence. The development of information technologies has led to the emergence of new learning formats that have affected all levels of education. Changing educational standards and approaches in the educational process influenced the trajectory of the learning process itself: in recent years, many universities have been actively introducing online or blended learning programmes, as well as providing online access to many useful resources. The trend of digitalisation of education was intensified during the COVID-19 pandemic, which could not but affect the format of teaching; digital skills have become an integral component of teachers’ professional competence. Nowadays, the educational process has undergone irreversible changes, and now it is impossible to imagine neither classroom nor extracurricular activities without the use of online resources.

Modern education is oriented towards intensification of the learning process through the use of online resources. This article deals with the issue of professional training of students in foreign language classes. The development of students’ foreign language communicative competence for international cooperation and effective communication in their chosen professional sphere is an indispensable component of professional development. Since the interface of online learning resources is often presented in English, the very use of these resources allows developing students’ foreign language competence, contributing to their integration into the international educational space. The content of foreign language training at the university, to a greater extent than all other disciplines, implies individual work of students and requires their active participation in classes, repeated repetition and training in the use of lexical and grammatical constructions, working out strategies of speech behaviour in various situations. To intensify foreign language training, taking into account the limited number of classroom hours during which it is necessary to interview all students, it seems reasonable to use interactive online services in both distance and classroom formats. With the strengthening of the role of foreign languages in the life of modern society, there is a growing need for specialists capable of effectively carrying out the process of intercultural communication, which involves the formation of not only linguistic, but also cognitive consciousness of students.

Literature review

Theoretical understanding of various aspects of the problem of including culture in the process of teaching a foreign language in the last two decades was devoted to the studies of I.I. Khaleeva, V.P. Furmanova, S.G. Ter-Minasova, V.V. Safonova. Among the studies aimed at the practical development of foreign language teaching methodology taking into account its cultural component, we can name the works of B.C. Borisov, S.Y. Ilyina, A.N. Bogomolov, T.P. Popova, P.V. Sysoev and others. These scholars are united by the opinion that along with the study of a foreign language it is necessary to study the world and culture of the people speaking that language. N.D. Galskova and N.I. Gez proved the importance of mastering the skills of interaction in an intercultural environment, and also emphasize that otherwise «communicators are «programmed» in advance for a conflict of misunderstanding». to the conflict of misunderstanding». It should be noted that the reliance on the theoretical basis of linguacultural science, the introduction of the data of this science in the educational process contributed to the formation of linguacultural approach in linguodidactics.

The researchers emphasize the importance of teaching a foreign language as a component of culture and acknowledge the fact that there is a new stage of development of this problematic, which meets both the increased needs of the educational process and a deeper understanding of the issues of the relationship between language and culture and its reflection in the practice of language teaching. The majority of works on this problematic are created within the framework of the linguo-cultural approach to language teaching and focus mainly on the formation of lexical skills on the basis of linguo-cultural materials, without setting themselves the task of forming in students a complete picture of foreign language socio-cultural reality, the condition for the success of intercultural communication. The application of the linguacultural approach to teaching foreign languages allows to solve the problems of forming the cognitive consciousness of the secondary linguistic personality.

In the 60s and early 70s of the 20th century, the problem of country studies began to be actively investigated by Russian scientists, the founders of this direction were E.M. Vereshchagin and V.G. Kostomarov. Country studies, being an aspect of studying the culture of the country of the target language, turned into a subject of the methodology of teaching languages, as well as a subject of co-study in teaching the language. Later on, country studies in the broad sense of the word was separated from country studies in the narrow sense as a part of linguodidactics, and in 1971 E.M. Vereshchagin and V.G. Kostomarov proposed the term «linguacultural studies» for it [1, p. 37].

This term has steadily strengthened among the linguistic and teaching community and now plays one of the key roles not only in teaching Russian as a foreign language, but also in the methodology of teaching foreign languages in general. G.D. Tomakhin, a scientist-encyclopedist in the field of linguistic-country studies and culture of English-speaking countries, regards linguistic-country studies as a philological (linguistic) science and writes that the task of this direction consists not only in the cognition of culture through the word, or rather vice versa, in the use of cultural knowledge (background knowledge) for a more holistic disclosure of the meaning of the word and ensuring its adequate understanding in the process of communication [2]. In the scientist’s interpretation, the subject of linguistic-country studies is not only knowledge about the country, but also language facts, which reflect the peculiarities of the culture of the native people.

So, the study and assimilation of linguistic and country studies is an important condition for improving foreign language communicative competence. It is important to mark that linguistic-country studies in the process of teaching a foreign language is indispensable for overcoming the cultural barrier. S.G. Ter-Minasova notes «... cultural mistakes are perceived much more acutely than linguistic ones, they are forgiven more severely and leave far from the most pleasant impressions» [3, p. 32]. To avoid such situations, a person intending to communicate with representatives of a foreign language culture should be well aware of its peculiarities.

Materials and methods

According to E.M. Vereshchagin and V.G. Kostomarov, linguistic-country studies consist of two circles of questions. The first is linguistic, referring to the analysis of language units to establish the national-cultural meaning. The objects of study at the lessons are: non-equivalent vocabulary, background vocabulary and connotative vocabulary. In this aspect, linguistic-country studies are considered by G.D. Tomakhin, who has already been mentioned earlier. He believes that the main task of linguistic-country studies, like philology, is to ensure understanding, so that there are no unexplained aspects of the text [2].

The second issue is methodological, it includes the techniques of introduction, consolidation and activation of characteristic units of national-cultural content. According to the authors, the analysis of national-cultural semantics in linguistic-country studies is carried out with the purpose of its use in the educational process, rather than with cognitive tasks. This goal makes us refer linguistic-country studies to the sphere of linguodidactics [4, 5]. It follows that when implementing the linguistic-country studies approach in teaching, teachers should take into account the two above-mentioned issues.

The main idea of the linguistic-country studies approach is the formation of learners’ ability to analyze linguistic phenomena from the point of view of their country marking and, based on the data of the analysis, to build a plan of their own speech behaviour [6, p. 16]. In other words, the aim of the linguistic and country studies approach is the formation of linguistic and country studies competence (LCC) as part of foreign language communicative competence (FLCC).

Knowledge of language facts reflecting the peculiarities of national culture is necessary for effective language communication between people from different cultures and countries. Background knowledge includes information about the country, its history, customs, norms of behaviour, traditions and concepts accepted in a given society. They are necessary for understanding the interlocutor and creating an adequate context of communication.

Linguistic-country studies includes the study of non-equivalent and connotative linguistic units, such as aphorisms and phraseological expressions, which reflect the cultural peculiarities of the people and can be difficult to translate into other languages, anthroponyms – names of historical figures, statesmen and public figures, outstanding inventors, which can also be associated with cultural connotations. In the linguistic component of linguistic-country studies there is another level – extra-linguistic. It includes knowledge not only of the language, but also of mimicry and special gestures, postures and body movements (inophone) of a native speaker of another culture, which may differ from the native language.

In this connection, researchers identified:

1. historical-cultural background, including information about the culture of society in the process of its historical development;
2. sociocultural background, which includes information about relationships in society, etiquette formulae, sign language;
3. ethno-cultural background containing information about everyday life, traditions, holidays;
4. semiotic background, including information about symbolism, signs, features of foreign language environment [7].

Development of linguistic-country studies competence within the framework of English language teaching in higher education requires the use of various methods and approaches to teaching. For example, it is recommended to apply cultural and social approach, learning the language through culture, based on the specific needs and interests of students. The aim of learning in the mentioned approach is to help students broaden their horizons and develop the ability to analyse linguistic elements and texts, as well as to become aware of the subtleties of the cultural context that shape their language skills and enable them to become more competent and effective in intercultural communication situations [8].

Research results

To achieve the effectiveness of the educational process, enhance student motivation it is necessary to introduce new technologies, for example, online platforms. The main goal of interactive online services is to provide learners with tools for learning foreign languages. At the moment, online services provide a large range of features, are easy and accessible to use, and are constantly evolving, adding new information for learning. The advantages of using online services are: ability to use on different platforms, gadgets; the functionality of online services allows to organize the learning process as efficiently as possible; accessibility, free option of use; development of students’ independence skills; improving the quality of visibility; use of interconnected training of different types of activities; increasing the motivation of students. In order to develop communicative competence, interactive online services can be used in several ways:

1. demonstration of new teaching material;
2. reinforcement of learnt grammatical topics and lexical units;
3. conducting intermediate and final control of knowledge assimilation;
4. use of the game element.

The use of online services in teaching a foreign language ensures the effectiveness of the educational process.

This article deals with the issue of using virtual museums in the process of learning a foreign language. According to the International Council of Museums, there are three categories of virtual museums: brochure museum, content museum and educational museum [9]. A learning museum is a website that offers its virtual visitors different types of access depending on their age, education and knowledge. The information is presented in a context-oriented rather than object-oriented way. In addition, the site is educationally enhanced and linked to additional information designed to motivate the virtual visitor to learn more about a subject of particular interest to them and to visit the site again. The target audience of virtual museums are specialists from various fields, students and tourists. At the same time, the key goal of modern virtual museums is cultural enlightenment and education of the public.

Cultural artefacts exhibited in the physical environment of a museum are usually displayed in showcases, with only limited information about them available. In virtual museum exhibitions, museum exhibits can be digitized and presented in a virtual interactive environment. A virtual exhibit can contain information that a physical exhibit in a museum showcase cannot [10]. In addition, a virtual museum gives the user the ability to operate a virtual tour as it can provide 3D views of the museum and a floor plan, so virtual visitors have the ability to navigate independently by choosing a direction themselves by choosing the field of interest.

Virtual museum is an effective tool for the development of students’ competences. As V.I. Gvazava points out, its application allows activating students’ cognitive activity, fostering students’ general culture, increasing historical and cultural knowledge and forming world outlook. In addition, virtual museum provides a unique opportunity to study cultural and historical sights that are located in other geographical regions or countries without leaving home. This makes the learning process more accessible and interesting for students, who can delve more deeply into the topic under study [11, p. 99].

The didactic aspect of museum choice may include the following criteria and classifications:

1. The subject matter of the museum: it is necessary to select a museum that corresponds to the subject areas of the curriculum and deals with topics related to spirituality, morality and history. For example, museums of spiritual culture, historical museums, or museums dealing with themes of ethics and moral values.
2. Level of difficulty: the choice should be age-appropriate for students. The museum should be accessible and understandable for each age segment. For example, museums with interactive games and vivid visualizations are suitable for younger students, while more serious and in-depth museums are suitable for older students.
3. Interactivity: virtual museums with interactive elements can be more engaging and interesting for learners. This may include opportunities to interact with exhibits, solve problems and quizzes, share opinions and comments.
4. Pedagogical potential: the museum should have pedagogical materials and resources offering tasks and exercises for further discussion and analysis for the personal development of learners.
5. Quality and reliability of information: it is important to make sure that the information provided by the virtual museum is reliable and of good quality. Materials should be verified and meet scientific standards [12].

Let’s consider the benefits of using virtual museums from the point of view of realizing the linguistic-country studies approach in foreign language teaching. Here are some examples of how virtual museums can be used:

1. Vocabulary learning: learners can take virtual tours of different sections of the museum and actively explore the exhibits to learn new lexical units.
2. Syntactic skills development: learners can listen to audio guides in a foreign language and perform grammar tasks aimed at mastering grammatical and syntactic patterns from the audio materials.
3. Listening comprehension: learners can listen to the guides’ speeches while observing interesting exhibits in different contexts and perform tasks to check their understanding of the information heard.
4. Building and developing cultural competence: virtual museums provide an opportunity to explore the culture of the target language country: its traditions, customs, religion, art and history, and to analyze how these aspects are reflected in the national language and mentality.
5. Communication skills: learners can actively participate in dialogues with virtual characters-guides, as well as in the organization of group project activities [13].

Virtual museums freely available on the Internet: Google Arts&Culture can be used as teaching material for the development of linguistic-country studies competence. For example, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City, United States – Google Arts&Culture); The British Museum, United Kingdom – Google Arts&Culture), Salvador Dalí Theatre-Museum – Figueres, Spain (Fundació Gala – Salvador Dalí (salvador-dali.org)) [14, 15]. Virtual museums contain information about the countries, history and art of the language learnt: Great Britain, the United States of America, Spain. Students can familiarize themselves with country-specific linguistic phenomena, country-specific information, and will also be able to communicate in a foreign language.

Let us turn to the virtual museum «The British Museum» in order to get acquainted with the possibility of using the virtual museum environment as a source of linguistic-country studies materials for the English language classes. The museum model is quite peculiar: the visitor is presented with a timeline on which he/she can choose the period and topic of interest: for example, the topic «Art and design» (Figure 1).

 

Figure 1

 

Navigating through the museum’s website gives students the opportunity to choose the subject of the exhibition and the way they want to familiarize themselves with the material (reading, listening, etc.). For example, in the table provided, students can select a particular exhibit: e.g. Africa; Arts and Cultures / Akan drum (Figure 2).

 

Figure 2

 

The lesson may include several stages. At the first stage, students are offered to make a virtual tour directly. In the course of such an interactive tour it is possible to zoom in or out on the object of interest, listen to the audio guide, read the text material containing information about the exhibit. Then follows a stage devoted to controlling the understanding of what has been read, heard and viewed. The tasks of this stage can be diverse, for example:

– fill in the blanks in the text;

– complete sentences;

– agree with the proposed statements or refute them;

– answering questions (multiple choice can be suggested).

The next stage is group work on the project, which should result in the text of a virtual tour with visualization of objects (presentation). To fulfill this task, the group should first make a list of reference words and expressions to be used in the presentation, as well as an outline of the presentation. It should include the following criteria: justification of the choice of the exhibit(s), historical information about the object(s), information about the cultural value of the object(s) for the country/people, description of the impression from the acquaintance with the presented exhibit, etc. The work can also be completed by individual creative and research reports:

– prepare a presentation about the museum;

– prepare a review of the museum;

– prepare a project on museums of contemporary art;

– write an article for the Institute’s website about the visit to the museum, etc.

Monitoring and assessment system should be regular and include both counselling and final control. The teacher’s role in this form of organizing students’ independent work is to plan (drawing up an instructional map), to advise in the process of implementation, to help in setting the goal and objectives of the project work, to control the stages of implementation. The grade for the completed project (written review, article, presentation) depends on the volume of the presented material, the use of language material on the topic, the logicality of the written or oral report.

Discussion and conclusions

When developing linguistic-country studies competence, students begin to take a conscious approach to learning a foreign language, considering language units as carriers of information about national culture. Formation of linguistic-country studies competence is an important task of the educational system, as it influences the development of foreign language communication skills. Students possessing this competence are able to better understand cultural nuances of foreign language utterances and avoid cultural mistakes when communicating with native speakers, and thus are able to overcome the cultural barrier. The use of a virtual museum in teaching can be useful for the development of linguistic-country studies competence. There is a great potential for learning in the virtual museum environment: the use of interactive learning applications of a virtual museum increases students’ awareness of national cultural heritage. Virtual museums represent a new educational resource that complements the curriculum, works to expand the paradigm of traditional educational institutions and offers students knowledge about culture in the context of different activities.

作者简介

Nataliya Ageyenko

Samara State Technical University

编辑信件的主要联系方式.
Email: L-2402@yandex.ru

Cand. Ped. Sci., Associate Professor of Foreign Languages Department

俄罗斯联邦, 244, Molodogvardeyskaya st., Samara, 443100

Alla Rybkina

Samara Branch of Moscow City Pedagogical University

Email: rybkina_a_a@mail.ru

Cand. Ped. Sci., Associate Professor of Department of Methods of Teaching Foreign Languages

俄罗斯联邦, 76, Stara Zagora st., Samara, 443086

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