All large quantity adults start learning English. If you ignore the challenge of time, do not spend time developing new programs and mastering new methodological approaches, one day you can find yourself in the list of outsiders.
Unlike university students, working adults expect quick results in a short time when they start learning English. They can be understood - knowledge of a foreign language is one of the main conditions for career growth for them. Adults find it difficult to accept the need to spend several years learning a language. That is why programs advertised as "English in 3 weeks (3 months)" or "English in a dream" enjoy such success with them.
A survey of students of the Presidential Program shows that for many of them the format and content of the classes are unacceptable. Compiled on the basis of standard university programs, these programs often do not take into account the specifics of the audience, are not adapted to the age and professional interests of adults. For many students, the introductory remedial course is rejected as not meeting their expectations and taking an unreasonably long time to the detriment of the intensification of classes.
Very often, teachers transfer their own experience of learning a foreign language to students. However, for adults, English classes are not the subject of a school or university curriculum. At the end of the course, they do not set the task of teaching the language or working as a translator. They learn the language for pragmatic purposes - to be able to communicate with business partners, travel without resorting to the services of translators, study professional literature, write reports, negotiate.
An effective tool for overcoming resistance or distrust at the initial stage of training can be a discussion of the objectives of the lessons in the short term. Working adults are able to operate with terms of 2 or 4 months when it comes to language classes. They want to know what specific results will be achieved at the end of each stage of the training.
Starting level- 8 weeks of 4 hours per week - 32 hours of classroom instruction
get to know a fellow traveler or visitor;
talk to the taxi driver
read the signs at the airport
get a hotel room and pay the bill
read the menu and order lunch at the restaurant
make purchases in the store
understand the meaning of the questions and fill out the questionnaire when crossing the border
elementary level- 12 weeks of 4 hours per week - 48 hours of classroom instruction
Upon completion of this stage, the student will be able to:
book tickets and a hotel room, including by phone;
check in at the airport;
understand the meaning of radio announcements at the airport or train station;
answer questions during the passage of immigration and customs control;
explain themselves in situations of social communication;
understand the content of brief messages, announcements, including advertising, the general meaning adapted texts, including art and information;
talk on the phone on limited topics, record messages;
in the genre of a monologue, tell about yourself, provide information about your company
Beginning Intermediate- 16 weeks for 4 hours -
64 hours of classroom lessons
At the end of this stage, you will receive:
limitedly developed communication skills in all types of speech activity, including in situations of business communication; the ability to communicate spontaneously in standard situations;
passive skills are ahead of productive ones;
The level of understanding of oral speech and written texts allows you to feel some self-confidence and overcome the fear of communication;
Independent negotiation is difficult, effective communication skills are in their infancy;
errors are inevitable in oral and written speech. Nevertheless, the language is used quite functionally - it is possible to express approval, irritation, threats, consent (disagreement), issuing instructions. There are ideas about the required level of speech etiquette, depending on the situation of communication;
the ability to read professionally oriented texts and extract specific information is acquired;
develops the ability to read and interpret graphs and tables in their professional field.
Development of independent skills
classes
With adults it is possible and necessary to discuss by what means the set goals will be achieved. It is clear that the effectiveness of classes increases if students regularly do homework, try to analyze the language material on their own, constantly listen to recordings of texts and dialogues.
Many teachers complain that adults are very difficult to get or persuade to do homework. Some teachers admit that it is more profitable for them to incorporate exercises and tasks for independent work in the classroom schedule to increase the number of teaching hours.
Let's try to find a compromise between the interests of students and teachers.
Schedule self-study
Mon - Fri 60-90 minutes a day (even 30-45 minutes every day will benefit)
Sat-Sun 120-180 minutes per day (at least 60-90 minutes)
To the objections of listeners that they do not have time, they often go on business trips, it can be advised to reconsider the habit of watching TV for hours or getting up late on weekends. In the end, sometimes it is necessary to sacrifice entertainment in favor of classes, since there was no time for a foreign language in school and student years.
Listeners can be presented with an approximate plan for self-study as a way to significantly increase the amount of language material necessary for language analysis and more meaningful memorization of language units and blocks:
Listening to dialogues and recording the script by ear. You can warn listeners that the recording of the first scenes will require multiple rolls of the tape. The task becomes meaningful if it is preceded by comments on the use of various mnemonic techniques.
Repeated listening to the same text is enhanced by the connection of mechanical memory during its written reproduction. The fulfillment of this task also pursues the goal of mastering the rules of reading and the ability to compare the spoken text with its written representation.
Memorization of listened dialogues and texts by heart with recording on a dictaphone for self-examination.
Written translation from English into Russian of all textbook materials, work with a bilingual dictionary and immediate reverse translation for control by comparing your text with the text of the textbook. The letter performs two functions - spelling and facilitating the memorization of complete semantic blocks.
Completion of all written tasks in the workbook - rewriting all the texts of tasks and answers, and not just filling in the gaps.
Written translation of episodes from English and reverse with subsequent comparison with the original. Reading complete texts, even in the early stages of the lesson, allows the listener to analyze language material that is more extensive than in the textbook. This is necessary to understand the use of certain grammatical rules depending on the communication situation, to develop the ability to guess the meaning of unfamiliar words and expressions based on the context.
Written task (productive) - write a letter about work (family, travel); hotel reservation request; fax with a request to meet at the airport. Regular completion of such tasks as you progress through the course will allow students to create an archive and return to their own texts both for revision and for understanding the dynamics of progress from lesson to lesson.
Maintaining a glossary with increasing usage examples as you learn additional language material.
Creating a portfolio by sections (for example, communication situations) and self-composed grammar tables. Example: telephone conversations, acquaintance, conversation in a hotel.
Watching films (feature and documentary). Development of episodes (originally 2-4 minutes) - script with summary; interlinear recording and subsequent translation of dialogues.
Repeated listening to recordings of songs, rhymes, poems, children's fairy tales and learning by heart. Children's fairy tales are good because the same phrases are repeated many times, illustrations in books help to better understand the content and meaning of even unfamiliar words and expressions. The plots of many fairy tales are familiar from childhood, which also stimulates the readiness to continue independent studies.
At the initial stage of classes, it is possible to supervise homework in the classroom to develop an algorithm for self-study. Over time, listeners will get into the habit of listening to tapes while traveling in transport, reading adapted books, and adding to their portfolios. useful phrases and phrases. As a compromise, you can offer students to study at home less intensively or to complete at least part of the tasks. However, it is not superfluous to remind them of the proverb "Until the thunder breaks out, the peasant will not cross himself." Many have had to deal with students who will have to travel abroad in two months, and there is almost no time left for language classes.
Taking into account age characteristics when choosing methodological approaches and techniques
Adult students, as well as children, need positive reinforcement. For the successful course of classes, it is important to create the illusion of achieving regular success, even in small things. The feeling of progress comes when you can complete a simple task. The teacher, evaluating the task, may recall that two weeks ago this caused difficulties that were successfully overcome.
At the moment of creating a fragment of a productive speech, the student's efforts should not be interrupted by correcting mistakes. The ability to produce spontaneous speech at the initial stage is very easily lost if the audience is dominated by the fear of making a mistake. Recall whether the speakers always mother tongue they say correctly. If a well-known figure in a television interview correctly declines numerals, we are already ready to give him a medal "For achievements in the Russian language." If he correctly emphasizes the words ringing, quarter or contract, he deserves the title of "Hero of Russia" of the third degree.
Grammar errors at an early stage are absolutely inevitable. Often made mistakes ‘When she do her homework’ or ‘I see him as he go on the street’ are compensated by the ability to say something coherent and quite understandable, including for a native speaker. The phrase ‘OK, if I want to telephone’ reinforced with a gesture and interrogative intonation will be perceived as asking for permission to use the telephone. In the future, as it improves, this phrase will be transformed into the correct form. Much more important at this stage is the student's willingness to ask the question and interpret the answer.
Already at the initial stage of training, the formation of strategic skills and abilities is possible. To the standard question ‘May I speak to Mr … please?’, you can hear the answer ‘I’m afraid he is in a meeting’, which actually means ‘He’s not available to talk to you’. It is difficult to do without discussing intercultural differences in communication during classes. It is no secret that even those who speak English confidently do not correctly interpret the interlocutor's answers in all communication situations. Everyone in the memory there are funny cases of misunderstanding. For beginners, it is permissible to replace words that have not yet entered the stable active lexicon with “crutch” words, especially since in the native language one has to resort to similar techniques. “Give me this… well, green” - such or similar request can be heard not only from small children. By acquiring elementary strategic competence, the student will easily produce the phrase ‘May I put my stuff’ without having to painfully remember how “suitcase” would be in English.
An attempt to put the correct pronunciation to adults often ends in failure. Not surprisingly, the articulatory apparatus has lost its flexibility, auditory perception is weakened by age-related changes. There is also a psychological barrier - for adults (especially men), performing phonetic exercises seems to be an undignified exercise, they are afraid to seem ridiculous, pronouncing such unusual sounds. Much more important is the work on the intonation series, accompanied by explanations about the significant differences in intonation in Russian and English speech. The meaning of what was said with an apologetic intonation ‘Pardon?’ is different from the same word pronounced with a cold interrogative.
It is well known that in real communication, English speakers are very tolerant of an interlocutor who does not speak the language well. Willingness to guess the meaning of what was said, to suggest an unfamiliar or forgotten word at the right time, the ability to ignore mistakes - isn't it true, in the educational process, teachers often act in the opposite role - not a benevolent partner in communication, but a strict prosecutor.
Unlike children and young students, adults have a certain amount of knowledge, life experience, as well as a set of established stereotypes and misconceptions. Using these factors, it is possible to build an algorithm for conducting classes, which changes depending on the dominance of one of them. The process of development of associative thinking is facilitated if we turn to the knowledge and experience of students.
Let's take the All work and no play topic from the Wavelength Elementary tutorial as an example.
ADAM: I'm an accountant in the Accounts Department. I get up at five o'clock every morning. I always get to work early and make the coffee. There are ten people in my department and we work very hard. We don't have lunch breaks. Our bosses think meetings are very important. They have meetings on Mondays and Fridays. I go to every meeting and write the reports.
You can write out 12 words and ask students to comment on them:
accountant - in the business environment, the word account has already become slang. Associative series: open / close an account - an account - keep an account - who does this? - accountant.
department - there is an exact analogue in Russian. Accounting department - of course, this is accounting.
morning - it's hard to imagine that this word is unfamiliar to someone.
coffee - see above.
ten - see above.
people - see above.
lunch - see above.
bosses - see above.
meetings - Go to a rally - at work? - therefore, a meeting, meeting or meeting.
Mondays - see above.
Fridays - see above.
reports - see above.
Relying only on the knowledge of these words, it is possible to translate the text in the first approximation.
“I am an accountant in the accounting department. In the morning I drink coffee. We have ten people in the accounting department. Lunch break. Our boss is having a meeting. They have meetings on Monday and Friday. I'm going to the meeting with a report."
The next row of words is guessed from the context (if you don’t guess, you can suggest):
work - I am an accountant - I work as an accountant;
get up at five o'clock every morning - I get up in the morning - (hint) at five o'clock;
get to work early - I come to work - (hint) early;
we work very hard - we work (in the plural, because ten people) - (hint) hard;
don’t have lunch breaks - lunch (lunch break) - (hint) we don’t have - we don’t have a lunch break;
think meetings are important - (hint) think meetings are - (hint) important;
go to every meeting - go to a meeting - (hint) - to every meeting;
write the reports - (guess or hint) - I write reports.
It is clear that the final version of the translation will correspond exactly to the meaning of the text. Further, the same text can be used for analysis and generalizations - singular and plural, negative particles, various forms of the verb to be, the use of the verbs to do, to make, to get, to get up, to get to.
The example shows that unfamiliar words are recognized in the context, remembered in stable phrases. This kind of work encourages listeners; the recognizability of images of office routine helps to feel more common with native speakers of a foreign language than differences. From the point of view of the development of communication skills, at an early stage, reading techniques are mastered through reliance on key (recognizable) words, in productive speech - the ability to incorporate learned set phrases into one's own statements.
The same text can be used to teach reading if students repeatedly listen to its recording. The ability of adults to read complete phrases and short texts with
from the very beginning of classes should be encouraged, not paying attention to the incorrect pronunciation of individual sounds. It is very important that with the tacos method of teaching reading, the ability to correctly pronounce phrases and whole phrases is acquired. Often the phrase I _ get _ up _ early _ in the morning is pronounced discretely - each word separately, not being able to pronounce it in one breath. Such a reading technique is acquired if the words were studied separately, grammar separately, the rules of reading and pronunciation separately.
You can continue working with similar texts using the same algorithm.
JOHN: I wake up at half past five in the morning and study company reports in bed. I go to work at half past seven. I never leave the office before nine o'clock at night. I don't go out in the week because I'm too tired. I'm a manager and I read management books in my free time. I work at home at the weekend.
Discrete assimilation of lexical units and grammatical structures selected in line with established traditions: from the point of view of reading rules - at first monosyllabic words, or suitable for the topic My family, in grammar - the conjugation to be, do not allow listeners from the first hours of classes to feel themselves able to learn unknown language, which for a long time will be perceived as a language of hieroglyphs. In this case, the language is perceived not as a means of communication, but as a set of unclear rules and poorly remembered words. Here, productive skills are replaced by one degree or another of the ability to memorize large amounts of information, often perceived as abstract, not related to real life.
On the contrary, reliance on associative memory is very conducive to increasing motivation. A new expression is easier to remember if it is associated with events, literary or musical allusions, or building analogies. In the same row - the expansion of the semantic field based on familiar words and expressions. This work can be carried out both in the classroom and during self-study in the form of a logical game.
COFFEE - MAKE COFFEE - KETTLE - BOIL WATER - SUGAR - MILK - COFFEE MUG
In the course of building a series, students can be led to a productive speech.
I like coffee. I make coffee. I have a kettle to boil water. I usually have coffee with sugar, but I don't like coffee with milk. I have got a blue coffee mug. Would you like some coffee? No, thank you / Yes, please.
PARTY - ENJOY A PARTY (function - express approval) - FRIENDS (association) - MEETING FRIENDS (what is organized for) - SHOPPING LIST (what kind of party without snacks) - GO SHOPPING - SOFT DRINKS (politically correct choice of drinks) - MUSIC - DANCING - EVENING (when held) - HOME OR GOING OUT (venue) - TAXI OR BY BUS (how to get there) - SHALL WE GET HOME BY BUS (ability to negotiate).
I engoy parties. I would like to go to the party to see my friends. We go shopping to buy food and drinks. In the evening we like to listen to music. I don't like dancing. Do you like parties?
JOB - JOBLESS - LOOK FOR A JOB - LIKE JOB - HATE JOB - WORK HARD- OFFICE - LONG HOURS - NO LUNCH BREAK - COLLEAGUES - BOSS - EMPLOYEE - MANAGER - ASSISTANT - CUSTOMER
I have a job, but my brother is jobless. I work hard every day in the office. We have long hours and don't have a lunch break. I like my colleagues. Our boss has a meeting with employees. A manager reads a report. Assistants meet customers.
GO ABROAD ON BUSINESS - AIRPORT - CHECK IN - CUSTOMS - BOARDING PASS - TRANSIT HALL - DUTY FREE - CASH - CREDIT CARD - BANK
I go abroad on business every month. I don't like Sheremetyevo airport. I have to stay in line to check in. My friend is a customs officer. I buy gifts at the Duty Free shop. Do you accept credit cards? Where can I cash a traveler's check? There is a bank nearby.
HOTEL - WELCOME TO THE HOTEL CALIFORNIA - SUCH A LOVELY PLACE - BOOK HOTEL - FILL A FORM - ACCOMMODATION - TRAVEL EXPENSES
Do you like the hotel? Yes, I do / No, I don't. I would like to book a room. Could you please fill out a registration form? My company pays the cost of accommodation. Our accountant doesn't like reading reports on travel expenses.
TAKE - TAKE CARE - TAKE AWAY - TAKE SOMETHING - IT WILL TAKE TIME - TAKE AN EXAM
Goodbye, take care. They don't have take away service at the restaurant. It will take an hour to finish the report. I will take an exam in June.
During this kind of work grammatical forms are a means to create a productive speech, and not the goal of learning.
Explaining grammar in terms of use to indicate the time of action, tense agreement, active or passive voice will easily lead the beginner to despair. The emphasis on the study of grammar highlights the differences in Russian and English, overcoming which seems to be an impossible task. Cumbersome explanations about the form of the verb WILL denoting an action in the future or WOULD in the subjunctive mood can be avoided and presented to listeners in a more understandable and friendly form in terms of functionality.
WILL YOU GO TO THE PARTY TONIGHT - This question is asked to test intentions, not to discuss future plans. WOULD YOU LIKE TO GO TO THE PARTY TONIGHT is an invitation. I'LL GIVE YOU A LIFT RIGHT NOW - in a situation where they ask you to wait a minute or I'LL BE ALRIGHT - does not mean that in the future I will be fine. It's all right, don't worry - WILL is doing the alarm removal function here. I WOULD LOVE TO GO THERE BUT - an expression of regret or a polite refusal. WILL YOU LEND ME MONEY - sounds impolite, although grammatically correct.
A step away from the dominant role of grammar allows you to expand the possibilities of communication. The grammatically correct but heavy phrase I WAS NOT ABLE TO FINISH THIS YEASTERDAY can be transformed into a natural-sounding I had no chance to finish this yesterday.
LISTEN AND REPEAT - this is often how the tapes accompanying tutorials are used. In this case, the possibilities of working with sound material are artificially limited. Listening tasks can have a much larger set of learning objectives and goals.
Let's see what tasks and exercises can be done by listening to the dialogue (Wavelength Elementary, Longman):
What do you do?
I'm a receptionist. What about you?
I'm a student. And what do you do?
I don't have a job at the moment. I'm unemployed. Ask students to listen to the recording at home, paying attention to word and sentence stress and intonation.
Tasks expand and become more complex as the language material is mastered.
JOHN: Where do you work now?
ANNIE: The Third Eye Design Company.
JOHN: Ah yes. Um, what do you do?
ANNIE: I'm a secretary in the Accounts Department.
JOHN: Do you speak any languages?
ANNIE: Yes, I do. I speak Spanish. I go to Spain or Latin America every year.
JOHN: Do you study in your free time?
ANNIE: No, I don't.
JOHN: What do you do in your free time?
ANNIE: In the evening I watch television or listen to music. At the weekend I see my friends.
JOHN: Why do you want your job?
ANNIE: Because Vision Design is a good company and it's near my house.
Listen to the recording twice.
Ask if the general meaning is clear.
See point 4 above.
Translate the dialogue using the algorithm described above (with the construction of associative and logical connections, pushing for guesses).
Ask students what they do in their free time. Ask to compare their activities and the way they spend their holidays with what they heard (in Russian). Draw the attention of students (if they themselves have not noticed) that the accounting secretary can afford to spend his annual vacation in Spain or Latin America.
Draw students' attention to the fact that the dialogue is more like an interview. Give the task to transform the interview into a dialogue with the help of counter questions Really? And what about you?
Work with phrases, paying attention to prepositions: watch TV, but listen to music, a secretary in the department, go to Spain. At this stage, students will inevitably try to compare the role of prepositions in English and Russian. Here they are better
to advise memorizing expressions and phrases as a whole as a cliché, promising to return to the answers to the questions: “Why?” Later.
Ask at home to write a story about your work and free time, using the dialogue questions as a plan.
Listen to the tape at home, trying to speak in sync with the sound.
Record your own story on a voice recorder, listen to the recording and compare with the model. You may want to improve your work.
Development of sociocultural competence
At the early stage of education, the formation of sociocultural competence skills as the basis for effective communication plays an important role. Of course, the opportunities for productive speech are still very limited, and students can hardly cope with tasks for speaking practice. However, the perception of the norms of politeness and the inclusion of relevant expressions in oral speech is possible if accompanied by comments in the native language.
Students can learn a lot of useful expressions to help start a conversation in different situations communication. It is necessary to develop the ability to adequately respond to various questions and ask them competently.
In the store, to the seller’s question ‘May I help you?’ - ‘Yes, I would like to know how much this computer costs.’ or ‘Thank you, I am fine’ in the sense of “Thank you, I can handle it myself.”
Entering the office to the secretary’s question ‘What can I do for you’ - answer ‘I have an appointment with Mr…’ or "I would like to see Ms…"
Starting a conversation with a stranger - ‘Excuse me, may I ask something’ or ‘Excuse me, do you happen to know where the American Express office is?’
When making a request - ‘Would you mind if I make a local call?’ or “I wonder if you could help me.’ or ‘I’d like to leave a message’, ‘Could you please take a message?’
It can be explained from the very beginning that modal verbs are used to express an opinion or to emphasize respect, to express an assumption. Modality is also expressed lexically - "It seems to me', 'It looks like', 'I don't mean to…'. It is more important for students to understand that in English categorical statements are softened by modality or intonation, and the expression "Thank you very much indeed' is an almost obligatory appendix to the conversation. In a situation where it seems sufficient for us to nod (the waiter brings another dish), we must immediately blurt out ‘Thank you’, and any request should include the word “please” - ‘can you please’, ‘will you please’. In response to gratitude or an expression of approval, it’s not enough to smile sweetly - you need to learn how to respond with the help of answers that are clever in each case: ‘I like your new dress / What a sweet son you have - Oh, thank you / How kind of you’; ‘Thank you very much for… - Welcome / My pleasure / Any time’.
More and more adults are starting to learn English. Market competition educational services intensifies. If you ignore the challenge of time, continue to be faithful to traditions, do not waste time developing new programs, mastering new methodological approaches and studying new materials, one day you can find yourself on the list of outsiders. You should not entertain yourself with illusions - enough for our century. Amount of children school age is declining sharply - the long-term demographic consequences of the Second World War and the fall in the birth rate are affecting. In schools, enrollment in the first grades is reduced. The prestige of higher education is growing - about 80% of school graduates seek to enter universities. Adults must constantly improve their skills or acquire new specialty to compete in the labor market. Proficiency in English (to a lesser extent German) along with computer skills are the main requirements for hiring staff.
Moreover, the demand for qualified teachers who can work with adults is increasing. This skill is not limited to the possession of learning technologies themselves. This is the ability to build equal partnerships with students, refusing to distribute the roles of the Teacher as a boss - the Student as a subordinate. This is the ability to present your program for negotiations with a company looking for teachers to train employees.
Bibliography
Michael Lewis, The Lexical Approach, 1993.
Michael Lewis, Implementing the Lexical Approach, 1998.
LTP Dictionary of Selected Collocations, 1997.
Zoltan Dornyei, Motivational Strategies in the Language Classroom, 2001.
Who loved long cramming at school, boring homework and test papers? A few units, who managed to achieve a good knowledge of a foreign language. But what about those who realized the importance of knowledge too late and are now frantically looking for how to learn spoken English on their own? Fix and make up for lost time. Yes, in childhood there was a lot of time and effort spent in vain. But as a consolation, we note that an adult has more motivation and opportunities for learning a language than schoolchildren. So, let's look at the best ways, methods and tips on how to effectively teach English to adults.
How to develop motivation in yourself to study?
Surely you are familiar with the situation when you strive to become better and start studying English ( required from Monday!), but after a couple of days I forgot about this undertaking. And six months later, this thought arises again and begins to burn painfully. And then disappointment is mixed in: now, if I hadn’t quit my studies six months ago, then now spoken English would have become like a native for me! And on a new start educational records in a notebook, and again they are quickly thrown into the far corner.
Break out of vicious circle Easy to get up and running. There is no willpower and abilities for languages, you say? I understand, but I do not share this point of view. Rather, you simply do not have the right goal and the desire to achieve it! And these factors are the key to the success of learning a foreign language.
So, let's try to understand whether you need to learn English. Look at the list and consider if you would like to do one of the following:
- watching new episodes of a popular series without waiting for a Russian translation;
- reading books in the original language;
- the opportunity to visit any country without feeling a language barrier;
- meeting and communicating with people from all over the world;
- obtaining a prestigious international education;
- work in a well-known large corporation;
- moving to permanent residence abroad.
If at least one point you exclaimed: “YES! YES! YES!”, then congratulations, you have found your goal of learning spoken English on your own! Now the main thing is to take the bull by the horns, grit your teeth and achieve the successful completion of the task, which you can easily learn now.
First, do not doubt the seriousness of your intentions. Dreaming of going to trip around the world? Learn English and go! Agree, it’s somehow inconvenient to use gestures in the 21st century, right?
Secondly, do not force yourself to study by force - study should be fun. If you do not yet feel delighted with the acquisition of new knowledge, then create such emotions artificially. At the end of the session, reward yourself with a pleasant surprise, and a positive attitude towards learning will develop on its own.
Third, don't let yourself get bored. Learning new words and practicing grammar rules can be disheartening for anyone, but don't give up. How can you diversify English lessons? Dilute serious grammar materials with entertaining language learning methods: watching movies, listening to songs, learning rhymes and sayings, reading adapted texts, etc..
Fourth, don't skip classes. Of course, everyone no time" And " blockage at work”, but it is not necessary to spend 2-3 hours studying. And everyone can allocate 30 minutes to repeat words or watch a training video. Remember that laziness main enemy fulfillment of cherished desires!
Following these simple rules, you will not sit at the computer and dreamily think about how to learn English, but take classes seriously and after a couple of months you will be surprised why you could not learn the language earlier. The main thing is to start and hold out for the first few lessons. And then everything will go like clockwork, especially if you use our tips on how to learn English better.
Effective methods on how to learn spoken English in a short time
So, we have already learned how to set goals and motivate ourselves, now it's time to get down to business.
Approach the classes thoughtfully: so a little time will be spent, and the result will be significant. It is not necessary to reinvent the wheel, painfully deciding how best to learn a foreign language. Proven methods have long been developed that have successfully learned more than one generation of polyglots.
- Popular vocabulary set
Having completed the first easy stage, we move on to getting to know the vocabulary. It is better for beginners to work with lists of popular words, because. they are often used in speech. On the pages of our site you can find thematic collections containing the most common vocabulary with transcription and translation.
But don't get hung up on numerous tables and lists. To learn words, all means are good: listen to audio files, translate your favorite songs, stick stickers with English translation on surrounding objects.
Another simple and well-established method is to study with the help of online simulators and smartphone applications. They do not have such an extended list of words, but they automatically monitor your progress and remind you when you need to repeat the material you have already learned.
- Reading and translating texts
This stage is inextricably linked with the previous one, because. invariably entails familiarity with new vocabulary. Read aloud more often, trying to get rid of the Russian accent and develop British pronunciation. When translating, be sure to write out unfamiliar words, adding transcription, so as not to be confused with the correct pronunciation in the future.
Try to read simple texts: difficulties will discourage the desire to study a foreign language. You should not take articles and stories on topics that are not interesting to you. Remember that the desire for learning must be supported with all your might.
- Learning poems and songs
Adults believe that memorizing poems and songs by heart is a child's activity and should not be distracted by it. And they lose a lot, because memorizing verses is a good helper that allows you to learn English as best as possible.
With funny rhymes you will remember new vocabulary, improve your pronunciation and even learn little grammar rules. For example, the study of poetry is the most fast way remember Irregular Verbs. And the poems set to music also allow you to work out the perception of English speech by ear. Listen to songs easily at any time : on the way to work, cleaning, waiting in line at the bank, etc..
- Theory and grammar exercises online
It is impossible to advance to the level of fluency in a language without learning the grammar rules.
We have already prepared for you The best way learning English is easy and on your own, because here you will find a lot of grammar materials with a detailed explanation of all the rules and exceptions. And after the completion of the theoretical part, it is necessary to conduct a practical consolidation of the material by performing small exercises. They will not take much time - you just need to choose the correct answer and check the results online. If you find errors, be sure to fill in the gap in theory, and then take the tests again.
- Language exchange
Communication with native speakers of language culture is an obligatory item of the study program.
There are many sites on the web for simple conversational communication, as well as to improve literacy ( in this case, you write your own text, and foreigners check it and explain what is wrong). The main thing is not to be shy and don’t worry - it’s not a shame to make mistakes, it’s a shame not to correct them and because of embarrassment to stagnate.
Communication with foreigners will give a huge leap forward - it will teach you to think in English, use popular phrases and expressions, and help you understand the culture of another country. This item has rightfully earned the title of the most effective method learn English.
- Reading adapted books, browsing foreign language forums
Having improved your knowledge, put simple texts aside and move on to a new level - reading books in the original. Try to pick up an adapted version: real originals are sometimes too complicated even for native Britons, because The language is very dynamic and vocabulary quickly becomes obsolete.
Read modern texts more often: newspaper articles, magazine selections. Visit foreign sites, watch English conversations on forums, write down words and phrases that are interesting to you.
- Watching movies and series
Having sufficient vocabulary, you can start watching movies in English. Many begin to do this from the very beginning, using Russian subtitles. In fact, such activities will not be of any use - you will fixate on reading the titles, will not listen to the speech and will not achieve skill development.
Movies must be watched with original voice acting and original subtitles. And then, captions should not be abused: use them only to parse incomprehensible words and expressions. Yes, at first it is unusual and difficult, but there is no other way. Soon you will get involved and feel like a fish in water in an English-speaking environment.
- Communication with native speakers via audio or video
We all wondered how to learn spoken English just to speak it, right? So do not be shy - feel free to move from correspondence with foreign friends to more "live" conversations via audio and video.
Speaking is the most important skill, because no matter how well you know the meaning of words, their terrible pronunciation will nullify all efforts. They just won't understand you. Therefore, at the final stage of training, translate classes into a “conversational” genre: communicate, communicate and communicate again.
- Confirmation of the level of knowledge
Hooray, you have achieved your goal and now communicate confidently in English. Why not officially confirm your achievements as a reward? A language proficiency document opens the door to many universities and international companies. The last step is to repeat all the grammar with tests, learn forgotten words and prepare for exams with the help of material about typical exam tasks.
Everything will definitely work! Good luck and see you soon!
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Enkova Elina Vasilievna, MBOU secondary school No. 15, Michurinsk, Tambov region
Features of the organization of teaching English in an adult audience.
The specificity of the andragogical foundations of education is determined by the psychophysiological and social characteristics and capabilities of an adult student, as well as pedagogical conditions, formed by developing educational environment in which the training takes place.
Adults include any person who in life behaves consciously, responsibly, carries out certain professional activities, has relatively well-formed physiological and psychological functions, in particular, the emotional-volitional sphere. An important difference between an adult is that he has a large amount of life experience, which comes in three varieties: everyday, professional and social. If an adult who performs established social roles, living, as a rule, in an established life, decides to engage in educational activities, therefore, he has a high motivation. It is determined by the urgent need to solve some important life problem with the help of training. At the same time, he strives to apply the knowledge, skills, and competencies acquired in the learning process as soon as possible in order to solve the problem as quickly as possible.
IN learning activities an adult student inevitably relies on his rich life (domestic, professional, social) experience. Therefore, in order to organize and stimulate educational process the principle of life-oriented learning is important. Since an adult, as a rule, is engaged in professional activities, has large family, social responsibilities and loads, all these factors, to a large extent, than in an adult student, affect the entire organization of his learning process.
The premises on which the andragogical approach to the organization of the learning process is based must be determined based on the psychophysical and social characteristics of adult students, the characteristics of their daily and professional activity, the level of their self-awareness, the specifics of the interaction between teachers and students in the learning process.
The identified characteristics allow us to formulate the initial, fundamental premises of andragogy as follows.
- The learner has a leading role in the process of his learning (that is why he is a learner, not a learner).
- An adult student strives for self-realization, for independence, for self-government and is aware of himself as such.
- An adult learner has life (domestic, social, professional) experience that can be used as an important source of learning for himself and his colleagues.
- An adult learns to solve an important life problem and achieve a specific goal.
- An adult student expects to immediately apply the knowledge, skills, and competencies acquired during the training.
- The educational activity of an adult student is largely determined by temporal, spatial, everyday, professional, social factors that either limit or contribute to the learning process.
- The learning process of an adult student is organized in the form joint activities learning and teaching at all its stages: planning, implementation, evaluation and, to a certain extent, correction.
The main characteristics of the andragogical model of learning.
Based on the works of the founder of andragogy M. Sh. Knowles, we can formulate following characteristics andragogical learning model.
From the point of view of andragogy, adult learners who experience a deep need for independence, for self-government (although in certain situations they may be temporarily dependent on any), should play a leading, determining role in the process of their learning, specifically, in determining the parameters of learning and searching for information. The essence of the organization of training based on a differentiating-integrating approach just implies the leading role of the student and the role of the teacher - assistant and adviser.
From the point of view of the andragogical model of learning, as a person grows and develops, he accumulates significant experience that can be used as a source of learning as the learner himself. So are other people. The function of the teacher in this case is to assist the student in identifying the student's current experience. Accordingly, those forms of classes that use the experience of students become the main ones: laboratory experiments, discussions, solving specific problems, various types of gaming activities, etc.
In the andragogical model, learners' willingness to learn is determined by their need to learn something to solve their specific problems. life problems. Therefore, the student himself plays a leading role in the formation of motivation and the definition of learning objectives. In this case, the teacher's task is to create favorable conditions for learning for the student, to provide him with the necessary methods that would help him find out his learning needs.
Within the framework of this model, students want to be able to apply the acquired knowledge and skills today in order to become more competent in solving some problems in order to act more effectively in life. Accordingly, the course of study is focused on solving their specific life tasks. The activity of the student is to acquire those specific knowledge, skills and abilities that he needs to solve a vital problem. The activity of the teacher is reduced to assisting the student in the selection of the necessary knowledge, skills, abilities and qualities.
The whole process of adult education is built precisely on the joint activity of students and educators, with the active leading role of the student himself in the construction and implementation of the training program, on the one hand, and the joint activity of the student and educator in the preparation and implementation of the educational process, on the other.
Thus, the andragogical model of learning provides for and ensures the active activity of the student, his high motivation and, as a result, the high efficiency of the learning process.
Andragogical principles of adult education.
Based on the andragogical model discussed above, taking into account all the characteristics of adult learners and the organization of their learning process, it is possible to formulate the basic andragogical principles of learning, which form the foundation of the theory of adult learning.
- Self-learning priority. Independent activity is the main type of educational work of adult students. Independent activity is understood as the independent implementation by students of the organization of their learning.
- The principle of collective interaction. This principle provides for the joint activity of the student with the teacher, as well as with other students in planning, implementing, evaluating and correcting the learning process.
- The principle of relying on the experience of the student. According to this principle, the student's life experience is used as one of the sources of learning for both the student and his colleagues.
- Individualization of learning. In accordance with this principle, everyone, together with the teacher, and in some cases with other students, creates individual program learning. Focused on specific educational needs and learning goals and taking into account the experience, level of training, psycho-physiological and cognitive characteristics of the student.
- Context of learning. According to this principle, training, on the one hand, pursues specific goals that are vital for the student, is focused on fulfilling social roles or personal development, and on the other hand, is built taking into account the professional, social, everyday activities of the student and his spatial, temporal, professional and everyday factors.
- The principle of updating learning outcomes. This principle implies the immediate application in practice of the knowledge, skills and abilities acquired by the student.
- The principle of elective learning. It means giving the student a certain freedom to choose the goals, content, forms, methods, sources, means, terms, time, place of training, as well as the teachers themselves.
- The principle of development of educational needs. It is implemented by identifying real level learning and development of materials necessary to achieve the learning goal, which contributes to the formation of new educational needs, which, in turn, form the basis of the next goal.
- The principle of mindfulness of learning. It means awareness, comprehension by the student and teacher of all the parameters of the learning process and their actions to organize the learning process.
The above principles reflect the traditions of humanistic pedagogy, emphasizing the constructive role of the student in the learning process.
Thus, the use of andragogical principles of teaching is possible and quite effective to that extent. In which student, regardless of age, is able to actively participate in the implementation of all the above joint actions with the teacher in terms of the level of motivation, responsibility, preliminary preparation, general development, and life experience.
An adult person consciously approaches his learning and evaluates his real possibilities and abilities. With age, some physiological functions of the human body associated with the learning process weaken somewhat: vision and hearing decrease, memory deteriorates, speed and flexibility of thinking, and reaction speed slows down. However, firstly, these negative phenomena occur after fifty years. Secondly, along with this, positive qualities appear that contribute to learning: life experience, purposefulness, rationality of conclusions, a tendency to analyze, etc. Experiments by American psychologists have shown that in those cases where learning requires a depth of understanding, comprehension, the ability to observe, draw conclusions, adults succeed better than young people. True, in almost all cases, adults will lose to young people in speed, the speed of assimilation of material, the fulfillment of educational tasks, etc.
The main difficulties for an adult in the learning process are psychological in nature. Speaking about the basic needs of the individual, we note that the need for knowledge is integrated with the fear of knowledge, with anxiety, with the need for security and confidence.
All these factors and conditions have a significant impact on the entire learning process, and they must be taken into account when organizing adult education.
Organizationally, adult education should consist of six main blocks:
- consumer
- Information and orientation
- Structural
- Content and methodological support
- Staffing
- Scientific support
The adult education system should be guided by the real needs of its users, or consumers, as well as take into account and predict the needs of the development of the economy, society and the individual.
The andragogical model, based on the joint activity of students and students, on the basis of which a real problem is determined, for the solution of which training is necessary, is the basis of differentiating-integrating education, since it carries out the learning process depending on the student's readiness for learning, his individual abilities and capabilities in learning; evaluates the learning process in the form of identifying achievements and identifying new educational needs of students, as well as determining the positive and negative aspects of training programs, etc.
The use of life experience of students implies the use of discussion, the solution of specific problems, various kinds game activity, etc., which forms the basis of differentiating-integrating learning, and thus, is the optimal formula for organizing learning activities in an adult audience.
In the practice of teaching, interdisciplinary projects can be used, focused on solving narrowly professional problems. Both can be individual (for example, the project "Structure of my company") and group ("Organization of an advertising service at the enterprise").
Much attention is paid to "group goals" and the success of the work of the whole group. Each group receives a common task, but in the course of its implementation, each student performs an individual task. At the same time, there is a distribution of responsibilities between students in accordance with their desires, as well as taking into account the level of language proficiency; assessment of the activities of the whole group, not an individual student.
Today, it is still not uncommon for an adult, accomplished person, a professional, to need English for adults from scratch.
This is primarily due to the education system in our country. In the developed countries of Europe - in Holland, Germany, Scandinavian countries - a person already leaves school with a solid knowledge and fluency in English as a universal language, necessary for a career, travel and life in common Europe. The words "globalization of business", "global village" are not empty words. English is a tool that is necessary for a qualitatively different level of communication, both in Everyday life as well as in the business environment.
Training Options: Pros and Cons
Let's outline some ways of teaching English to adults and try to weigh the main pros and cons. So,- on one's own
Of the obvious advantages, we will immediately name the price - you spend almost or nothing at all. But it is worth thinking about the pitfalls. First, there is no one to control you. The textbooks must have the keys to the tests, but there is no one to correct the quality of your pronunciation and mistakes in spontaneous and written speech. Secondly, when we pay for education, we are motivated to put the money spent to good use. That is why we go to classes without gaps, do our homework, actively participate in the class, etc.
- in Group
