Theoretical foundations of teaching foreign languages

CHAPTER I. THEORETICAL FOUNDATIONS OF TEACHING FOREIGN LANGUAGES

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   Foreign language as a subject in the educational system
   

The search for specific features of the “foreign language” academic subject is always carried out, first of all, in the field of goal-setting. It is generally recognized that, unlike most academic disciplines, which are aimed at assimilating scientific knowledge of certain phenomena, certain laws governing these phenomena, a foreign language as an academic subject does not have scientific knowledge of the language in its sphere of interest, and even more so the science of language. A specific feature of this subject is its focus on familiarizing students with a certain social phenomenon completely regardless of knowledge of the laws of this phenomenon, focus on practical language acquisition, i.e. some kind of activity that is a function of this or that human collective. This provision became the basis for subsequent attempts to determine the specific features of the academic subject "foreign language" in comparison with all other academic disciplines taught at school. At the same time, if in the course of comparing the academic discipline "foreign language" with the subjects of the natural and mathematical cycle, drawing, music, work, and physical culture, the differences are quite obvious, then differences/similarities of the educational disciplines "foreign language" and "native language" are expressed. opinions.

So, many authors rightly believe that the commonality in the field of goal-setting of educational subjects "foreign language" and "native language" is manifested in their focus on the formation of a communication system, the development of linguistic means of communication. Nevertheless, the analysis of the goals shows that there are more differences than similarities between the named academic disciplines. The differences are explained by the fact that the main and leading goal in teaching a foreign language is a communicative goal that determines the entire educational process, while in teaching a native language this goal is not the main one.
The focus on practical language proficiency is characteristic of all linguistic subjects taught at school, however, we note that the communicative goal of teaching the native language is to improve the skills and abilities of oral speech and teaching writing and reading, as well as mastering the ability to accurately choose the means of transmitting information³.
The noted difference between the disciplines "native language" and "foreign language" arises from the very essence of teaching these subjects - within the framework of the first academic discipline, unlike the second, students do not form a new language communication system, and educational and developmental tasks are rather related to familiarization with the theory native language, with its system. Information about the language system of the native language may not be an end in itself, and not related to the practice of improving speech activity.
There are other attempts to single out the specific in the academic discipline "foreign language". So, for example, in the psychology of teaching foreign languages ​​and in the methodology of teaching a subject, it is noted that, unlike other academic subjects, a foreign language is both a goal and a means of teaching. Moreover, such qualities as “non-objectiveness”, “infinity”, and “heterogeneity” are also distinguished as specific features of the subject “foreign language”.
However, careful consideration of the above-mentioned qualitative characteristics of a foreign language as an academic subject allows us to recognize that they are universal, i.e. are relevant not only for the given academic discipline. They are inherent in principle to all other academic disciplines of the linguistic cycle. Regardless of what language we are talking about (native or foreign), it always: a) is a means of forming and then a form of existence and expression of thought about objective reality, the properties and laws of which are the subject of other disciplines ("non-objectiveness"); b) is not limited to knowledge of only one aspect of the language (grammar, vocabulary, etc.), in order to successfully carry out verbal communication ("non-objectivity"); c) includes some other phenomena, for example, "language system", "language ability", etc. ("Heterogeneity")⁴.
Another point of view is based on the idea of ​​a unified approach to the subjects of the language cycle, which include "native language", "second language" (the language of interethnic communication within the state), and "foreign language".
Representatives of the concept of a unified approach to the subjects of the language cycle believe that the goal of teaching these subjects at school is the formation and development of students' speech competence in various types of speech activity, however, in their opinion, the level of implementation of this goal by different disciplines is not the same.
It is quite obvious that in the native language this level is quite high, while for the Russian language as a language of interethnic communication and for a foreign language, appropriate restrictions should be introduced in the level of mastering certain types of speech activity. It is certainly difficult to disagree with this provision. At the same time, it should be noted that the above goal of teaching the subjects of the language cycle about a foreign language does not reflect the essence of the modern view of the process of forming students' ability for intercultural communication.
In our opinion, it would be correct to assert that the commonality of the subjects of the language cycle is manifested in the fact that each of them is aimed at the formation of the "linguistic personality" of the student as a "deeply national phenomenon", the main elements of which at a certain level are built into a strict system, in which some degree reflecting the picture of the world. The concept of "linguistic personality" is associated with such qualities as emancipation, creativity, independence, the ability to build interaction and mutual understanding with communication partners, to be included in the modern world processes of civilization development, to improve and improve human society. Consequently, the development of these qualities of a linguistic personality should be a priority task of the modern educational process in all academic disciplines taught at school.
It is known that there is a commonality between the processes of mastering the native and foreign languages, due to the unity of the language as an essence and the presence of linguistic universals. The processes of assimilation of any language are based on the same fundamental laws of assimilation, and the object of assimilation is fundamentally the same. At the same time, one should not ignore that specific, special, which is inherent in the process of mastering a foreign language in educational conditions.
These conditions are manifested: 1) in attitudes to the process of thinking in mastering languages, 2) differences in the possibility of practice in the studied language, 3) differences in the experience of students⁵.
Learning a foreign language, according to L.S. Vygotsky, follows the path directly opposite to that which the development of the native language takes. A child learns his native language unconsciously and unintentionally, and a foreign language - starting with awareness and intention. Therefore, the scientist put forward the thesis about the multidirectional paths of language acquisition: the native language is characterized by the path "from the bottom up", for the foreign language - "from the top down." At the same time, the process of mastering speech in the native language is inextricably linked with the simultaneous development of thinking, since the child, assimilating the linguistic means of expressing thoughts, simultaneously and in an inseparable connection, learns the surrounding reality. In the course of cognition of the world around him, concepts are formed, reflected by the language.
A different picture can be observed when a student acquires a foreign language. Starting to learn this language, the child already has a certain linguistic and verbal experience in his native language and the ability to perform basic mental operations in this language. In the course of this process, the student is introduced to new ways of expressing thoughts for him (including those having national and cultural characteristics), but not to a new type of thinking. The point is that in the educational process there are opportunities to rely on the student's thinking, formed on the basis of his native language, and to improve his mental operations.
No less important is the fact that in the process of mastering the native language, the child's social development takes place. This means that in this process it is significant for the child to master not only the language system, but also the means of expressing his feelings, desires, and norms of social behavior. Since it is the language that serves as a means of forming the child's "self-image", then simultaneously with the acquisition of speech experienced by him, his (child's) social and individual identification occurs. In the process of mastering a foreign language, the student, as a rule, seeks not to lose his own identity. It is this fact that explains the difficulties arising in mastering a second language and also determines the differences between the analyzed processes.
It should also be noted that for a small child, a native language is a vital tool - the only means of communication. Therefore, there is practically no problem of motivating language acquisition. The child learns his native language in order to satisfy his real possible needs, and not in order to learn a certain number of new words, read the text, etc. He learns the grammar of his native language not as an end in itself - along with linguistic competence, communicative competence also develops. A different picture can be observed in the process of teaching a foreign language. Here the problem of student motivation is one of the central ones.
The guided process of language acquisition, which distinguishes the subject "foreign language", is associated with concepts such as language teaching and language learning, i.e. with language training.
The process of learning a foreign language is a two-way process. It includes teacher training activities and student learning activities aimed at language learning / language acquisition. It should be noted that there are significant differences between the concepts of "language learning" and "language acquisition". The acquisition of a language is based on the laws of mastery of a student's native language. This is a process of unconscious, intuitive assimilation of the language that occurs in the course of socialization of the child's personality. In other words, language acquisition is an unconscious and unintentional process in which language acquisition is not directly controlled. In contrast to this process, language learning is a conscious process that presupposes, first of all, the explicitly (externally) expressed use of rules and linguistic means (vocabulary, grammar, etc.). It is quite obvious that you can also study your native language, which, in fact, happens when a child, practically speaking it, comes to school and begins to study it within the framework of the "Russian language" discipline.
Comparison of the processes of mastering a foreign language and a second non-native language shows that the main differences between them lie in the plane of the concepts of “controlled” and “uncontrolled” language acquisition, as well as “artificial” (apart from the country of the target language) and “natural” language environment. The differences are summarized in the table.

Criteria for comparison	Language acquisition in a natural language environment	Language acquisition in the country of the target language
Types of language proficiency	Second language / FL	FL
Functions of language in society	Means of socialization of a person, means of communication in everyday life	Means of education, means of teaching, means of communication in educational conditions
Motivation	High motivation to use the language in everyday communication	Weak or no motivation
Aspects of teaching language / language learning	Strongly pragmatic focus	Balance between pragmatic and educational aspects

It is quite obvious that the most favorable option for mastering FL is learning a language in a natural language environment. The process of mastering a language outside the country of the target language and without direct contact with the culture of native speakers seems less favorable. It is this circumstance that determines the complexity of the academic subject "Foreign Language" and the complexity of teaching it in artificial conditions. Hence the eternal search for opportunities to "bring" the educational process closer to the conditions of controlled language acquisition by students in a natural language situation. Therefore, today the following are especially relevant:
- expanding the "boundaries" of study time and increasing the volume of practical use of the studied language as a means of communication, "going" outside the classroom (organization of correspondence with foreign peers, watching cartoons, children's videos), etc.);
- increasing the motivation of students to master a foreign language and the use of language as a means of communication by including, for example, the process of learning FL in the context of play and cognitive activity, allowing to create natural motives for communication⁶.
Of course, this is not a question of assimilating the teaching of FL to speech communication in real conditions. It is important to create conditions for the organization of "natural" foreign language communication as a free, full and adequate implementation of the abilities and skills of communication in this form and in this typical situation of foreign language communication as a fundamental principle of language teaching.

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