Concept of teaching foreign languages in Ukraine. Major documents

School faces great changes these days: 12-year period of study at school launched in 2002, new system of evaluation of knowledge - 12-grade system, which seems more appropriate, compulsory foreign language studying from the 2 year in comparison with the traditional beginning from the 5 year of study, declared a new challenging approach to teaching foreign languages in senior classes - a concept of academic teaching and other revolutionary innovations.

The National Education Reform initiated by the 1991 Education Act formulates the aims and objectives of the development of the Ukrainian education system. Some of the basic principles of the national policy on education closely connected with foreign language teaching are the following:

•democratic tendencies in the teaching process;

•humanistic approaches to teaching, learner-centered methodology;

•life-long learning.

A Concept of teaching foreign languages in Ukraine based on these principles was adopted in 1994. According to the Concept each child is a unique personality whose positive attitude towards learning foreign languages can be achieved through providing real possibilities for spiritual development and emotional self- expression, through the feeling of personal success, moral comfort and joyful learning atmosphere.

The conceptual changes in FLT have revealed the desire to follow the Progressive road of the world’s educational process and to work in accordance with all-European tendencies in teaching foreign/second languages. All the ideas and concepts have been implemented into some basic documents which regulate the educational process in Ukrainian secondary schools. First of all, it is the Program (Foreign Language Syllabus) and the National Educational Standard of FLT. The latter was adopted in the middle of 1990s and aimed at formulating major standards of language teaching for basic secondary school, giving definition of communicative competence. These ideas were further developed in innovative variants of the Program of Teaching Foreign Languages in Ukraine. The first one was launched in 2001-2002 academic year for a 12-grade school and was based on the principles of communicative teaching, learner-centered approach, learner's autonomy and skills integration. The second, which is in operation since 2005, follows the philosophy of humanistic pedagogy and based on the ideas of Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, Teaching, Assessment (CEF).

CEF presents agreed common reference standards, a broad description of what a user of a language can “do” at six different levels of performance ranging from “basic” (A1, A2) through “independent” (B1, B2) to “profirient” (C1, C2) and three sub-levels A2+, B1+, B2+ The global scale of the Common Reference Levels which facilitate recognition of language proficiency, defining six levels of proficiency is purely descriptive in nature.

Level A1 (Breakthroughj is the lowest level of generative language proficiency which is established for beginners (early-school stage). The learner can interact in a simple way, ask and answer simple questions about themselves, where they live, people they know, and things they have, initiate and respond to simple statements in areas of immediate need or on very familiar topics. The Program of Teaching Foreign Languages (2005) envisages the achievement of the level to the end of primary school (2-4 years of study).

Level A2 (Waystage) is the level (junior stage) where the majority of descriptors stating social functions are to be found, like the ability to use simple everyday polite forms of greeting and address; to greet people, ask how they are and react to news; handle very short social exchanges; to ask and answer questions about what they do at work and in free time; to make and respond to invitations; to discuss what to do, where to go and make arrangements to meet; to make and accept offers. The sub-level A2+(Strong Waystage) represents more active participation in conversation given some assistance and certain limitations and significantly more ability to sustain monologues. Level A2+ has to be achieved by the end of secondary school (5-9 years of study).

Level B1 (Threshold Level) is categorised by two features. The first feature is the ability to maintain interaction and get across what you want to, in a range of contexts. The second feature is the ability to cope flexibly with problems in everyday life (intermediate stage). The sub-level B1+(Strong Threshold) is envisaged to be achieved by high school leavers with the same two features present plus a number of descriptors which focus on the exchange of quantities of information.

Level B2 (Vantage Level) is focused on effective argument, the ability to converse naturally, fluently and effectively. The second new focus is a new degree of language awareness (upper intermediate stage).

More challenged and sophisticated performances such as Level B2+ (Strong Vantage), C1 (Effective operational proficiency) and C2 (Mastery) need further study and can not be achieved in secondary school.

The documents mentioned above provide teachers with understanding the aims, objectives and content of the educational process in secondary school and are the guidelines in teaching English.

Дата добавления: 2017-01-13