Methods of Foreign Language Teaching for Students of Natural Sciences and Mathematics Specialties in Higher Education Institutions

Abstract

The relevance of choosing methods for teaching a foreign language in natural and mathematical specialties of higher education institutions is determined by the difficulties associated with the formation of a number of important communicative skills in students. We mean the ability to select information in a foreign language, process and logically transform it from foreign sources, set goals, plan, evaluate and reflect on foreign language activities. The purpose of the study is to theoretically generalize traditional methods of teaching a foreign language to students of natural and mathematical specialties of higher education institutions, pedagogical conditions and principles of organizing effective interaction between subjects of the educational process during the acquisition of a foreign language in a professional direction. To achieve this, a complex of theoretical and empirical methods of scientific research was applied: study and analysis of pedagogical, linguistic and methodological literature on the problem of teaching a foreign language to students of natural science and mathematics majors in higher education institutions; analysis of regulatory documents, educational and professional programs, syllabi of academic disciplines, continuous pedagogical observation included, generalization of pedagogical experience. It has been established that the effectiveness of organizing foreign language teaching in natural and mathematical specialties of higher education institutions requires the creation of certain pedagogical conditions and adherence to a number of principles: professional and informational significance; thematic integrity; subject coherence; representation in the system of texts of different authors; quantitative sufficiency of text materials; thematic principle; typicality; authenticity of texts. The presented theoretical article is an original author's work, the significance of which lies in the characterization of traditional methods of teaching a foreign language in natural and mathematical specialties of higher education institutions, such as: fundamental, classical, linguo-socio-cultural, communicative, intensive, emotional-semantic, test, method of subject-oriented language learning. The prospects for further scientific research are outlined, which consist in generalizing the latest methods in accordance with the features of the modern information environment and the challenges of the time, in particular, «case methods» (learning based on specific educational situations), training methods (training in business communication, personal development, communication skills), the project method, «CaseStudy».