C) Relations of Methods of foreign Language Teaching to Psychology of the Higher Nervous system.

Lecture 1

Theme: Methods of Foreign Language Teaching as a Science

Problems

1. General Remarks

2. Subject-matter of Methods

3. General of Methods

4. Special Methods

5. Connections of Methods of Foreign Language Teaching to other science

a) Relations of Methods to Pedagogy

b) Connection of Methods with Psychology

c) Relations of Methods of Foreign Language Teaching to Psychology of the Higher Nervous System

d) Relations of Methods of Foreign Language Teaching to Linguistics

Methods of Foreign Teaching as a Science

The word “method” primarily means way or manner of doing something. It is a word of international currency, borrowed into all European languages thorough the Latin “Methodus” from the Greek “Methodos”.

Methods of foreign language teaching is understood here as a body of scientifically tested theory concerning the teaching of foreign languages in schools and other educational institutions. The English word “method” is likewise used to designate a branch of study. Methods (Методика) as a branch of study is the science of ways or manners (methods) of teaching. Methods of foreign language teaching - is the science of methods teaching foreign languages. It covers three (sometimes four) main problems:

1) Aims of teaching a foreign language = why to teach a foreign language.

2) Content of teaching, i.e. what to teach to attain the aims.

3) Methods and techniques of teaching, i.e. how to teach a foreign language to attain the aims in most effective way to meet modern requirements.

4) Whom to teach .

We must distinguish between General methods (общая методика) and Specialmethods(частная методика).

By General methods we mean the methods dealing with general problems of foreign language teaching irrespective of the language taught (whether it is English, German or French).

By Special Methods we mean Methods of Teaching of a particular foreign language, i.e. the teaching of a definite foreign language is treated .

The English word “method” has, accordingly, two meanings. It expresses (1), as does the corresponding Russian word, a way of doing something, and (2) unlike the Russian word, that branch of knowledge and study which deals with ways of teaching. In the first meaning, besides denoting a more or less complex procedure consisting of a series of interconnected acts, the English word, more often than its Russian counterpart, is employed to designate a single teaching device, or a single form of procedure in teaching. (прием).

In its second meaning, the English word usually specifically qualified, may denote the body (совокупность)of the ways of teaching (1)any subject instruction, (2) foreign language generally, (3)any particular foreign language, or (4) any particular aspect of instruction in a foreign language, such as speech, reading, phonetics, grammar, etc.

In pedagogical process the term “methods” (методика ) used in three meanings .In its first meaning it means the subject of instruction, for example (Tomorrow we have methods according to the timetable), the second meaning is the sum total of all ways (methodological) of instruction ( I like our teacher’s methods), in the third meaning it means the theory of instruction and a special subject.

Connection of Method of Foreign Language Teaching to Other

Sciences.

Methods of foreign language teaching are closely related (connected) to other sciences such as pedagogy, psychology, physiology, linguistics, and some others. a) Relations of Foreign Language Method to Pedagogy.

Pedagogy is a science connected with the teaching and education of the younger generation. Since methods also deal with the problems of teaching and education, it is most closely related to pedagogy. To study foreign language teaching one must know pedagogy. One branch of pedagogy is called didactics. Didactics studies general ways of teaching in schools. Methods as compared to didactics, study the specific ways of teaching a definite subject. Thus it may be considered special didactics. Pedagogy is the science or general theory, of the bringing up and teaching of children and the young, in other terms, the science of education in the narrower sense and instruction or of education in the wider sense. It consists, accordingly, of two main divisions: educational pedagogy and instructional pedagogy, of which the latter is called didactics, otherwise method or methods.

In foreign language teaching ,as well as in teaching of mathematics, history, and other subjects taught in school, general principles of didactics are applied and, in their tern, influence and enrich didactics. For example, the so-called “principle of visualization” was first introduced in teaching foreign languages.

Now it has become one of the fundamental principles of didactics and is used in teaching all school subjects without exception.

Programmed instruction was first applied to teaching mathematics. Now through didactics it is used in teaching many subjects, including foreign languages.

It is the task of the specialist in methods of teaching foreign languages not only to seek for the best methods of imparting to the pupils knowledge and skills, and of training, them in good habits, but also to look out for the best means of educating the pupils through the subject with whose teaching he is concerned.

Pedagogy is an applied science. Both divisions of it, in all their parts, in particular, foreign language method, are applied psychology.

In foreign language teaching the teacher forms and develops in pupils’ pronunciation habits, lexical habits and other habits. Since “habits”

is the result of the repeated action in the same line pupils can acquire habits by constant steady drill. Therefore, the teacher should remember when organizing pupils learning that drill should be constant and accurate.

This implies correct copy, clearly presented and easy for imitation and reproduction, given under motivating conditions which favors repetitions which will lead to skill. Since skill is the ability to do something well and in language learning skills are pupils ability to use the target language for communicative needs ,the teacher should form and develop such language skills as listening comprehension, speaking, reading and writing.

b) CONNECTION METHOD WITH PSYCHOLOGY

c) Relations of Methods of foreign Language Teaching to Psychology of the Higher Nervous system.

Being connected with the psychology Methods of foreign language teaching takes into account functions of the brain and the higher nervous system, I.P. Ivanov’s theory of the higher nervous activity.his interrelated theories of “conditional reflexes” of the “second signaling system” and of “dynamic stereotype” bears a direct relation to the teaching of a foreign language. Pavlov writes that all human physical activity is the result of the physiological activity of the definite mass of the brain. Pavlov showed that man’s higher nervous activities-speaking and thinking –are the functions of a special system of organic structures within the nervous system.

Lecture 2