A modern English Language Textbook as an Integral Part of Various Learning Media

Tatiana Kozhevnkikova, Russian Federation

Tatiana Kozhevnikova is a Head of the Department of Foreign Languages at the Moscow Technical University of Communications and Informatics, Russian Federation. She teaches EFL to communications and economics students. E-mail: tatiana.kozhevnikova@gmail.com

A general idea of a flexible and authentic English language textbook for non-linguistic Universities suitable for different learning media and envisaging introduction of both traditional and technologically advanced methods and materials is being explained.

Before starting the discussion of the problems put forward in the article it is sensible to define which learning media a modern English language textbook combining both traditional and distance characteristics is intended for.

Nowadays learning media are very diversified and differ greatly from the ones which existed 5-10 years ago. What is more, they are changing permanently and being modified preserving all their earlier forms.

To such we refer first of all University classrooms and home or office premises equipped or non-equipped with technical devices. These learning media may be common or concentrate in so-called learning centers (student groups engaged in common for each group kind of learning activity).

Well-equipped language laboratories intended both for class-room and out-of-the-class-room activities (both independent and under the teacher's guidance) can also be referred to well-known forms of learning media.

Here it is worthwhile mentioning a telecommunication learning medium at a telephone level (both fixed and cellular) and e- and traditional correspondence giving students an opportunity to receive different types of consultations and fulfill some tasks.

Videoconference represents a more recent learning medium which due to the use of high technologies allows enjoying the skills of the best specialists, the best printed, video and audio materials in the educational process. In other words it makes the achievements of the most advanced home and foreign methodologists accessible for students living and working far from the leading educational centers. Let us point out here that this form remains extremely expensive which makes multimedia more preferable for learners.

A multimedia learning medium is the newest one. It occupies the central position in the field of English assimilation in non-linguistic higher educational institutions in Russia and abroad being the one meeting the requirements of modern youths, satisfying their vision of progressive work at the language, their mode of life and life views. Learning in the multimedia a young person successfully realizes technical skills acquired in school or even pre-school years simultaneously in a natural for him or her way getting acquainted with the English language world. The learning multimedia may exist absolutely anywhere: in the University, in the office, at home, in the village, in the cafe, in the street (if you are using a cell-phone in a multimedia mode) and so on (Lewis-G., 2009; Kukulska-Hulme A., Shield L., 2008).

In a modern world all the learning media mentioned above are not isolated from each other: they often intersect or combine harmonically. (Murray L., Hourigon T., 2008)

That's why the necessity of creating a concept of a new type English language textbook being an integral part of them all has become evident. First of all the use of such a textbook (as a whole or partially) must be possible in various learning media, that is theoretical material and tasks suggested in it are supposed to be adaptable both for traditional work based on printed materials and for work with any technical devices, computer including and to be compatible both with class-room and out-of-the-class-room methods of English learning, distance learning including.

A modern textbook is unimaginable without introduction of the state-of-the-art home and foreign methods of teaching English in the educational process. Being oriented to practical English mastering it should only contain the most vital theoretical minimum. For a more fundamental theory learning a wide choice of reference literature exists (both electronic and printed) which must be pointed out in the textbook. Familiarizing with vocabulary and grammar and their training are performed in it not in isolation but in communicative situations. To maintain the language communicative medium all the tasks are given in English but at that their wording should be easily understood by the students. Material for developing reading writing, listening and comprehending is authentic, informative and interesting for the learners. Taking into consideration the small amount of class-room hours allotted for the work at the language in non-linguistic Universities in Russia (i.e. 170 academic hours for 4 terms) and the fact that as a rule English is taught during the first two years when the students haven't yet started learning their main profession it is advisable to devote 2/3s of the textbook to the work at everyday, cultural and polytechnic themes and only 1/3d – at professionally oriented ones. Tasks suggested to the students should be of various types, correspond to their level of mastering English (i.e. be feasible), be interesting for learners, mobilize them to use knowledge assimilated at other subjects of the curriculum, make possible requirements to the textbook for non-linguistic Universities, which by all means may be enhanced greatly. (Kozhevnikova T., 2010; Lewis G., 2009).

But even the best textbook in the world is going to be of no use for the students if it is not flexible, i.e. it should not only be adaptable for different learning media but also for the levels of mastering English by the learners. The tasks suggested are supposed to be characterized by gradualness (from a weaker to a more profound level) so that the student didn't feel helpless and hopelessly lacking behind. Besides the textbook is expected to be ready for any kind of renovations (i.e. non-topical materials are easily swapped for fresh ones without disturbing the structure of the textbook) and selective (according to the teacher's and students' choices) usage and also to envisage additional material both of traditional and interactive character.

In the XXIst century it is impossible to supply the graduates with a set of knowledge sufficient for the whole life or at least for the nearest 5-10 years. Everything is changing so quickly in human life and knowledge in any field of human activity very soon becomes obsolete (in this sense English is no exception) that the textbook material may be only considered as a basis for further individual independent self-development. Still actual are Palmer's words that language learning has a beginning but it has no ending. A living language as any living organism changes with time: some forms become archaic, others actualize, words and expressions lose some and acquire other meanings and so on. Through the material suggested in it a textbook orientates learners not only to language forms assimilation but to the necessity of permanent self-improvement so as not to look funny and awkward while communicating with native speakers and not to understand modern English literature the way out.

The concept of a continuous work at the language may be viewed as one of the aspects of extending learning boundaries as time limits of English learning are now enhanced up to eternity. Simultaneously boundaries extension may be understood literally. Nowadays a youth feels a citizen of the Universe. Taking a textbook of the English language for non-linguistic higher educational institutions as a basis, using recommendations on a multimedia work included in it he has an opportunity to consult not only tutors and students of his University but to choose partners in different parts of Russia and abroad. Besides, extension of learning boundaries is understood also as inclusion of themes of selected cultural, polytechnic and professionally oriented materials into the themes of the subjects learned during the main specialized courses. English doesn't stand apart from the other aspects of life but is considered a tool for world cognition.

Modern life rhythm and a steady growth of the information volume requires acceleration of learning rates in higher educational institutions. This in full measure refers to the process of English mastering. A modern student has no time for learning some artificial, facilitated language first and then transfer to authentic materials. Such a transfer may be very painful and often can never take place: accustomed to artificial texts student doesn't grasp real language either orally or in writing. Any progressive textbook is based exclusively on authentic materials. Everything in it is authentic: from tasks wordings and the simplest words combinations and sentences up to professionally oriented texts. In the audio supplement all texts are only read by native speakers. Internet tasks are authentically oriented.

The use of high technologies without which an advanced English language textbook for non-linguistic Universities is unthinkable of not only affect the character of suggested tasks envisaging both traditional and highly technological (with the help of technical devices multimedia including) fulfillment. Here specific tasks done through Internet, with SMS and e-messages are given. Such tasks may be presented both in specialized sections and parallel to traditional ones.

Unfortunately, as far as we know, until now no tasks are created the fulfillment of which would be absolutely impossible traditionally (Kozhevnikova T., 2010; Jaregi K., Banadoes E., 2008). It is the learning media and the way of fulfillment which are different. It goes without saying that a computerized work is more progressive technologically, more visual, may be done more rapidly and at a greater distances, doesn't require an immediate direct contact between a learner and a teacher, is controlled quickly and easily, its results can be practically instantly analyzed both by the teacher and the student and their opinions can be compared afterwards, theoretically the fulfillment attempts can be repeated unlimitedly and evaluation objectiveness is guaranteed as a computer is absolutely impartial. The list of technization advantages can be prolonged. But with it having all the above positive characteristics, only the adaptation of traditional materials to a computer is in focus. Bearing in mind that creative tasks fulfillment with the help of high technologies is only being developed, though certain success has been achieved in the field, perhaps, to the major extent by the Japanese scientists who have managed to make computers react to casual human speech and handwriting, it is still worthwhile to concentrate on computer adaptation of tasks based on multiple choice, such as filling in the gaps, finishing words (sentences, texts), setting words in the sentence (sentences in the abstract, parts of a letter in the letter) in the correct order, defining to what types of utterances the sentence refers or to what types of document the text refers, and so on. The multiple choice can be suggested to the students openly on the display but it also can be concealed from them (in case when they are asked to type in the answer). Theoretically tasks may be partially adapted for the computer: elements performed mechanically may be technisized and creative ones may remain for fulfillment under the teacher's control. For example, when a learner is writing a resume' of a scientific article its imprint, aim, period of writing, research method may be logged in but its summary and the author's conclusions are better to be discussed with the teacher face-to-face during the full-time education or on-line, through e-mail or telephone using SMS or ordinary telephone call during distance learning. In the textbook all the tasks (creative, non-creative, combined) and theoretical materials are given in printed and electronic versions. For the user's convenience the electronic version may also be placed in the University site as it is done in the Moscow technical university of communications and informatics.

Though, as we already mentioned, all e-tasks are not unusual from the point of view of their content, meeting the youth's vision of the learning process and taking into consideration their closeness to computerization of all spheres of society's life we suggest that some more suitable for computer regulation materials (i.e. some non-creative tasks and tasks with the use of the Internet) should form separate, not very big parts of the textbook (Kozhevnikova T., 2012). Such tasks structuring will allow even not exactly computer-infatuated teacher of the English language to combine traditional and distance methods at his lessons without resorting to additional sources. In this connection special attention should be paid to SMS tasks being more useful in distance learning or independent out-of-the-class work of full-time students (Kukulska-Hulme A., Shield L., 2008). Only some of their approximate samples can be put into the textbook. This way an enhanced development of creative fantasy of both students and teachers is provided. An evident advantage of such tasks is an opportunity of their fulfillment absolutely everywhere ( at home, in the office, during a walk in the open air and so on) which makes the English language learning process natural eliminating every opportunity of student's suppression and constraint possible in traditional cases.

Results control performed with the textbook based on traditional and distance (i.e. computerized) methods may be traditional, distance (computerized) and combined. Traditional control methods don't seem to be a novelty. The only point of interest here is a possibility of self-control and self-evaluation in combination with control and evaluation on the part of the teacher and their further comparison for proving the control objectivity and the level of teacher's authority for the students. As far as distance control methods are concerned they require a certain level of computer literacy and are oriented to the fulfillment of multiple-choice tasks. Combined control is also impossible without computer knowledge and suitable for creative tasks.

It is advisable that a textbook should envisage some versions of an intermediate control. Samples suggested in the textbook allow changes and additions on the part of the teacher and are to maintain a universal control from the point of view of the tasks character, their quantity and the volume of the controlled material.

References

Kozhevnikova, T., (2012) English for communications students, KnoRus.

Janregi. K., Banados. E., (2008) Virtual interaction through video-web communication and weblogs: a step towards enriching and internationalizing language learning program, ReCALL 20/2.

Kukulska-Hulme, A., Shield, L, (2008) An overview of mobile assisted language learning: from concept delivery to supported collaboration and interaction, ReCALL 20/3.

Lewis, G., (2009) Bringing technology into the classroom, Oxford University Press.

Murray, L., Hourigon, T., (2008) Blogs for specific purposes: Expressivist or socio-cognitivist approach?, ReCALL 20/1.

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Please check the English Improvement course at Pilgrims website.
Please check the Practical Uses of Technology in the Classroom course at Pilgrims website.
Please check the Practical Uses of Mobile Technology in the Classroom course at Pilgrims website.