DEVELOPING A CONSTRUCTIVIST TEXTBOOK OF ENGLISH FOR UNIVERSITY STUDENTS MAJORING IN TOURISM

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Дата

2017

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Видавець

Austrian Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences

Анотація

Objective: The goal of the article is to discuss the characteristic features of a textbook of English designed for Ukrainian university students majoring in tourism. Methods: The methods include the analysis of theoretical approaches and teaching experience, theoretical cognition, the method of analogy and comparison. Results: The most important results of the study were the specific features of the textbook developed. It is designed following the constructivist approach to language teaching that permits students to acquire involuntarily target language communicative skills through participation in professional activities/communication conducted in English and modeled in the classroom. The peculiar structure of the textbook and its thematic units has been developed to suit the requirements of the constructivist approach. Seven constructivist principles following which the textbook is designed have been elaborated. Experiential learning activities are introduced to practically implement the constructivist approach in classroom practice. They comprise: continuous simulation, project work, case studies, discussions; searching for, listening to and reading authentic professional printed and electronic information required for doing creative tasks; writing different professional documents. Scientific novelty: The features of the textbook discussed in the article make it scientifically innovative in what concerns teaching English for professional purposes. The research results make an innovative contribution to the theoretical development of the constructivist approach in language teaching. Practical significance: The results of the study open new ways of improving teaching English for professional purposes and they constitute the first practical development of the constructivist approach in teaching English to future managers of tourism.

Опис

Objective: The goal of the article is to discuss the characteristic features of a textbook of English designed for Ukrainian university students majoring in tourism. Methods: The methods include the analysis of theoretical approaches and teaching experience, theoretical cognition, the method of analogy and comparison. Results: The most important results of the study were the specific features of the textbook developed. It is designed following the constructivist approach to language teaching that permits students to acquire involuntarily target language communicative skills through participation in professional activities/communication conducted in English and modeled in the classroom. The peculiar structure of the textbook and its thematic units has been developed to suit the requirements of the constructivist approach. Seven constructivist principles following which the textbook is designed have been elaborated. Experiential learning activities are introduced to practically implement the constructivist approach in classroom practice. They comprise: continuous simulation, project work, case studies, discussions; searching for, listening to and reading authentic professional printed and electronic information required for doing creative tasks; writing different professional documents. Scientific novelty: The features of the textbook discussed in the article make it scientifically innovative in what concerns teaching English for professional purposes. The research results make an innovative contribution to the theoretical development of the constructivist approach in language teaching. Practical significance: The results of the study open new ways of improving teaching English for professional purposes and they constitute the first practical development of the constructivist approach in teaching English to future managers of tourism.

Ключові слова

teaching English for professional purposes; textbook of English; constructivist approach; principles of constructivist teaching and learning; experiential learning activities.

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