About theory and practice of combined educational process through foreign language’ teaching and learning

“The 4 things that have spoiled your life are:
“I” And “Mine”, “You” and “Yours”. Forget them.”
“If your thoughts are pure, it becomes easy to say what you think and do what you say.”
“There will always be the opportunity to learn for those who desire it.”
“A Rose can live amongst the thorns and yet never be injured by them; How about You?”
“Anyone can learn to be a good speaker, but how many live in a manner that others can learn from.”
(Indian Wisdom)

There are some scientists and a lot of teachers which initiated the conduct of combined education as an effective way of educational process in our educational sphere. The ideas are oriented to progress in finding new methods and tools of teaching and new approaches to possessing foreign language on the models of intellectually powerful instruments of foreign language’ teaching.

Thanks for active work and enthusiasm of teachers, – trainers, tutors, couthers and leaders – the urgent theme of “combined education” became rather popular in different regions of the country and abroad.

Our everyday lives become more technologized, and the meaning and role of combined education – teaching has increased. At the same time the significance of the University, it’s educational plans and programs, the importance of media, peer and adults groups has increased as well. It became possible because of changing the very peoples’ world view. In accordance with University’ educational process, influenced by surroundings, changed by the possibility of constant online presence, enabled by information technologies.

Now the so called “Generation Z”, our students, have experience as media audiences. The habits and tools of communication in this sphere may be used in combined education in the process of involving educational process as environment as “target audiences”. A new product, let us call it “educational environment product reception theory” is formed by teachers for involving in educational process - teaching and learning. The students as audiences, are active participants in reading, interrupting media and information on the subject taught - learned. Among the most items of the process planned we mean “studying the production of user generated content”. In such a way, becomes possible more dialogic “peer to peer” model, which facilitates collaborative creation and sharing of educational content [1, c.36]. In real practice of educational communication it means several activities with and through media from numerous devices (radio, television, personal computer, the mobile phone. It is important for alive communication - the so called “convergence” – the digitalization of voice, image, sound, and data, that create new opportunities for interaction between audiences. So, the internet in close interaction with educational process brings more possibilities for user generated content (here – teachers and students) and participatory. The students in this process as audience learn and require new roles as co-produces of educational media-content, which is extremely important for competent education in a modern world.

While training the students new approaches to learning in the combined educational sphere (informative and traditional educational ones lines) we proposed thee should answer the 2 questions’ blocks:

1.“Imagine your life and learning without media” and 2. “Your assessing the social media and digital professional learning”. Let us compare the questions from the position of combined education.

We divided the students into groups of three-four people. We asked them imagine a world without newspapers, magazines, television, radio, books, mobile phones and internet, asking them to use bullet points in each answer not only in a common sense, but in accordance with their future profession. So, the line number 1.

1. How would you learn about your educational process, future profession and world events without internet and media?
2. How would you make decisions (what future to choose, what to buy, who to vote, who to communicate with)?
3. Which media would you miss the most” Why?
4. What would you lose the most?
5. What would the progress and society lose?

The line number 2.

1. What purpose can the internet service be used for? (more detailed about your future profession)
2. What kind of possibilities does the internet service offer for learning communication? What about one-to – one communication?
3. How can the internet service be utilized to express your own opinion (in on-line learning-training, at the on-line conference, seminar, testing and so on)?
4. What kind of problems can the internet service cause in the process of on-line communication? [2, c.77]

The project “Combined education’’ is still under construction. To build such open-minded communicating educational environment and effective rational with elements of novelty educational process is an ambitious long-term and open-ended process. It means breaking down barriers and promoting interaction, exchange, solidarity of teachers, open – mindedness, high motivation of the students and teachers, great responsibility of professionals in educational space.

The combined education has become a priority in education in recent years. In this sense it is an implementation of professional training, creating and promoting a professional awareness among students. It’s specific instruments and activities in the frame of combined education is a valuable tool to implement a competent demanded additions in education.

Supported by the teachers, combined education inspires students to become aware of being a part of multicultural auditorium of student, understand the other cultures and traditions, respect all participants of the common educational process oriented to development all and everyone interested in self-development [3, c.127].

There are many different forms of testing the level of understanding some leading forms of combined work. It is up to teachers and students themselves to decide upon the methods they wish to use for their work on the competition level as testing: Written Works: essay, documentary, interview, research work, composition. The testing competition themes can be dealt with one or in various subjects, e.g. history, future profession, sociology, art, literature, social relations, geography, ecology, etc. Cross-cultural projects as testing may develop from the work on the main theme chosen by a student.

There are many interesting findings in scientific educational sphere of teachers, working out applying in educational environment effective distant learning tools and means and systems, especially multitasking functionality of some tools. This experience is very important in theory and practice of teaching and learning educational environment [4, c.184]. The assessment Criteria for a testing work in general are:

• the work’s professional aspect;
• comprehension of the subject;
• clarity of the message/ clarity of presentation: design/ layout/ mastering of methods used;
• interdependence of form-technique-content;
• creativity/ originality of elaboration;
• research input, critical judgement, power of argument(s);
• naming of sources used;
• marking and accuracy of quotations.

Practice of combined education, teaching English at different stages of university’ educational process shows good results. Every part and theme (and topic!) of this way organized teaching always includes a new aspect of intellectual professional and cultural dialogue: science and practice, teacher and student, Russia and World. It means that combined education simultaneously continues to develop its technological and humanistic orientation to the understanding of the current demands in education and teaching foreign language, place of Russia and its professionals in improving the quality of education for the sake of the future “we can’t leave it behind”. Combined education may be a strong contribution to continuous renovation of knowledge, development of active attitude to life and new frame of mind.