Intensive methods of teaching English

According to academic research, linguists have demonstrated that there is not one single best method for everyone in all contexts, and that no one teaching method is inherently superior to the others. Also, it is not always possible – or appropriate – to apply the same methodology to all learners, who have different objectives, environments and learning needs. Applying the most appropriate method for that learner’s specific objectives, learning style and context. Methods of teaching English have developed rapidly, especially in the previous 40 years. As a language learner, training manager, or teacher, it is important to understand the various methods and techniques so that you are able to navigate the market, make educated choices, and boost your enjoyment of learning a language. Each teaching method is based on a particular vision of understanding the language or the learning process, often using specific techniques and materials used in a set sequence.

The most popular methods today are the classic methods of teaching English language and communicative method.

Classical technique is most commonly used language in schools and universities. Learning English in this approach is carried out from the beginning with the alphabet and phonetics. Attention is paid to all four components of the study: listening, reading, writing and speaking. The process is systematic and stable yields fundamental knowledge. This method of teaching English It allows you to create not only a competent spoken language, but not a written language for the students of difficulty.

The communicative method of language learning has been recognized relatively recently. Communicative method — is, above all, practice communication and training of perception of foreign speech at the hearing. Application of this method in the learning process in a short period of time helps to overcome the language barrier. With even a small vocabulary, students can try their hand in the process of communicating in a foreign language from the very first sessions. This method of learning English gives good results precisely because it is aimed at the creation of an artificial language environment. Committing to communicate more than 80% of study time, students entering the real conditions of communication, have little difficulty.

Lately we hear more and more about the intensive method. In my personal opinion, this method is good in emergency situations, but the system of knowledge, he does not. Especially talk about the rich vocabulary is not necessary.

The variety of teaching methods of English allows the teacher to choose the most effective option in his opinion, for the way this group of students. And sometimes it is a set of training methods, taking into account the pros and cons of all the methods used in the classroom gives fruitful results.

Nowadays to teach students not only to participate in all aspects of communication in a foreign language, but also actively participate in the development of their personality is one of the aims of teaching a foreign language at non-linguistic faculties. In this regard, most of the modern methods of teaching a foreign language are based on the principle of active communication (communicative methodology, project methodology, intensive technique). The main incentive of this training is its effectiveness and fast results. This is due to the fact that when learners see the results of their work, they are motivated to study the language better. Intensive methods of teaching foreign languages can provide such effectiveness best of all. The use of intensive methods of teaching a foreign language at non- linguistic specialties has its own specifics. Firstly, it is impossible to use intensive methods of teaching a foreign language in the process of study at the University entirely during the whole course of learning, as they are used, if necessary to accelerate training. Secondly, it is necessary to adapt the features of intensive techniques to educational tasks and opportunities of students. Thirdly, we need to use these methods only when we are teaching a foreign language oral speech activity, since its principles (student-orientation communication, collective interaction, role-organization of the educational process, concentration of educational material and versatility exercise) can significantly extend the process of training, educational opportunities of students and increase their vocabulary twice.

The main task of intensive methods of teaching a foreign language is to master under tight time a foreign language as means of communication and means of knowledge, to develop skills of understanding speech in a foreign language on every-day, socio-political and scientific topics. Considering this, it is necessary to use the elements of intensive methods in fragments or in parallel in the process of teaching a foreign language at non-linguistic specialties, which will greatly intensify the process of training a foreign language speech.

On this basis, we can say that the use of intensive methods of teaching foreign languages in non-linguistic specialties involves complex and parallel development of all kinds of speech activity, virtually simultaneous creation of listening and speaking skills in a foreign language, with a slight delay of time for development of reading and writing speech skills. With this approach, there is a shift from quantitative parameters of training to qualitative ones, the relationship between home and classroom load of students in favor of the latter is reconsidered, a new nature of the interaction of the teacher and the student is formed, as well as the learners themselves.

We would like to consider more closely intensive methods of teaching foreign languages, since it is not just effective training, but the one in which maximum efficiency in the shortest possible learning time with minimum effort of students and teachers is achieved. Intensification of learning activities can be achieved by various means, in particular, due to the special organization of the educational material, its concentration and distribution, specific forms and methods of teaching, as well as by mobilizing and more productive use of students' potential. Activity in teaching does not belong to the innate personality traits. It is formed in the process of cognitive activity and is characterized by a desire for knowledge. Three levels of this cognitive activity are distinguished.

The first level is reproducing activity, which is characterized by a student's desire to understand, to supplement already received prior knowledge and use it in accordance with the model. Therefore, at the initial stage of training, most training exercises are built on the principle of reception and reproduction (perceived -reproduced). The student's desire to understand the new phenomena can serve as the criterion for this level of activity.

The second level is interpretive activity. It is characterized by the student's desire to identify the sense of the studied content. Exercises offered to students who have reached this level of activity, are reproductive by nature, but they have already the elements of production.

The third level of the activity is creative (productive). It is characterized not only by the students’ interest and desire to penetrate deep into the essence of the phenomena and their relationships, but also to find for this purpose a new way to apply the knowledge in a new situation.

Intensification of mental activity of students is sufficiently versatile in nature and involves the activation, growth of their communicative, reflective, cognitive and creative activity.

The technique is intensive because the educational process involves intensification through greater use of psychological and personal opportunities of the teacher and the student.

One of the most successful moments confirming the effectiveness of this approach to teaching a foreign language is to overcome the psychological barriers, in particular, the barrier of fear of speaking a "foreign" language, barrier and fear of the possibility of making a mistake, as well as overcoming internal awkwardness and hesitation.

The success of training is provided by the fact that any of the simulated situations is vitally important for the students. It should be noted that for the use of the intensive method specially trained teachers, specially organized training material and classrooms appropriately equipped are required. Only in this case, you can be sure that such efforts will be justified.

A positive reaction of the student on the task contributes to the emergence of positive emotions and therefore there is the premise to the search activity of the student. This activity acquires the character of the problem activity. Emotions play an important role in the process of searching for information. Organization of cognitive activity of students in reading literature in the specialty in a foreign language should be focused on the formation of the motives underlying the structure of the future professional activity. In this case learning motivation can be saved if the teacher creates a problem or search, develops thinking on the basis of interesting, informative, and emotionally charged materials of the texts and tasks to them. No doubt, participation in such activity contributes to the formation of the students' creativity, initiative and independence.