Інформаційні технології і засоби навчання (Dec 2018)

EXPERIENCE OF USING SKYPE AS A MEANS OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES TEACHING EFFICIENCY IMPROVING

  • Anna I. Pokulevska

Journal volume & issue
Vol. 68, no. 6
pp. 155 – 165

Abstract

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The article deals with foreign languages teaching, namely German, with the help of the Skype communication system. In the XXI century, the use of interactive methods and Internet resources in the educative process is a promising direction for modern education modernization. The advantages of learning in Skype include the convenient schedule for classes both for the teacher and the student, personal freedom, residence interdependence, use of the full range of Internet resources, authenticity of texts, audio and video files, etc. Owning to the use of the full range of Internet resources, this kind of training improves monologic and dialogical speech, listening comprehension and writing skills, and promotes the development of various competencies. The most popular and useful sites containing materials for teaching German which facilitate and vary the work with the help of Skype are analyzed. Among them are Deutsche Welle; Der Weg. Portal für Deutschlernende; Deutschlernerblog für Deutschlerner in aller Welt; Mein Deutschbuch. The subject matter of these sites such as topics, grammar and lexical materials, audio and video are overviewed. The possibilities and advantages of each site are analyzed, for which purpose it is possible to use one or another section while learning with the help of Skype. Recommendations for using specific sites and sections to prepare for the German language exam to obtain an internationally recognized certificate are formulated. As an example, the article provides tutorials and links to specific sites for teaching in Skype on the topic “Food in our lives” at level A2. This lexical theme is proposed to be studied in parallel with such grammar materials as “Substantiv und Artikel”, “Perfekt”, “Präteritum”, and “Modalverben”. The author supplies links with grammar exercises that contain lexical material on the selected subject, which contributes to a better acquisition of new material and consolidating already learned grammatical themes. The article contains links to the Deutsche Welle website with lessons have been already developed within the lexical theme on-line and off-line, as well as topics for projects, tasks for socio-cultural development of students, proverbs and set expressions, links with texts for reading and listening comprehension.

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