Features of teaching English in the context of distance learning
Issatayeva A.K. – teacher of English languages,
Higher Agrarian-Technical college
«The great aim of education is not knowledge but action» - Herbert Spencer (1820-1903), English philosopher, biologist, anthropologist and sociologist
I think, that this quotation means that education is not just knowledge but it also the actions that you do to use this education. Of course, as with anything new, there are always problems with the implementation of plans. Only the time and practice shows how to solve these problems. For several years, a new form of education has been introduced – distance education, connected with development of the World Wide Web and progress in information and communication technologies. Progress in information technologies not only moves science forward, but also provides solutions, in my opinion, to a number of problems on this issue.
Distance learning is a democratic, simple and learning system. It was invented in the UK and is now actively used by residents of Europe for additional education. In Kazakhstan it is possible to consider date of official development of distance learning 1997.
Distance education is a term used to refer to a wide range of educational programmes and courses ranging from non-accredited to accredited higher education programmes that provide students with the opportunity to interact closely with their teachers and peers, as is the case in full-time education. Distance learning is a learning process in which the teacher and student are not physically in the same place. This means that learning is done remotely via the Internet through video calls, online courses or mobile applications.
The introduction of any innovation accompanied by a number of difficulties. Although distance education has existed for a quite long time, it has only been actively used in the last five years. Meanwhile, some countries have faced a new way of learning literally in the academic year 2019-2020 due to an acute need the coronoviral infection. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, being in enclosed spaces in groups has become a major problem, which has led to a worldwide need for social distance and forced quarantine. For this reason, distance learning is more relevant than ever and is being introduced in all educational institutions.
Being able to learn from home makes the learning process comfortable, flexible and less tedious, for example, because there is no need to spend time collecting fees or overcoming traffic jams.
In the 21st century, the availability of computers and Internet makes the sored of distance learning even easier and faster. It is now possible to communicate and receive feedback from any learner wherever they are. The spread of the «fast internet» has made it possible to use «on-line» seminars (webinars) for learning.
Today, distance learning ids perceived as something natural; in vocational education, distance technologies are actively used, many students, in turn, prefer this form of learning. Today, in the system of secondary vocational education, training using distance technologies is going through a stage of development.
Distance learning is a set of technologies that students receive the bulk of the material they learn, interactive interaction between students and teachers in the learning process, and the opportunity for students to work independently to master the material they learn as well as in the learning process.
Innovations are always introduced gradually and are accompanied by the identification of weakness and strengths. There are also advantages as well as disadvantages in distance learning.
I would like to list a number of advantages of distance learning:
technological friendliness – training using software and hardware makes learning more effective. New technologies make it possible to make visual information vivid and dynamic and to build the education process itself, taking into account the active interaction of the student with the training system;
availability and openness of learning – an opportunity to learn from virtually anywhere in the world there is a computer and the Internet, without leaving your home or office. This allows a modern specialist to study practically for the rest of his or her life, without special business trips or holidays, combined with his or her main activity. At the same time, the emphasis is on training in the evenings and on weekends;
distance learning can primarily be convenient for people with physical disabilities who do not allow them to attend «real» classes, pensioners and disabled people. Modern DL technologies allow them to study ant subject without leaving their own (and without getting up from a wheelchair);
as a rule, distance learning is cheaper than regular training, primarily due to the reduced costs of moving, living in another city and the lower costs of organizing the courses themselves. «Distance learning students do not occupy classes for which they have to pay rent»;
another unobvious advantages of learning over face-to-face learning is that it is environmentally friendly. Online lessons reduce energy consumption by 90% and carbon dioxide emissions by more than 85%. E-learning is thus an important element in the fight against global climate change;
in metropolitan areas, there may simply not be enough time to get to the college. It is with the needs and challenges of 21st century people in mind that distance education is becoming one of the means to acquire knowledge from anywhere at any time;
you can take train in anywhere you want, but it is important that you have an internet connection, a work gadget and skills to work with;
the training prorgramme is available in various variations: e-lecture, video lesson, online lesson, etc. The student will have to work together with a teacher (approximately 30%) and self-study (70%) on topics. If you have any questions or difficulties, you can contact your teacher, talk to them and discuss details;
parents can easily check out their child’s learning activities: see e-learning assignments, video lessons, an electronic diary and a class magazine, etc.
As started above, in today’s world online learning is becoming not just a convenience, but a necessity. As well as advantages, distance learning has disadvantages. These are:
lack of direct face-to-face communication between students and the teacher. And when there is no person around who can emotionally colour knowledge, this is a significant disadvantage for the learning process. It is difficult to create a creative atmosphere in a group of learners;
the problem is that young people who study remotely do not have the opportunity to live as students and communicate between peers;
despite the development of scientific and technological progress in a number of countries, regions still lack high-speed internet access. This fact significantly complicates the educational process: students have to look for ways to connect to the network, using hikes to neighbours and relatives, visiting special Internet cafes (but this was impossible during quarantine), mobile Internet with low speed, etc.,
in particular, professions that require practical skills cannot be studied online, Such areas of activity include medicine, construction etc. People's lives depend on the quality of medical and construction services. How will a surgeon lean to operate, diagnose and treat online?
lack of live communication can have a negative impact on the student's psycho-emotional state and ability to adapt to a new surroundings and responsibilities.
everyone knows that in group lessons children compare their achievements with those of their classmates, thus providing them with additional motivation for success. In virtual learning, this option is not available;
in fact, the teacher does not see how the child is doing, whether he is doing all the tasks on his own or with someone else's help (parent, ready-made solutions, etc.). Therefore, there may be difficulties in assembling the homework and the overall rating of students;
unfortunately, the impact of gadgets on children and adults is still controversial. Some scientists point out that modern means of communication are capable of seriously exposing the body, affecting concentration, vision, provoking sedentary lifestyles and, as a result, obesity;
according o statistics, after distance learning in 2019-2020, more than a third of students applied to medical centres with complaints about ill health: headaches, impaired visual acuity, back (spine) problems, etc.
does not develop communication skills. In distance learning, students' personal contact with each other and with teachers is minimal or sometimes absent;
lack of computer literacy. In Kazakhstan, the majority of those in need of this methodology live in remote areas where the Internet network is not available to everyone and the computer is not affordable;
I believe that today there are some ways to solve this issue – by using a technology called «webinar». Webinars are seminars on the Internet. Their name is a combination of the words «web» (network) and «seminar». Webinars organize a group of students and teachers to communicate at an appointed time. The webinar is just like a real classroom: there is a classroom, a facilitator and participants. You can write on a virtual whiteboard and raise your hand; you can talk if you have a microphone; listen if you have headphones; and chat with other participants. These can also be conferences where students speak at home or in another convenient place, with other students and the teacher listening. Here everyone can ask questions, i.e. there is communication between students and teachers. In this way, it is easy for the teacher to evaluate both the student's preparation, the student's speech and the answers to questions. Several problems are solved: the in dependence of the students in such studies, communication with teachers and with other students. Webinars can be held in several subjects and several times per semester. As for the opportunities to hold webinars today, I can confidently say yes.
Computers and internet access for every young person is an integral part of their
current interests. Universities also have hardware and software at the moment. This form of distance learning, such as webinars, is real.
Everything must have a limitation, a measure. After a long «sitting» day, you should definitely warm up: walking in the fresh air, talking to friends, doing household chores, dedicating your free time to hobbies, etc. In this case, success and health will be excellent!
Praise and reward should be used as motivation. For example, you can start a virtual spreadsheet and mark students who are responsible for online learning, or you can send positive feedback via email using funny videos, GIF files and images.
Sometimes even the most motivated and inspired students lose interest if they do not see the enthusiasm of the teacher, so your main task is to demonstrate your passion for the subject. Inspire students: make interesting lectures, arrange emotional and entertaining discussions, link class material with real life.
Of course, distance learning is very different from traditional learning, which causes certain problems. But they are manageable, all you have to do is stop resisting new things, change your attitude towards the online format and acquire additional technical skills. After all, it is clear that e-learning opens doors to opportunities: learning to use gadgets is not just for fun, becoming flexible, taking responsibility for your knowledge into your own hands, mastering new standards – the most important of them.
However, all these disadvantages do not overshadow the advantages. And if you have decided to study remotely, you will definitely appreciate the advantages of this method. In many European countries you can meet businessman, politicians, stars from the world of show business who studied at home.
The main advantage of distance education is that it allows each student to create his or her own individual trajectory of education, to master it effectively, addressing the created information environment, to meet his or her needs for educational services in the most convenient and comfortable way for the student. Thus, it cannot be denied that distance learning is very convenient and useful nowadays.
I agree with the quotation of American cinematographer Conrad Hall «You are always a student, never a master. You have to keep the moving forward». And I think that if a person has the desire and ability to study on their own, is serious and determined, then by studying remotely, they will receive a quality education.
Friends, if you have encountered difficulties, believe that you can cope with them. Focus on your goals is a great way to stay on track and achieve what you want. Success!
List of references
1. Желудкова Л. И. Дистанционное образование как инновационная форма обучения / 2. Л. И. Желудкова, Т. А. Высочина // Педагогика: традиции и инновации: материалы III междунар. науч. конф. Челябинск: Два комсомольца,
3. С Волов В.Т. Дистанционное образование: истоки, проблемы, перспективы / В.Т. Волов, Н.Ю. Волова, Л.Б. Четырова. - Самара: Рос. Академия наук: Самарский научный центр, с.
3. Покушалова Л. В. Дистанционное обучение «образование для всех» и «образование через всю жизнь» / Л. В. Покушалова // Молодой ученый Т.2. С Интернет-ресурс: Национальный исследовательский университет «Высшая школа экономики» [Сайт]. (дата обращения: ).
4. Интернет-ресурс: Шилова Л.И. Дистанционное обучение проблемы и перспективы развития в системе дополнительного образования [Электронный ресурс]. (дата обращения )
5. Миронова Ю.Н. Использование современных информационных технологий при преподавании высшей математики // Физико-математическое образование: проблемы и перспективы. Материалы II Всероссийской научно-практической конференции, посвященной году Н.И. Лобачевского в КФУ, г. Елабуга,
564
77 775 
