Каталог статей из сборников научных конференций и научных журналов- Ecological education of students during foreign language classes

V. I. Gorbatov   Candidate of Pedagogic Sciences, associate professor

Vladimir State University

named after Alexander Grigoryevich and Nikolay Grigoryevich Stoletovs,

Vladimir, Russia

Environmental education is the process of forming a system of values among students that ensures a responsible attitude to the environment and health [1]. It is necessary to carry out environmental education taking into account the political, social, economic problems of the development of society, because it is wrong to consider environmental problems in isolation from those mentioned above. For the education of environmental consciousness, it is not enough for students to have environmental knowledge, it is necessary to form a position in relation to nature and society throughout the entire learning process. One of the most important tasks of a modern school is the education of an ecological lifestyle and an increase in the level of students’ ecological culture [2].

A multicultural and environmentally oriented educational environment can be represented as a complex of influences and conditions for the effective development of students’ environmental competence through their inclusion in intercultural interaction within the framework of appropriate environmentally oriented activities [4].

Program topics in a foreign language at a secondary general education school of the Russian Federation affect environmental issues. Students must own lexical units on this topic and be active participants in the communication process. At the same time, it is necessary to observe the principle of training feasibility. The work should be arranged in accordance with the age characteristics of students and the level of their language training. For example, with elementary schoolchildren, topics such as “My pet”, “Animals”, “Seasons”, “Weather”, etc. are considered. At the middle level, the program provides for the study of the topics “Habits”, “Health”, “Food”, “The world”, “The environment”. In the senior classes, the environmental problems of Russia and the countries of the language being studied, the problems of urbanization, global warming, the use of resource-saving technologies are considered, the activities of environmental organizations are discussed. Depending on the age of the students and the level of their language training, methods of teaching and techniques are selected: a discussion aquarium, a round table, a presentation, a project method, reports, an environmental forum, role-playing and business games of environmental topics. These methods require preliminary preparation, namely: preliminary study of new vocabulary and repetition of previously studied ones, mastering the grammatical structures necessary to make an utterance, as well as understanding the essence of the problem under discussion. Partially, these tasks are solved by the teacher (introduction of new lexical units, explanation of grammatical material, etc.), partially – by students through independent search activities. Pupils find independently up-to-date information on the problem under discussion, using various sources. There was a need to use the knowledge accumulated by folk pedagogy. An interesting technique is the use of proverbs, sayings, various signs about nature. Students translate them into Russian, find equivalents, make up dialogues with them, etc. To create a favorable emotional background, pupils’ drawings, reproductions depicting the nature of their native land and the countries of the language being studied are used [3].

Integrated lessons are becoming increasingly popular (for example, ecology and a foreign language, geography and a foreign language, biology and a foreign language, local history and a foreign language, etc.), during which the principle of interdisciplinary connections is implemented, expanding the horizons of students. The topics of such classes often touch upon issues of environmental protection and the role of man in society. When conducting integrated lessons, it is advisable to use group forms of work, so students, having an average level of language training and a good level of knowledge in these subjects, can show their abilities when performing the proposed tasks, which increases their authority in the class and contributes to the formation of positive motivation to study a foreign language. During integrated classes, students are active, perform tasks with interest and realize their creative potential.

Achieving the level of complete formation of the cognitive component of the attitude intensity towards nature in such lessons is fully ensured if the process of environmental education and upbringing is based on the following guidelines:

1. Updating the activity of students in the independent search for environmental information. It is necessary to form among pupils a high sensitivity to information about the world, about nature, to show from what sources and in what way this information can be obtained.

2. Teaching students elementary techniques and rules for independent naturalistic and ecological observations. Information about the secrets of nature, discovered by the pupils themselves, turns out to be the most personally significant, stimulates their further cognitive activity, and ensures the development of their interest in the natural world.

When carrying out extracurricular work, environmental topics are also touched upon, various thematic events are held. For example, competitions for posters, environmental wall newspapers, a competition for the best essay about the nature of the native land, environmental problems and possible solutions, a competition for the best translation of poems about nature. It is important to form students’ personal responsibility, to encourage them to think about important questions: “What do you know about ecological problems of your city / country?”, “How do your family spend natural resources?”, “How can you do your yard better?”, “Can you limit yourself for resources saving?”, “Can you help plants, animals and birds?” etc.

Proper selection of educational and visual materials is of great importance. Along with traditional textbooks and teaching aids, teachers and students use Internet resources actively in the classroom.

In the process of independent search and research activities of students, various telecommunication resources are actively used: reference and information databases, electronic libraries, electronic information publications, distance-learning platforms. Watching video clips, documentaries, presentations on environmental topics, their active discussion allows to form students’ communication skills, diversify lessons. High school students use the knowledge gained in computer science lessons, independently create presentations and video clips, correspond in the studied foreign language with peers around the world as part of joint projects to protect the environment, solve environmental problems, and pollute nature. These materials are then reviewed and discussed in class. It increases the motivation to learn a foreign language.

Thus, the environmental component introduced into the subject “a foreign language” broadens the horizons, develops cognitive abilities and communication skills of students, improves their environmental culture.

Bibliography

1. Bim I.L. Creativity of the teacher and methodological science // Foreign languages ​​at school. – 1988. – № 4. – P. 10

2. Biryukova N.A., Shishkina O.V. Formation of schoolchildren’s communicative skills of in the process of environmental education // Universities as centers for the development of the region. – Yoshkar-Ola, 1999. – P. 114

3. Deryabo S.D., Yasvin V.A. Ecological pedagogy and psychology. – Rostov-on-Don: Phoenix, 1996. – 480 p.

4. Gagarin A.V., Mudrak S.A. Environmental competence of the individual and its development in the intercultural interaction of students (on the example of PFUR) // Higher School: Experience, Problems, Prospects: Materials of the V International Scientific and Practical Conference. – M: RUDN University, 2012. – 515 p.

5. Zenya L.Ya. Schoolchildren’s education of ecological culture by means of a foreign language // Foreign languages at school. – 1990. – №. 4 – P. 30