Chair of the english language
The Chair was founded in 1995. Meeting the challenges of the current period the Chair introduces new progressive forms of teaching and organizing extra-curricular activities by using modern educational technologies. The members of the Chair teach English language classes to students of the departments of Business Administration, Social Management and Distance Learning. Currently, members of the Chair are: Y. V. Tarasova (head of the Chair), associate professor, L.A. Artemenko, associate professor, V.S. Polina, associate professor, T.V. Valyukevich senior teacher (graduate of PUA), A.A. Khilkovskaya, senior teacher, Ye.V. Karpenko, senior teacher. Two of the teachers are working at their Ph.D dissertations (Philology). The Chair members have developed an integrated author’s syllabus of continuous teaching of English to students of non-linguistic departments. Educational syllabi in the form of completed modules make it possible for the students to achieve a sufficient level of proficiency in the foreign language with due consideration of their individual objectives and abilities. A wide range of programs is offered to the students: since 1999 a three-level (Pre-Intermediate, Intermediate, Upper-Intermediate) course is being taught on two aspects: grammar and oral practice. First and second year students are taught a courses of General English and Business English. In their third year students start a professionally oriented course of English (ESP). Fifth year students use authentic materials and Internet resources while working at their graduation projects. Such an approach to the foreign language teaching process has already proved to be effective. The Chair is one of the pioneers of introducing innovative methods of teaching foreign languages to students of non - linguistic professional specializations. Employers have been testifying to the fact that, apart from professional knowledge and skills, PUA graduates show a high level of proficiency in the English language. Every year PUA students get a chance to work in Turkey, Greece, Bulgaria, the USA during their summer holidays. In 2012 alone, 32 students of the Business Administration and Social Management departments were able to improve their English abroad. The level of their achievement made it possible for them to act as interpreters during all kinds of international sporting events. The same year 8 students of the Social Management Department and 23 students of the Business Administration Department worked as volunteers in Kharkov during the Euro-2012 football championship The Chair membership is represented by three generations of teachers: those with a long pedagogical record share their experience with PUA graduates who have been working at the Chair for more than 15 years, and the young beginners who are just taking their first steps in their teaching career. In their activities our teachers combine the best traditional methods with innovative approaches to teaching English, including multimedia courses, latest methodological findings and recommendations of the leading English language teaching methodology literature published in Great Britain and the USA. The teachers are constantly working at improving the programs, designing methodical manuals and guidelines, organizing special methodology seminars, participating in the work of regional, all-Ukrainian and international ELT conferences. Every year (since 1997) the Chair members form the jury of one of the sections during the annual International students scientific conference held at PUA (the working language of the Section, as well as that of the abstracts prepared by the students and published in the conference Materials is English). The conference participants – students and post-graduates – discuss problems of economics, sociology and education. In the 2008 / 2009 academic year two teachers from the USA and in 2009 / 2010 – a teacher from Sweden took part in the work of the English Section, which encouraged the participants’ interest and brought about a lively discussion. The Chair is engaged in numerous extra - curricular activities: supervises the work of the English Club, whose members are students of the Business Administration and Social Management departments, organizes various events and celebrations (Teacher’s Day, Christmas, New Year, St. Valentine’s Day, etc.), talk shows, brain rings, workshops, etc. In this way students receive new information necessary for their future work, get ready for interviews by perspective employers, develop communication skills, are introduced to the etiquette of business communication. The main task of the Chair is to train specialists who have not only mastered English as a second language of communication, but who have learned to appreciate the universally accepted values, the cultures of the English speaking countries, have acquired a sociocultural competence. |
