Abstract
The present article is devoted to the new method which is called «flipped learning». This method helps us to solve a problem of teaching students with different learning levels. It is rather actual as nowadays at our university there are a lot of students from the distinct southern region. They are especially weak in language preparation, moreover they are not taught to work independently and they wait for the answer that has been prepared for them. It is difficult for them to work in team as well.
In this connection the learning model becomes an universal method. It lets us to solve all the tasks simultaneously. The method gives us an opportunity to save time while explaining some obvious things which students are to know, filling the gaps of their school education. Under the circumstances the flipped classroom model is considered as the only appropriate means of teaching meeting all the existing requirements in methods of teaching.
Introduction
Modern society develops very intensely and rashly. It concerns our world in the whole. We can’t speak only about Kazakhstan or Spain or any other country. None of the epochs knew such speed of economics professional silhouette changing. That’s why the question of education is rather actual. Cult of education must be universal [1]. In contemporary society only a highly educated person can be a success who can change profession easily enough due to high level of education. It is necessarily to possess certain ability to cognitive adaptation. New reality came to everybody without knocking and permission. In this connection the tasks of modernization are obvious and actual everywhere all over the world. Of course education can’t be somewhere outside it is to meet all the requirements of time. Education is an active participant of the processes it is a means of getting new standards of life as well. It should be changed without fail. It is necessarily to help people to study effectively instead of giving them unnecessary knowledge [2].
Taking into account all the information mentioned above it becomes obvious that studying foreign languages is in the center of special attention. In this connection it is required to overview all the process of teaching foreign languages. It is impossible to use the old methods of teaching in the aspect of modern requirements. Present article is devoted to the one of the effective method in our opinion which allows solving the pointed out tasks successfully. This method is called «flipped learning».
Our aim is to get acquaintance the foreign languages teachers and learners with «flipped learning». To achieve the goal the appropriate methods were used such as examination, interpretation and description.
It became obvious that life in the XXIst century is impossible without foreign languages knowledge and in this connection consolidation of all the methods and approaches is required. Researches conducted in the USA in the 80-s let us generalize the information concerning the different teaching methods effectiveness (the average percent Ofknowledge mastering). This information is given in the figure №1 «Pyramid of teaching» [2]. It proves the thought about the shift of the paradigm «teacher - student». The students should be involved into the process of active learning. The Chinese say: «Tell me and I’ll forget, show me and I’ll remember, let me do and it’ll be mine forever».
In traditional approach to the learning process, students receive knowledge in a classroom context and then they are sent away to analyze and evaluate this after the class. In the flipped classroom technique, students investigate the theme at home, they work in their own regime and they are not limited in time, place, surrounding content. Thus they come to the class having studied all the necessary material and use classroom time not for studying, getting acquaintance with the new information but to put in practice all the studied material, they automate the skills, apply concepts and ideas through interaction with peers and teachers. After the class, students reflect upon the feedback they have received and use this to further their learning in future. Thus it is possible to say that «flipped learning is a pedagogical approach in which the conventional notion of classroom - based learning is inverted, so that students are introduced to the learning material before class, with classroom time then being used to deepen understanding through discussion with peers and problem-solving activities facilitated by teachers» [3].
You should bear in mind that there is a difference between a Flipped Classroom and Flipped Learning. These notions are not interchangeable. Having Flipped a class doesn’t mean that it can lead to Flipped Learning. Many teachers may already flip their classes by having students read text outside of class, watch supplemental videos, or solve additional problems, but to engage all these in Flipped Learning, teachers must incorporate the following four pillars into their practice.
4 pillars
F - Flexible Environment
Flipped Learning supposes a variety of learning regimes, learning spaces are often rearranged by educators to accommodate a lesson or unit, to support either group work or independent study. They create flexible spaces in which students choose when and where they learn.
L - Learning culture
In the traditional teacher - centered approach, the teacher is the primary source of information. By contrast, the Flipped Learning model deliberately shifts instruction to a learner - centered approach.
I - International content
Educators use Intentional Content to maximize classroom time in order to adopt methods of student - centered, active learning strategies, depending on grade level and subject matter.
P - Professional educator
The role of a Professional Educator is even more important in a Flipped Classroom than in a traditional one. They constantly control the students during class time, providing them with feedback relevant in the moment, and evaluating their work.
The following example illustrates some of the peculiarities arising in connection with applying of this technique in the North Kazakhstan State University. Before exploring this question in detail, we turn to the situation taking place in admission nowadays. Everybody knows that from September 2014 in Kazakhstan the project «Serpin - 2050» is realized. This state program promotes youth employment and educational and labor forces equal distribution. Our North Kazakhstan State University receives educational grants along with other universities of 8 different regions OfKazakhstan largely due to this strategy.
This is one side of the coin, weak students, on the other hand, are entering the university and as consequence the groups become rather different. It is important to make an accent that we focus only on their level of language knowledge. It is hard to explain but the level of language preparation of these students is rather poor. It is reasonable to assume that such phenomenon as their school preparation deserves separate social and scientific investigation. The consequence is that we receive students with different learning levels and in this connection a problem of searching an universal method is arisen.
The learning model should give us an opportunity to save time while explaining some obvious things which students are to know, filling the gaps of their school education. Under the circumstances the flipped classroom model is considered as the only appropriate means of teaching meeting all the existing requirements in methods of teaching.
The use of the indefinite article, for example, is one of the themes that was studied by students by means of flipped classroom learning. Having studied the theoretical material at home using all the sources including video lessons on YouTube and at their own pace thus nobody reminded about time, nobody hurried them, the students came to the class more confident, more aware of themselves, ready to cooperate. Students who knew the theme spent less time for preparation, those who didn’t know the theme “Indefinite article” required more time. In the class they worked in small groups with pleasure, since all the difficulties were withdrawn. The time of the lesson was spent rationally and the most important thing is that the positive creative atmosphere was provided on the lesson that allows achieving one of the main goals of education. One of the most interesting and welcome results of using the flipped classroom method is the emancipation of the audience, creation on the lesson of the fruitful atmosphere of freedom.
Conclusion
In conclusion all the strengths and challenges of the method should be mentioned. The first strength is that by providing students with the material to gain a basic level of knowledge and understanding before class, classroom time can be used to deepen learning and develop higher - level cognitive skills. The fact that a student is aware of the theme encourages him, lets him be more sure of himself with the consequence of becoming more active, raising his self - assessment and creating the necessary atmosphere prosperous for conversation. The second advantage is that the students are moved away from passive learning towards active learning where they engage in collaborative activity. They are approached to the reality at the supreme degree. They have to solve problems existing in real life, because learning is problem-based. Within this context, the role of the teacher shifts towards that of facilitator and coach by empowering students to take control of their own learning. The use of technology further enriches the flipped learning process and promotes skills that are essential for 21st - century learning. In this connection it is necessary for a teacher to meet the new requirements as well the students. The students should be more active in expressing their opinions, judges, because sometimes it is very difficult to get a word from the student. They are afraid of making mistakes, especially it can obviously be seen if a student is from the southern region. They are not taught to have their own opinion and moreover to express it. In this connection another problem is raised. This is school education and special attention should be paid to this issue.
References:
- Назарбаев, H.A. Взгляд в будущее // Северный Казахстан. - 2017. - 15 апреля.
- К. Мальцев Ценный кадр: как построить эффективную систем) обучения в компании Москва, ООО «Альпина Паблишер», 2015. - 270 с.
- Sharpies, M., Adams, A., Ferguson, R., Gaved, M., McAndrew, P., Rienties, В., Weller. M. and Whitelock, D. (2014) Innovating Pedagogy 2014: Open University Innovation Report 3.[Internet] http://www.openuniversity.edu/sites/www.openuniversity.edu/files/The_Open_University_Innovating Available from: [1 May 2015].