Innovation in Language Learning

According to modern educational and social requirements higher educational establishments are aimed at forming ESP (English for Specific Purposes) competences: linguistic, socio-cultural and pragmatic. Nowadays foreign language teaching is implemented in interactive training to solve different ESP tasks highlighting professional realization and personality development of students as it involves getting skills through experience acquired in interactions and activities of the studying period.

Video shooting is a very effective tool and resource in building cognitive, motivational and operational ESP competences. Adopting video component to classroom activities in teaching, studying and assessment reveals new prospects.

Various video resources and materials should find practical implementation and be transformed into assignments for reading, listening, writing and speaking. Such challenges can boost new creative teaching methods improving the traditional approach and introducing some innovations. A complex approach and cooperative work in building ESP competences make students deeply involved and motivated co-working with their teachers, adopting authentic video and shooting their own.

Video can be successfully used in building cognitive competences fostering teaching goals. Authentic video and written materials can be used in compiling texts and developing listening and speaking assignments for teacher resource books.

Making video can be helpful in building motivational competences and setting studying targets. Boosting video projects and simulating real-time interaction in order to motivate students for further academic upgrading is up to date. It turns students from passive watchers into active performers. It can boost a cultural discussion. Moreover, students can be encouraged to be not trainees but sort of trainers. This methodology is challenging, funny and highly motivating itself.

Speaking about video shooting in building operational ESP competences and as a part of general and self-assessment we have introduced the analysis of presentation within the Professional sphere as a form of final assessment. Presentation should be based on one of the topics within the Professional Sphere. The practice of video shooting students’ trial presentations appears to be very effective and reveals the real potential. Students are given an opportunity to fix visually their presentations in class and discuss them later in groups. This procedure allows students to find out their failures in verbal and non-verbal behavior and avoid them during the final exam.

To sum up, it should be mentioned that working with video resources appeals to both students and teachers and provides an opportunity to gain new experience in ESP learning.