EVERYTHING FOR THE STUDY OF LANGUAGES

Another year has passed since the approval of Presidential Resolution back in the year 2012, which had laid foundation for the further improvement of the system of teaching and learning foreign languages. In particular, the Uzbek State University of World Languages (UzSUWL) today has turned not only into a center of training the new generation of educators, but also a research-methodological hub in the field of instructing foreign languages.

The upgraded status of this higher educational institution is evidenced by commissioning of a new modern block built with the use of modern civil engineering technologies. But the most important thing is life that flows within the walls of those educational facilities.

“There are 6,5 thousand students getting trained at seven departments of this higher educational institution, among them 4 presidential scholarship holders, winners of national and international contests,” noted the rector of the University Ghanisher Rakhimov. “Upon graduation fr om the University students get diplomas of philologists, teachers of foreign languages, translators and international journalists. More than 600 scholars and teachers help them acquire necessary knowledge. Linguists from Germany, the Netherlands, Italy, Spain, China, Republic of Korea, USA, France, Japan and other countries come here on a regular basis to share their knowledge.

“A large-scale research work is being carried out within the walls of the University on the elaboration of training plans and curricular, text books and methodological manuals for the entire system of continuous education,” underlined the rector.

The communication-oriented teaching, which is based on the “Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) for Languages: Learning, Teaching, Assessment” standard is being implemented at the University. Training programs for linguistic disciplines are being brought up into conformity with the requirements of the international system. Curricula and programs in all areas of education for baccalaureate and magistracy majors are elaborated on the basis of the state educational standards.

The PRESETT program of teaching the English language is being gradually introduced at 17 higher education institutions of the republic jointly with the British Council. It has proven its efficiency in a number of countries. Experts from the UK, Russia, Kazakhstan and Ukraine have highly evaluated this work aimed at training specialists, who mastered modern pedagogical and information-communication technologies for teaching foreign languages.

“Text books play an important role in the process of learning,” stressed Ghanisher Rakhimov. “These days, teachers prefer not to lim it themselves to only one tool, they try to make use of a whole methodical complex, which contains materials, designed for a specific group or one single student. Such textbooks of English as “Scale up” and “Up Scale», corresponding to B2 and B2+ language fluency levels, have been published in recent years to cover non-philological education baccalaureate and magistracy students; and “Manuel de France”, “Deutsch Integra” and “Espanol” - students of philological departments.”

Specialists of the UzSUWL conduct targeted activities on the assessment of students’ knowledge and raising the intellectual level of the teachers themselves. They improve their skills and competencies in the country and outside its boundaries, pool experience with University specialists in the USA and England in the sphere of creation of automated and interactive teaching and training examiners. The Republican Scientific-Practical Center for development of innovative methods of teaching foreign languages carries out its activities under the University. Its researchers and specialists take an active part in improving the qualification and re-training the faculty and methodology teachers coming to study from the regions.

Two years ago the UzSUWL opened a portal and an electronic scientific-methodical journal “Foreign languages in Uzbekistan”. It is one of the first electronic publications in the country, which covers achievements in the field of teaching foreign languages, linguists, translation studies and such other directions of philological science. Domestic and foreign specialists contribute their articles to the journal. Also published are materials about innovative teaching methods. Those willing may also use the publication’s interactive services – look for and find methodological manuals, dictionaries and text books.

Jahon Information Agency