ENGLISH GRAMMAR – TACTICS OF ADVANCED DISTANT LEARNING

Abstract

Learning grammar of a foreign language was perceived differently by different methodologists at different times. For a long time, the grammar-translation method used to prevail, when learning a foreign language was reduced almost exclusively to mechanical translation of sentences. Proponents of the communicative approach very often give up grammar altogether, replacing the study of rules with the training of several widespread speech patterns. The article is aimed to suggesting some methods of teaching English grammar at the advanced level as a selected subject for one or two terms. The paper partly uses the method of experimental survey and the descriptive method. The experience of teaching grammar of contemporary English at different levels and constant considerations on this issue allow us to conclude that a certain number of students are interested and motivated to study this aspect of a foreign language. Focusing on the unambiguous strategy of teaching this selective discipline – achieving an advanced level of grammar mastering, there is a need to use different tactics according to the level of different groups. The need to organize distance learning in modern conditions, which has arisen objectively and does not depend on the wishes of the teacher or university, nevertheless allows the teacher to use the advantages and opportunities of contemporary information technologies – videos, audio files, online exercises, online testing and many others. The selection of topics for study is carried out taking into consideration such criteria as the results of the student survey, the performance of the entrance test and the teacher's own experience. In the conditions of distance learning, it is possible to choose a variety of modern English grammar textbooks, videos of native speakers with explanations of grammatical phenomena with or without Ukrainian translation, online grammar exercises, etc. The availability of technological support does not exclude work with a teacher and choice of relevant exercises. These exercises can be divided into combined (to establish ties between theory and practice), basic and recreational. The combination of live communication between students and the teacher with the possibilities of contemporary information technologies makes it possible to achieve the strategic goal of providing motivated students with a high level of English grammar knowledge.