MOTIVATION AS ONE OF THE MAIN FACTORS OF SUCCESSFUL LEARNING AND TEACHING OF THE DISCIPLINE “FOREIGN LANGUAGE FOR PROFESSIONAL PURPOSES”

Abstract

The article examines and analyses the methodological literature on the importance of the concept of motivation in foreign language classes at a non-language higher education institution. A brief overview and description of the main methods of increasing student motivation for effective foreign language acquisition is given; the importance of using these methods in teaching a foreign language in a non-language educational institution is substantiated on the example of the discipline «English for professional purposes» taught in the first year of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of the State Biotechnological University of Kharkiv. Particular attention is paid to the use of PowerPoint presentation software. It is noted that creating presentations involves students in an active, creative, independent learning process, promotes the development of writing, speaking and listening skills, and also allows individualising the learning process, which, in turn, increases self-esteem and motivation to learn the language in general. The article analyses the importance of using authentic video/audio materials in English classes. As an example, the authors present their own development of tasks based on authentic video, which contribute to the activation of the main types of speech activity and are a powerful mechanism for awakening and stimulating students' motivation. It has been proved that authentic materials are an important component not only in learning but also in teaching a foreign language at all levels, as they arouse great interest and motivate learners, which is a significant contribution to achieving the educational goal of the programme. The results of this study prove that by using elements of non-standard teaching, changing the structure and content of their classes, by using tasks for creating presentations, performing exercises based on authentic materials, the teacher can prevent students from getting used to their classes, and maintain students' enthusiasm and activity in acquiring language knowledge, skills and abilities.