THE ELECTIVE COURSE TEXTBOOK “GERMAN-SPEAKING COUNTRIES” AS A MEANS OF ORGANIZING INDEPENDENT WORK OF UPPER SCHOOL STUDENTS

Abstract

The problem of organizing independent work of senior students in profile school by means of the elective course textbook “German-speaking countries” is considered in the article. Its pedagogical significance, functional value and accordance to the social needs of modern society are revealed. According to the author it is advisable to actively implement the kinds of independent work in the content of elective courses textbooks in foreign languages, taking into account individual characteristics, prospects of upper school students’ development and self-development and promoting the development of their abilities. Collective, group, pair and individual work are the basic forms for organization of independent work in the process of mastering the content of the elective course. Problem-searching and research methods are selected as the priority methods that stimulate independent cognitive activity of students. It is underlined the increase of priority to interactive methods, in particular to a cooperative method, a method of projects, a method of introduction of the newest information and communication technologies, in accordance with the communicative approach to teaching foreign languages and taking into account educational and vital experience gained by the students. It is indicated that a part of independent work with different sources of information, including the Internet, should be significant. The author pays attention to increasing the role of students’ independent work, that is predefined by their creative activity related to the foreign language. Except traditional lessons, practical works, seminars, lectures, the forms of organizing studies, that will assist effectively the development of abilities for upper school students’ independent work, are defined: interactive lessons, lessons-projects, lessons-excursions, lessons with the use of Internet resources, competitions, conferences, brain-rings, multimedia presentations, etc. Types and forms of independent work for students of upper school forms in class and at home are described, examples of such work in the content of the elective course textbook “German-speaking countries” are proposed.