Z. M. Bobur nomidagi andijon davlat universiteti chet tillar fakulteti ingliz tili va adabiyoti kafedrasi

Lecture 7
Forming professional competence of foreign language teacher in the system of continuous education.

Plan
1.The content and goal of ESP.

2.The professional competence of foreign language teacher.
3.Methods of forming professional competence.


Key words: content and goal of ESP, specific needs, Academic and Occupational Purposes, professional competence, mastering the materials.
Previously, in the origins of ESP, we knew that there were three forces that had role in ESP and became its characteristics , they were needs, new ideas about language and new ideas about learning. We use all the approaches so far based on the descriptions of language use and the concern in each case is with describing what people do with language, but the concern is not actually on the language use only, our concern should with language learning too because a truly valid approach to ESP must be based on an understanding of the processes of language learning. With this statement, it brings us to this fifth stage of ESP development. The importance and the implications of the distinction that we have made between language use and language learning will hopefully become clear for us to understand each of the stages of ESP development.
ESP DEFINITIONS
Defining ESP has proven to be so problematic to researchers and “producing a simple definition of ESP is not an easy task”. Through time, scholars provided different definitions of ESP.
According to Mackay and Mountford “ESP is generally used to refer to the teaching of English for a clearly utilitarian purpose.” That is to say, that English should be taught to achieve specific language skills using real situations, in a manner that allows them to use English in their future profession, or to comprehend English discourse related to their area of speciality. In the same vein Robinson states that generally the students study English “not because they are interested in the English language or English culture as such, but because they need English for study or work purposes”. Anthony argued that “some people described ESP as simply being the teaching of English for any purpose that could be specified. Others, however, were more precise describing it as the teaching of English used in academic studies or the teaching of English for vocational or professional purposes”. This denotes that, the role of ESP is to help language learners to build up the needed abilities in order to use them in a specific field of inquiry, occupation, or workplace.
In 2001 Richards states that ESP teaching aims are: preparing non-native speaking students for study in the English-medium academic context; preparing those already fluent or who have mastered general English, but now need English for specific usage in employment, such as engineers, scientists, or nurses; responding to the needs of the materials of English for Business Purposes; and teaching immigrants the English needed to deal with their job situations. Hence in ESP, “language is learnt not for its own sake or for the sake of gaining a general education, but to smooth the path to entry or greater linguistic efficiency in academic, professional or workplace environments” Basturkmen.
All the above definitions can be considered as common core, because they described ESP as teaching specific content and skills of English to specific group of learners aiming at communicating effectively in academic or vocational situations.
ESP is a recognizable activity of English Language Teaching (ELT) with some specific characteristics. Dudley-Evans and St. Johns’ tried to apply a series of characteristics, some absolute and some variable, to outline the major features of ESP.
Absolute Characteristics:

1. 
   ESP is defined to meet specific needs of the learners;
   
2. 
   ESP makes use of underlying methodology and activities of the discipline it serves;
   
3. 
   ESP is centred on the language (grammar, lexis, register), skills, discourse and genre appropriate to these activities.
   

Variable Characteristics:

1. 
   ESP may be related to or designed for specific disciplines;
   
2. 
   ESP may use, in specific teaching situations, a different methodology from that of General English;
   
3. 
   ESP is likely to be designed for adult learners, either at a tertiary level institution or in a professional work situation. It could, however, be for learners at secondary school level;
   
4. 
   ESP is generally designed for intermediate or advanced students.
   
5. 
   Most ESP courses assume some basic knowledge of the language systems, but it can be used with beginners.
   

It is obvious that the absolute characteristics are specific to ESP because learners’ needs are of central importance when designing language activities. Concerning the variable features, ESP courses can be designed for a specific group using definite teaching methodology, nevertheless, all learners’ categories and disciplines can be concerned with ESP. For that reason ESP should be seen simply as an 'approach' to teaching, or what Dudley-Evans and St. John illustrate as an 'attitude of mind'. Similarly, Hutchinson and waters’ stated that, "ESP should properly be seen not as any particular language product but as an approach to language teaching in which all decisions as to content and method are based on the learner's reason for learning".

TYPES OF ESP

David Carter identifies three types of ESP:

• 
  English as a restricted language
  
• 
  English for Academic and Occupational Purposes
  
• 
  English with specific topics.
  

The language used by air traffic controllers or by waiters are examples of English as a restricted language. Mackay and Mountford clearly illustrate the difference between restricted language and language with this statement:
... the language of international air-traffic control could be regarded as 'special', in the sense that the repertoire required by the controller is strictly limited and can be accurately determined situationally, as might be the linguistic needs of a dining-room waiter or air-hostess. However, such restricted repertoires are not languages, just as a tourist phrase book is not grammar. Knowing a restricted 'language' would not allow the speaker to communicate effectively in novel situation, or in contexts outside the vocational environment.
The second type of ESP identified by Carter is English for Academic and Occupational Purposes. In the 'Tree of ELT', ESP is broken down into three branches: a) English for Science and Technology (EST), b) English for Business and Economics (EBE), and c) English for Social Studies (ESS). Each of these subject areas is further divided into two branches: English for Academic Purposes (EAP) and English for Occupational Purposes (EOP). An example of EOP for the EST branch is 'English for Technicians' whereas an example of EAP for the EST branch is 'English for Medical Studies'.
Hutchinson and Waters do note that there is not a clear-cut distinction between EAP and EOP: " people can work and study simultaneously; it is also likely that in many cases the language learnt for immediate use in a study environment will be used later when the student takes up, or returns to, a job". Perhaps this explains Carter's rationale for categorizing EAP and EOP under the same type of ESP. It appears that Carter is implying that the end purpose of both EAP and EOP are one in the same: employment. However, despite the end purpose being identical, the means taken to achieve the end is very different indeed.
The third and final type of ESP identified by Carter is English with specific topics. Carter notes that it is only here where emphasis shifts from purpose to topic. This type of ESP is uniquely concerned with anticipated future English needs of, for example, scientists requiring English for postgraduate reading studies, attending conferences or working in foreign institutions. However, I argue that this is not a separate type of ESP. Rather it is an integral component of ESP courses or programs which focus on situational language. This situational language has been determined based on the interpretation of results from needs analysis of authentic language used in target workplace settings.
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ESP AND EGP
Hutchinson and Waters state that there is no difference between the two in theory; however, there is a great deal of difference in practice. ESP, like any other language teaching activity, stands on facts about language nature, learning, and teaching; it is, however, often contrasted with General English.
ESP teaching approach is known to be learner-centred where learners’ needs and goals are of supreme value, whereas General English approach is language- centred, and focuses on learning language from a broad perception covering all the language skills and the cultural aspects of the English speaking community
“the general with which we are contrasting the specific is that of General education for life, culture and literature oriented language course in which the language itself is the subject matter and the purpose of the course” Robinson. However, In ESP after the identification and the analysis of specific learning needs, students learn “English en route to the acquisition of some quite different body of knowledge and set of skills”.
Further distinction between General English courses and ESP is that, learners of the latter are mainly adult with a certain degree of awareness concerning their language needs. Whereas, General English courses are provided to pupils as compulsory module at schools, their unique purpose is to succeed in the examinations.
Basturkmen maintains that General English Language teaching tends to set out from a definite point to an indeterminate one, whereas ESP aims to speed learners and direct them through to a known destination in order to reach specific objectives. “The emphasis in ESP on going from A to B in the most time- and energy- efficient manner can lead to the view that ESP is an essentially practical endeavour”
Widdowson establishes distinctive features of ESP and EGP.
The most important EGP features are:
1. the focus is often on education;

2. 
   as the learners’ future needs are impossible to predict, the course content is more difficult to select;
   
3. 
   due to the above point it is important for the content in the syllabus to have a high surrender value.
   

The most relevant ESP features are:

1. 
   the focus is on training;
   
2. 
   as English is intended to be used in specific vocational contexts, the selection of the appropriate content is easier;
   
3. 
   it is important for the content in the syllabus to have a high surrender value, most relevant to the vocational context;
   
4. 
   the aim may be to create a restricted English competence.
   

Teaching practice is an important phase of teacher education that provides opportunities for teachers to reflect on their developing teaching philosophies and put them into action. This process helps teachers to bridge the gap between theory and practice, to step into the professional teaching environment by sharing, cooperating, and collaborating with their more experienced peers, and to observe seasoned teachers in the classroom.
Changes in the modem educational system in Uzbekistan make the training and professionalism of teachers necessary i.e. improvement of their professional competence. The main purpose of modem education is to match current and future needs of the individual, society and the state, the preparation of multi-developed personality of a citizen of the country, capable to social adaptation in the society, to the beginning of employment, self-education and self-improvement. An open- minded teacher, predicting the results of his operations and modeling educational process is a guarantee of achieving the goals. That is why nowadays demand for skilled, creative, competitive teacher, being able to educate a person in a modem, rapidly changing world has sharply increased.
The term '’professional competence" had been actively used since 90s of the last century and the concept became the subject of a special, comprehensive study of many researchers dealing with educational activities. In the given article the author is attempting to emphasize some points of research, revealing actual problems of teaching process and methodology and what solutions can be implemented to the mentioned problems.
Under the professional competence of teachers one can understand a set of professional and personal skills required for successful teaching. It wouldn't be inappropriate to state that those ones can be called professionally competent teachers, who carry out teacher communication and various teaching activities on a high level, consistently achieving excellent results in training and educating the students.
The development of professional competence means the development of creative individuality, susceptibility to the formation of educational innovations, ability to adapt to a changing in the educational environment. Professional level of teachers is directly related to socio-economic and spiritual development of society.
On the basis of modem requirements, it became possible to identify the main ways of development of professional competence of the teacher:

1. 
   Working in the teaching unions, creative groups;
   
2. 
   Researching, experimental activities;
   
3. 
   Innovative activities, development of new educational technologies;
   
4. 
   Various forms of educational support;
   
5. 
   Active participation in educational competitions, workshops, master classes, forums and festivals;
   
6. 
   Summarizing own teaching experience;
   
7. 
   Using Informational Computer Technology (ICT).
   

But none of these methods will be effective if the teacher himself/herself is not aware of the need to improve their own professional competence. Therefore follows the need to motivate and create favorable conditions for teacher professional progress. It is very essential to create the conditions in which the teachers realize own needs to improve their professional qualities. Analysis of personal pedagogical experience activates professional self-development of the teacher, resulting in developing skills in research activities, which are later integrated into a teaching activity. The teacher should be involved in the development of higher educational establishment management that promotes the development of his professionalism.
While making the research the authors of given article distributed questionnaires in the target groups which included students of different courses and proposed to evaluate their teachers’ competence in the framework of teaching foreign languages, the same quiz was organized together with teaching staff of various higher educational institutions. Conclusion of analyzed data provided by students and teachers adduced that the majority of students (about 70 per cent) consider implementing of ICT by the teachers during the lessons not sufficient enough and the percent of data showing frequency of teacher’s consultation for students was not so high (about 20 per cent) as well, whereas the participation in different kinds of teacher-training seminars came only to 10 per cent of teaching staff.
Development of professional competence is a dynamic process of incorporation and modernization of professional experience leading to the development of individual competencies, the accumulation of professional experience, involving ongoing development and self-improvement.
The process of formation of professional competence as much depends on the environment, so the environment should encourage professional self-development. This is both the system of incentives for employees, and various forms of teacher monitoring, which may include questionnaires, tests, interviews, and intra-institutional events to share experiences, competitions, and the presentation of their own achievements. These forms of stimulation can reduce the level of emotional anxiety of the teacher and influence the formation of beneficial psychological atmosphere in the team.
Various prominent scholars were engaged in the research of the study of the professional competence, among them are: Guskey, T. R. “Staff development and the process of teacher change” (1986) and “Evaluating professional development” (2000), Hamilton, J. “Inspiring innovations in language teaching” (1996). J.K. Babansky, B.G. Ananiev, T. Shamova and others. There have been mentioned following aspects of pedagogical competence in the works of these researchers:

• 
  the management aspect: as a teacher analyzes, plans, organizes, supervises and regulates the relationship with the educational process of students;
  
• 
  the psychological aspect: in what way the identity of teachers influences
  

to students as the teacher takes into consideration the individual abilities of students;

• 
  the pedagogical aspect: in what forms and methods the teacher is teaching students. The professional competence of teachers is a set of skills to structure scientific and practical knowledge for better decisions of pedagogical and educational goals.
  

Key indicators of professional competence of teachers of foreign languages include the necessity to develop skills in students’ communicative and interpersonal communication, components of which are linguistic, thematic, socio-culturai, educational and cognitive competence.
Basing on the above-mentioned points the authors are trying to create conditions for the revealing of self-reliance and creativity of students in solving communication problems in pedagogical activity, thereby allowing students to see their own development and achievements. Reflexive competence means the real characteristics of learning opportunities for the student and the ability of English language teacher to determine the type of lesson in accordance with the objectives and content of educational material to justify the selection of its content and optimality of the selected methods and techniques of training, i.e. skillfully relate learning theory to practice, the ability to project the received data on the individual potential of a particular individual student and specific learning environment.
The success of students’ activities in the English classes depends on how the teacher has laid the basis of students’ motivation for learning and self-education. Informational technological competence of teachers of foreign language called to play a big role in it. Indicators of that competence include mastering proper computer skills as well as knowledge of modem teaching technologies to find necessary information and analyze it.
Currently, there are many classifications for assessing the professional competence of teachers of foreign languages. So, the authors suggest considering the classification developed by the methodologist LA. Zimnyaya:
The socio-cultural competence:

• 
  Cross-cultural interaction;
  
• 
  Language and speech development* learning culture of the native and foreign languages;
  

The competence of the personal self-improvement and self-development

• 
  Self-improvement, self-regulation and self-development;
  
• 
  social, personal, and activity-reflection;
  

Information technology expertise

• 
  Mastery of computer skills to find and expeditious processing of necessary information;
  
• 
  Use of modern information technologies in the educational-cognitive activity of teachers of foreign languages
  

Thus, the competence of a teacher means a synthesis of professionalism (special, methodical, psychological and pedagogical training), work (work relations, the learning process itself, the optimal use of resources, techniques, and training methods) and arts (acting and oratory.) And nowadays it is evident that the simple combination of knowledge is not able to “form" competent professional specialist, the teacher educating the current generation must have a great sense of responsibility. The purpose of teaching involves the formation of new concepts and methods of operation at the students and the system of scientific knowledge. The purpose of education involves the formation of personality traits and certain traits of character at students as well. The purpose of the development involves primarily the development of the students’ mental qualities at the lesson: intelligence (thinking, cognitive, social and political skills), will and self-sufficiency.
One of the key points is the choice of methods and techniques of training. There has been developed a system of methods in the framework of the theory of developmental education, based on the principle of goal-setting (reflecting a system of goals and student learning), the principle of the binary (reflecting the nature of the interaction of teacher and student) and the principle of problematic (reflecting the presence of contradictions in the learning process and the subject).
Today the educational system of all the European countries is on the way of transition to the competence model of development. In order to understand the overall competence educational scheme it is very important to examine and analyze European experience in this sphere.
“Competence” or “competency" is: 1) the ability to do something well; 2) a skill needed to do a particular job; 3) a standardized requirement for an individual to properly perform a specific job (after Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English).
But in spite of the existence of great number of scientific works, articles, documents belonging to the problem of the competence approach in the system of teachers’ education in European countries, today there is no single unified classification of professional competences, essential for secondary school teachers to fulfill their professional functions successfully.
It was considered that European teachers’ professional competences should include such components as:

1. 
   European identity. European teacher is conscious with his own national roots and general union of European peoples. Teacher’s values make it possible for him to teach not only in frameworks of the national programmes but far out of their limits. The key aspect of European identity is teacher’s readiness to accept the differences and to treat the whole world with respect.
   
2. 
   European knowledge which comprises teacher’s outlook of educational systems peculiarities in different countries. Teachers respect their national educational system and correlate its quality with others. They know features of current world policy, history or regional countries and its influence on modern European development.
   
3. 
   European multiculturalism. European teacher treats his national culture with respect and is ready to accept other cultures. He behaves confidently without domination over other cultures. He works in heterogeneous groups, respects differences and gives his pupils equal opportunities.
   
4. 
   European language competence. European teacher knows more than one European language. Language skills he acquires in the system if life-long pedagogical education. It would be very important for him to spend some period in foreign environment to communicate with authentic language speakers.
   
5. 
   European professionalism. European teacher has got his education due to which he can teach in every European country. He has “European” approach to the process of teaching of his specialised subject which helps him to treat educational material from the point of view of European perspective. He cooperates with European colleagues and takes the best pedagogical traditions. Modern practice of common teacher training programmes and confirmation of unified scientific Degrees in European universities helps to develop European level of professionalism.
   
6. 
   European citizenship. European teacher must work and live as the citizen of Europe accepting such values as people rights respect, democracy, freedom. His critical style of teaching should form autonomous, active citizens of Europe.
   
7. 
   European quality measuring. European teacher training foresees the existing of instruments for comparison of regional countries educational systems formal features. Means of comparability and transparency development, worked out in Bologna and Copenhagen, influenced the process of obstacles elimination in the acception of pedagogical qualifications and in increase of teachers mobility.
   
8. 
   European teachers mobility comprises possibilities of studying abroad, learning of foreign languages, getting acquainted with different national cultures, taking part in exchange programmes of students within the EU, individual job placement abroad. European teacher develops his pupils’ mobility too. Pupils exchange programmes within EU give additional opportunities for education and new understanding of European citizenship.
   

Analysis of European documents made it possible to formulate the model of a professionally competent European teacher. This model is represented on the scheme 1. Judging from the scheme professional competences of European teachers may be divided into the following groups: key competences; basic competences; specialised or subject competences.