PECULIARITIES OF USING CASE STUDY IN TEACHING GENERAL ENGLISH

This paper examines the features of organizing a case study when teaching General English to non-linguistic students. A case study is widely used in modern higher professional education for teaching a variety of disciplines. Its popularity is associated with the high requirements of employers to graduates and the wide possibilities which this technology suggests in terms of general professional competencies formation. The use of the case study allows the teacher to transform a student from a passive recipient of information into an active subject. A case study has also proven itself efficient in teaching foreign languages. The author clarifies the concept of a case in relation to General English teaching, describes situations and problems that can be used to construct cases. Also, the place of this type of educational work in the curriculum is determined, and the rationale for the use of a case study at the concluding lessons of a lexical theme is given. The paper offers recommendations for choosing the volume and structure of such cases. Special attention is given to the selection of the media for the case material presentation. The experience of the practical application of the case study with students doing the course of General English allows the author to formulate methodological recommendations for case development and modeling. Such stages as formulating a problem, selecting a situation, processing and formatting the text, planning a procedure for conducting the case, evaluating students’ contribution, and reflecting on the results are suggested. The paper outlines a general scheme for a case study class where three main stages are distinguished (pre-text, text, and post-text), and a description of various types of student activities for each of them is given. In conclusion, the author confirms the supposition that a case study might be effectively applied in General English teaching.