Comparative method of teaching the second foreign language at non-linguistic universities (teaching French based on English)

Abstract

The research aims to prove the effectiveness of a comparative method in teaching French as the second foreign language at a non-linguistic university based on English at different language proficiency levels. The cases of using the comparative analysis in teaching French based on English at different language proficiency levels have been described and the efficiency of this method has been evaluated. The scientific novelty of the research lies in the fact that for the first time the key aspects of comparing French and English on phonetic, grammatical and lexical levels have been identified on the basis of the experience of teaching French as the second foreign language to students training in tourism and hotel business. As a result, the effectiveness of the comparative method used in teaching French has been proved on the condition of students’ confident knowledge of English as the first foreign language. It has been stated that the comparative method has more advantages than disadvantages. The advantages of the comparative method include overcoming students’ psychological barrier and increasing their motivation, eliminating the difficulties in learning the phonetic system of the French language and students’ easier acquisition of common vocabulary and terminology of tourism and hospitality industry.