Distance Learning: Professional Foreign Language Training at Pedagogical University

Abstract

The overall implementation of distance technologies in foreign-language vocational education reveals the need to enhance the methodological development of existing modern teaching tools. Websites with educational content offer a wide variety of online digital learning materials. The question is whether these resources can be effectively implemented in the organization of distance FL learning. Whereas the study is aimed at the analysis of the educational potential of the Surgut State Pedagogical University (SurGPU) electronic learning managing system (LMS) and the selection of authentic online platforms for distance FL learning education. Moreover, the paper task is to describe the results of the presented Internet resources implementation based on students' opinion survey data. The material for the study was various digital resources commonly used by the lecturers of the Linguistic Education and Cross-cultural Communication Department (German and French online platforms as well as the University LMS) and data retrieved from questionnaires and interviews of the Foreign Language direction students. The methods were general theoretical and empirical, including statistical data analysis, critical analysis of the educational material, and the content of the implemented training program. As a result, the authors reveal active but haphazard use of digital educational resources before the outbreak of the pandemic. However, with the transition to global distance learning, FL students note an increase in digital educational materials used in the educational process, as well as their effective use in the organization of distance learning in the system of professional foreign language education.