Advantages of cooperative methods in teaching professionally-oriented foreign languages to students of technical universities

Abstract

The major cause of the given study is the urgent necessity to develop effective information and communication technologies to employ in teaching professionally-oriented foreign language to students of technical universities. The digital transformation in teaching practices makes both educators and theorists search for new teaching methods and technologies. Collaborative learning or leaning in cooperation is an advanced educational approach that aims to facilitate students learning. This study is focused on describing theoretical foundations, analyzing practical application, and examining advantages of collaborative learning technologies in comparison with traditional ones. The paper defines the concept, main principles, and implementation stages of this method, as well as advantages and potential of collaborative learning. We have revealed that collaborative learning greatly contributes to an increase of the language proficiency level and to the development of professional communicative competence in foreign languages. The study was carried out using a wide array of theoretical methods, including investigation, description, review and analysis of literature in the field of teaching foreign languages to students of technical universities. The findings of our study might be useful for both education theorists and practitioners who are interested in cooperative methods and their usage as classroom activities. To further our research, we intend to analyze the use of collaborative learning technology, expand its possibilities and enhance the efficiency of its application in teaching foreign languages at technical universities.