The Role of the Tutor in the Choice of Pedagogical Management Tools for Autonomous Work in Foreign Languages

Abstract

Introduction. The paper presents the results a study of the implementation of individual educational routes in students’ autonomous foreign language study at a non-linguistic university. Factors determining student motivation and satisfaction with the autonomous study using the Rosetta Stone Advantage platform were considered. The purpose of the study was to find out how tutors manage autonomous work and what ICT tools are used in this process. The relevance of this study is determined by the importance of the implementation of electronic platforms in the process of teaching foreign languages, as well as the need to investigate new forms of management used by tutors in the process of monitoring individual learning activities in electronic educational environment. Materials and Methods.The following methods have been used in this research: a survey with Likert scale, data analysis, semantic interpretation of data and graphical representation of data. The empirical basis of this study includes the results of the survey of students of the Institute of Distance Learning and Open Education at the Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation (Moscow). Results. In the present article it is shown that students can benefit from the integration of electronic platforms in foreign language learning since it provides them with excellent opportunities to choose their own educational content that takes both their professional interests and their present level of foreign language proficiency into account. However, although most students are motivated to use electronic educational platforms in their autonomous work, they need assistance. Tutors play an important role in the organisation of this type of educational activity in terms of explaining how to work with the platform, helping students to choose individual learning routes and providing motivation. Using various ICT tools of pedagogical management, tutors monitor the process of autonomous work and control its results; thus, the individual work of students becomes more ef ficient. Discussion and Conclusion. The results of the research and the discussion of these results with colleagues at scientific conferences and methodological seminars help to determine future perspectives for the successful use of pedagogical management tools in the process of autonomous study on electronic educational platforms. The results of the research have practical value for teachers of foreign languages working in the electronic educational environment.