Good English - Higher School problem

The state of knowledge of graduates of universities of natural science specialties in the field of English is terribly and does not correspond to its current role in the world scientific community. This thesis is so obvious that it does not need special evidence. It is enough to view the "English-Russian" annotations and texts composed by domestic authors. Most articles presented in English in foreign magazines deviate due to the low quality of the language and need almost complete processing in the editorial offices or among specialists-native speakers. Rare exceptions only confirm this general pattern. It has been experimentally established that it is not possible to change the current situation with any therapeutic measures. We need a radical restructuring of the entire system of language training.

It must be realized that English teachers have a linguistic education, that is, none of them own the specifics of the scientific dialect of physicists or mathematicians. The preparation of teachers since Soviet times is tuned to the level of "read and I can explain." At the same time, news information, tourism, etc. is implied in the same way. Skills that are useful in principle for life, but do not provide the possibility of satisfactory, if not impeccable, presentation of their own materials in English.

It is necessary to understand that there will be no other teachers in the foreseeable future in the country and that no language native speakers are at all able to prepare a specialist in every narrow scientific specialty. The existing teaching staff of universities in foreign languages ​​is quite competent for teaching students the ability to read with a dictionary and explain to general topics. To prepare students for the use of English as the main communicative means of professional communication, the composition of teachers in our universities is not able to in principle. Meanwhile, the necessary skills can be brought up throughout the year in the magistracy.

The training in foreign languages ​​of bachelors and masters should be significantly reformed. It makes no sense to finish the English language of those who have not mastered them at an acceptable level at school in several years. The undergraduate and specialty of non -linguistic specialties should be assumed two additional foreign languages ​​for the available. Teaching students at the level of “Read and explain” is a completely feasible task for which graduates of language specialties are being prepared. For such preparation, two -west courses are enough. Choice languages ​​should be determined by the qualifications of teachers of this university. Mandatory is the mastery of the basics of two new foreign languages ​​at the level of “read and can explain” in addition to the language received at school. Continuing training in the language already mastered at school is an optional matter for undergraduate. The natural set of such additional languages, taking into account the teaching base, is apparently French, Spanish and German.

The magistracy is quite able to train specialists who are able to use English as a means of professional communication. The magistracy should not focus on TOEFL, but on the ability of a graduate to understand scientific reports in his specialty, teach his abilities to impeccably write the theses of his report in English and read them with acceptable pronunciation. Each master's work should contain a detailed annotation in English, and the assessment of the thesis cannot be higher than the assessment of this annotation.

Language training of undergraduates should be carried out with the participation and control of the issuing departments. Special and general courses of the departments should have glossaries of all used scientific terms in English. There must be compulsory abstract seminars of the departments in English, in which you can put the reports of our teachers who believe that they speak English. Using teachers - not native speakers of English for reading special courses can only be as rare exceptions. The fact is that the professor should own not only the language in which he reads, but also the culture of one of the countries in which this language is basic. The quality of oral speech is evaluated by one rough language error - these are the realities of the perception of the language by its native speakers.

Universities have a lot of print media, in which, according to the requirements of the Higher Attestation, annotations are placed in English. Unfortunately, these annotations are full of rude mistakes. Nothing causes more damage to the university than the texts distributed by its graduates and employees in broken English. In the course of proposals aimed at improving the situation based on attracting English teachers and several native speakers. Unfortunately, these sentences are illusory, because the teachers of the English language departments in general and several native speakers do not have expert knowledge in all sections of science taught at the university. They cannot ensure a qualified translation of non -formal materials in principle, as they cannot independently prepare specialists who can adequately translate their own scientific texts. An impeccable translation requires primarily an understanding of the translated and only in the second - possessions of the general grammar and style of the language. It is no coincidence that experts of the English language department are practically not involved in translated programs of leading natural scientific journals in which translations and editing are carried out, as a rule, by specialists with scientists of the degrees in the specialties presented in the journals.

Fortunately, among English texts published even in university collections, they are found in small numbers and impeccable, written by university employees. Therefore, these employees are basically not involved in editing other works. Here it is worth thinking about the reorganization and unification of the work of all kinds of "messengers". Perhaps it is worth taking the correct organizational form in which each specialized “messenger” will become a series of general publication, where there will be an authoritative editorial council, for example, from the chief editors and other competent and responsible specialists, with the functions of known control and language editing of individual series.