Methods and forms of bilingual teaching higher mathematics for future engineers at a technical university

Abstract

Globalization in the spheres of international business and scientific cooperation, the integration of Ukrainian universities into the international scientific and educational space lead to the need to train specialists capable of professional communication in a multicultural environment. For this purpose, in many universities, bilingual education is started, when professional disciplines are taught in a foreign language, which thus acts as a means of studying various subject areas. The purpose of the work is to describe the methods and forms (both general didactic and special) of bilingual teaching mathematics for future engineers in the conditions of a technical university. Both theoretical (systemic analysis, synthesis, generalization, classification, comparison, deduction, induction) and empirical (pedagogical observation, conversation, survey, exchange of work experience, study of the results of pedagogical activity) methods were used in the research. The main methods and forms of bilingual education and the specifics of their application in teaching higher mathematics to students of engineering and technical specialties are analyzed. A number of general didactic methods (reproductive method, directed conversation, teacher’s report, discussion, role-playing game, educational project, contextbased learning, etc.) and the peculiarities of their application in bilingual mathematics education are considered. Special methods were analyzed: immersion (total and soft), methods of language support and specific methods of bilingual teaching (input, bridging-prompting, codeswitching). Learning models are presented that reflect the ratio of native and foreign languages in bilingual education. A wide arsenal of didactic means of bilingual teaching, provided that the teacher has the appropriate methodological qualifications, ensures not only the mastery of mathematics itself, but also provides alternative opportunities for learning a foreign language.

Keywords

• bilingual education
• model of bilingual teaching/learning
• didactic principles
• methods and forms of teaching
• subject-oriented didactic models
• higher mathematics