SOCIAL NETWORKS AS A TOOL FOR DEVELOPMENT FOREING GRAMMAR COMPETENCE OF UNIVERSITY STUDENTS

Abstract

It has been commonly agreed that social networks is an educational tool related to interests and needs of a modern student. We may use it as a connector between participants of educational process: teachers may reach their students outside limited classroom activity and motivate them to further study in a non-formal atmosphere.

The article discusses possibilities of using social networks (Facebook) and digital applications (like, Viber) to develop grammar competence of students through blogging, texting, posting. Having organized a small focus group, we were able to: define functions and skills which are required when you enter networks for educational purposes; understand the drawbacks of using social networks and describe the support expected from a teacher; advise on the pace and tasks used in virtual classes. Dynamics of cosmopolitan societies demand knowledge of international communicative ethics which, due to IT progress, is required during e-mailing, on-line discussions and meetings, participation in distant conferences. Modern student is a researcher who can do both – collect and share information with the outer world.

There’s also much space for personal development: students learn to promote their skills, communicate in virtual profession-oriented environment, form cross-cultural verbal literacy, improve soft skills and interpersonal cooperation, analyze and correct own grammar mistakes as well as accumulate experience of other group members. Knowing the methodology of up-to-date practices, teacher can motivate to educative on-line communication: writing blogs, posting on latest events, commenting to daily tasks in viber-community. Active learning demonstrates results of study immediately – staying verbally active 24/7, students see the perspective of own future mobility.

We have concluded that there’s an urge necessity for professional upgrade of teachers, as using social networks for specific educative purposes demands personal mobility, compute proficiency, readiness to work outside formal classroom, responsibility for creation of informal study material and content choice, psychological competence, people skills.

Key words: social networks, mobility, modern educational tool, digital competence, blogging, virtual class.