On March 12, 2019, according to the Plan of development of cooperation of the L.N. Gumilyov ENU with Belarusian universities, the teaching staff of the Foreign Languages Theory and Practice Department of the Faculty of Philology together with the Kazakh-Belarus Center for Scientific and Technical Cooperation of the L.N. Gumilyov ENU conducted International Online Discussions “FOREIGN LANGUAGES IN THE MODERN WORLD. TEACHING THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE AT UNIVERSITY AND SCHOOL”. Partners of the online discussion became leading universities of the near abroad: the Francisk Skorina Gomel State University, the Republic of Belarus, and the Moscow City University, the Russian Federation.
A welcoming speech on behalf of L.N. Gumilyov ENU was made by Head of the Kazakh-Belarus Center for Scientific and Technical Cooperation, Doctor of Biological Sciences, Professor Yerkin Tazabekova. Cooperation with the Francisk Skorina Gomel State University. began in October 2018 during online negotiations with the leadership of the university and, in particular, with representatives of the foreign languages faculty. All the department heads of the ENU Faculty of Philology took part in these negotiations, during which it was decided to proceed to closer cooperation on several aspects: organizing and conducting joint seminars and conferences, exchanging teachers and students, scientific internships for undergraduates and doctoral students, joint supervision of doctoral theses and much more.
One of the first results of online negotiations between ENU and GSU held in October 2018 became the International Online Discussions of the departments of the two partner universities that train foreign language teachers for schools and universities. The initiators of such a joint scientific event were Head of the Foreign Languages Theory and Practice Department of the L.N. Gumilyov ENU Zhanna Beisembayeva and Dean of the foreign languages faculty of the F.Skorina Gomel State University Yelena Sazhina.
A welcoming speech on behalf of the Francisk Skorina Gomel State University was made by Vice-Rector for Scientific Work, Doctor of Technical Sciences, Professor Oleg Demidenko.
Moderators of the scientific and methodological event were appointed on both sides: from L.N. Gumilyov ENU it was Dean of the Faculty of Philology, Doctor of Philology, Professor Sholpan Zharkynbekova and from the F.Skorina GSU – Dean of the foreign languages faculty, Candidate of Philological Sciences, Associate Professor Yelena Sazhina.
The main speakers of online discussions on modern methods of foreign language teaching were 2 representatives from the three universities.
Jose Umberto Baeza Estrada (USA – Mexico), foreign teacher at Foreign Languages Theory and Practice Department of the L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University, the master of pedagogical sciences, made a presentation on “Teaching Tips in Making Students More Interested in English Classes” and shared his experience in working with university students. Today, each teacher is faced with the same dilemma: how to interest students in their course. Jose Umberto Baeza Estrada has 18 years of experience working with foreign students in the USA, Mexico, Canada, and China. The teacher suggested to the participants of discussions several approaches in working with students and in performance of independent and additional work by them.
Akzhan Abdykhalykova, Candidate of Pedagogical Sciences, Acting Professor of the Foreign Languages Theory and Practice Department of the L.N. Gumilyov ENU made a presentation on the topic “The Use of Multimedia Technologies in Modern Foreign Language Education.” Akzhan Abdykhalykova also has extensive experience in high school, and reads such author courses as “Multimedia Technology in FLT”, “CLIL in FLT”, “STEM in FLT”, “E-learning in FLT”. The presentation prepared by the professor interested all participants, which caused a lot of positive comments and questions.
The teaching staff of the Moscow City University presented no less interesting and relevant to the modern system of higher education reports: “Scientific School“ Intercultural Foreign Language Education in the XXI Century” from Professor of the English Language and Business Communication Department, Doctor of Pedagogical Sciences, Professor Nataliya Yazykova and the report “Modeling the Process of Learning a Foreign Language as a Specialty in Non-Linguistic Universities” from Head of the Romance Philology Department of the Foreign Languages Institute, Candidate of Philological Sciences, Associate Professor Yelena Cherkashina.
International online discussions of the three universities – now new partners – finished with active discussions moderated by Candidate of Pedagogical Sciences, Acting Professor of the Foreign Languages Theory and Practice Department at L.N. Gumilyov ENU Roza Zhusupova. Undergraduates and students of the educational program “Foreign Language: Two Foreign Languages” took an active part in the discussions and made concrete conclusions for themselves.
We would like to especially thank the organizing committee of the International Online Discussions, namely: Rosa Zhusupova, Acting Professor of the Foreign Languages Theory and Practice Department, the L.N. Gumilyov ENU, Nataliya Nason, Deputy Dean for Scientific Work of the Foreign Languages Faculty, the F. Skorina GSU and Madina Kozhakanova, Assistant Professor of the Foreign Languages Theory and Practice Department of the L.N. Gumilyov ENU.
