On January 12, 2018, the foreign languages department of the philology faculty held a scientific and methodological seminar "Multilingual education implementation in the system of modern education" within the partnership of schools and higher educational institutions on the basis of the philology faculty of L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University. Due to the introduction of the requirement of teaching natural science subjects in English in 2017, comprehensive school teachers of Astana were invited to participate in the seminar to share their best practices of teaching chemistry, biology, geography, and physics in English. The teachers who intend to teach natural science subjects in English were also invited.
The key seminar’s objectives and tasks were as follows:
• to study the current situation of implementation of multilingual education in the Republic of Kazakhstan;
• to research the merits and demerits of international experience of multilingual education implementation;
• to determine the perspectives, share the best practices in further development and implementation of multilingual education in Kazakhstan;
• to develop an effective model of multilingual education implementation to meet the requirements of the State Education Development Program in the Republic of Kazakhstan.
The seminar was attended by 35 teachers of lyceum schools No. 71, No. 53, No. 1, gymnasium schools No. 31 and No. 5, comprehensive schools No. 61 and No. 31, English teachers of comprehensive schools No. 34, 11, 32, 49, 22, and 75.
The seminar was held in Kazakh, English, and Russian.
The welcome speech was made by D. E. Sagimbayeva, chair of the foreign languages department, candidate of pedagogical sciences, associate professor, D.K. Kurmanayeva, seminar moderator, candidate of pedagogical sciences, senior teacher, A.T Mendybayeva, methodologist of "Global Grand” Science & Education center of Astana, K.O. Erzhanova, top category English teacher of comprehensive school No. 53, the Excellence Center first level teacher, English textbooks expert.
Senior lecturer of foreign languages department G.M. Toguzbayeva told about the specifics of multilingual education in ENU in her report "The multilingualism through the eyes of L.N. Gumilev ENU students". The speaker provided the results of the survey of ENU undergraduates and master students and highlighted the connection of the multilingualism with the tolerance of a person. The department lecturer A. Bakhyt told in her English report "Different challenges and different solutions in Second language Acquisition" about the international experience of multilingual education implementation with the focus on the USA where she received her master degree. The chemistry teachers of NURORDA lyceum school, A.T. Syzdykov, in his speech "Methodology of solving high school chemistry problems in English" and lyceum school No. 1 of Astana, E.B. Kaliakbarova, in her report "Using the strategies of scaffolding in chemistry lessons" focused on key aspects of teaching chemistry at comprehensive school based on CLIL (Content and Language Integrated Learning) and demonstrated some lesson parts. The speakers addressed the challenges that might be faced in course of introduction of this technology in educational process. The geography teacher of gymnasium school No. 31, A.K. Kazhkenova who interned in Finland under the International Bolashak Program, shared her best practices in her report "The integrated course "Global Geography". The top category biology teacher of school No. 31, Zh.S. Saduakassova, in her report "Methods and techniques of teaching biology in English in the context of CLIL" also demonstrated CLIL-based biology teaching. During the debates, the methodologist of "Global Grand" Science & Education Center, A.T. Mendybayeva, G.Zh. Khassanova, chemistry teacher of gymnasium school No. 5, N. Eshimov, physics teacher of school No. 61, shared their views of teaching natural science subjects in English, asked the foreign languages department lecturers to consult schools teachers on the language program. In their turn, senior teachers of the foreign languages department, masters A.H. Nurpeissova and G.S. Kasbayeva asked about the contingent of rural school teachers and the quality of teaching English at primary school, suggested the options of voluntary consultation and cooperation based on Nurorda Lyceum School practice. Summarizing the speeches of the invited teachers, candidate of pedagogical sciences, associate professor of the department, G.Z. Moldakhmetova, based on the Address of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev to the people of Kazakhstan dated January 10, 2018 "New development opportunities in the conditions of the fourth industrial revolution", noted that in course of transitioning of secondary education to the updated content, ENU will solve the issues of retraining of school teachers of natural sciences in English. The Foreign Languages Department will hold master classes for university and school teachers. She also suggested school teachers, within the framework of the partnership between schools and universities, to take part in an international webinar scheduled for this March. N.A. Ustelimova, candidate of pedagogical sciences, associate professor, thanked the seminar participants for their interest and noted that the scientific and methodological seminar was held in pilot mode, and expressed the hope that the cooperation would be continued in another format.
Summing up the seminar work, participants expressed positive opinions on the relevance of the issues discussed, the novelty and the value of the information received for future practices. Astana schools teachers wished to further cooperate with the Foreign Languages Department of the Philology Faculty via different seminars and master classes. Certificates and notebooks were presented to all school teachers at the end of the seminar.
