Distance Technologies in Teaching Professional Foreign Languages for Medical Purposes

The article presents the analysis of distant technologies that are utilised by the world methodological society: a set of distance technologies (desktop videoconferencing, e-mail, voicemail, online chat, web-based resources, e-learning platforms), synchronous/asynchronous technologies, m-learning/e-learning technologies. These technologies were analysed from scientific positions concerning their typology, essential characteristics, and linguistic and methodological potential. The authors of the article also provide distance technologies that can be used when teaching Russian language as foreign for medical purposes: synchronous technologies, professional websites, e-learning platforms, e-mails, mobile applications. The verification of distant technologies’ usage is conducted experimentally. The obtained results show that distance learning is useful and should be used in teaching foreign languages for other levels and professional purposes. Not only does the success of distance educational courses depend on the distance technologies that are provided by a teacher, but also we should rely on the consistent and integrated efforts of students, faculty, facilitators, support staff, and administrators. K e y w o r d s: distance learning, teaching professional foreign languages, distance technologies, medical Russian DOI . /IJREL. . . . International Journal of Research in E-learning Vol. ( ), , pp. – Dmitry Guzhelya, Victoria Kurilenko, Yulia Biryukova 6 Nowadays, the significant transformations are taking place in the higher education systems of many countries. It is connected with the digital technologies’ rapid development. Many universities offer both the traditional learning mixed with the elements of distance learning, or just the distance learning or e-learning. The students have got an option of studying at the campus or at home, preparing for the classes and doing tests online. In scientific and methodological literature, one can find a variety of definitions of distance learning or e-learning. Many scientists find out some characteristics that are different from the traditional learning. First of all, it is the separation of the teacher and the learner, and special relationship between each other, anticipation of the two-way communication, saving time for the learner and the institute (Unwin & Mc Aleese, 1988; Liu & Ginther, 1999; Schlosser et al., 2002, 2009; Arafeh, 2004; Chongwony, 2008). Informatisation and digitalisation can be recognised as the leading trends of the modern stage of development of the world educational systems. The introduction of distant digital technologies can significantly optimise the process of educational training and gives the opportunities for the use of innovative resources that provide high-quality, intensive, personality-oriented learning interaction. Teachers of foreign languages (including teaching foreign languages for professional purposes) are actively involved into the development of technologies of distance language education: in recent years, a large number of effective electronic language educational tools of various genres and formats have been created, allowing to solve both complex and aspect problems of formation and development of professional and communicative competence of foreign specialists. For cultural and language training of foreign medical specialists, specialised sites, electronic textbooks, and manuals are developed. The teachers of Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia are creating a network professionally-oriented module “Test of Russian as a foreign language (levels B1–B2).” Distance professionally-oriented training in a foreign language is in a great demand for two categories of students. The first category includes foreigners who plan to study in foreign countries. If the foreigner is going to enter the medical university in another country and he or she does not have an opportunity to come and study at the preparatory faculty or local language courses to be able to become a student the following year, the distance education will be the only appropriate way of language learning for future studying. Another referent group that in most cases would choose the distance learning may be represented by a professional group of post-graduate students (doctors, provisors, etc.) that finished the basic education in foreign medical university but need to improve the skills of professional communication on this or that purpose. In recent years, this direction has been significantly updated in Russia. Currently, medical tourism is extremely popular among Russian patients; its geography includes both European and Asian destinations. In addition, the active Distance Technologies in Teaching Professional Foreign Languages for Medical Purposes 7 development of telecommunication medical technologies in Russian Federation has led to the emergence of dozens of foreign medical organisations offering online consulting, international medical web-co-meetings, network conferences, etc. As a rule, the practitioners have no time to study in extensive mode. Or the reason to study in the individual educational route may be that the foreign language is learnt outside the language environment. It happens in case the person studies in a foreign country for some years and then he or she returns back home, and it is necessary for him or her to continue improving the skills of Russian grammar and learn new terms, for example. While teaching professional language for medical purposes, distance learning undoubtedly plays an important role. In order for this training to be effective and efficient, when creating distance learning courses, teachers need to use a variety of distance technologies that allow interactive online communication of students and teachers in the learning process. They give the learner autonomy in the process of studying. Let us take a closer look at distance technologies and electronic resources offered by the modern methodological community. We will analyse scientific positions concerning their typology, essential characteristics, and linguistic and methodological potential.