Effects of Bilingualism on Students’ Linguistic Education: Specifics of Teaching Phonetics and Lexicology

Abstract

In the study of English in a bylingual environment, issues related to the need to develop students' phonetic and lexical competencies, which include communication, phonetic and auditory skills and lexical sufficiency, are of particular relevance. The motive of this study is the need to improve the methodology of teaching English in the context of student immersion in a foreign language educational environment, by implementing additional thematic courses in the general educational program aimed at improving the phonetic and lexical competencies necessary for successful learning in a bilingual environment. The purpose of the article is to study the feasibility and effectiveness of studying phonetics and lexicology by students-translators who study in a bilingual educational environment. An educational experiment was conducted with the participation of 75 students-translators, in the educational process of which the disciplines of phonetics and lexicology were integrated for two academic hours per week for one year. The effectiveness of studying phonetics and lexicology within the framework of bilingual education has been proved and the skills and achievements of students that they have acquired in the process of bilingual education with an emphasis on phonetics and lexicology have been analyzed. Control tests yielded the following results: among the 46 Russian-speaking participants the percentage of English speakers at the C2 level was 7% (3 people), C1—79% (36 people), B2—14% (7 people). To achieve the most effective learning in a bilingual environment, especially when it takes place in a minority language, it is worth emphasizing students' learning of phonetics and vocabulary. Using this approach, students were able to form and develop a number of phonetic and lexical skills and improve academic performance.

Appendices

Appendix 1

Grammar: Choose One Correct Answer

Reading: Read an Article About Penguins and for Questions 11 to 17, Choose the correct Answers

Learning from Penguin Poop

The unique features of penguin poop have allowed scientists to make a remarkable discovery. The faeces of Adelie penguins, which live along the Antarctic coast and its islands, have a unique colour. They are bright pink due to the penguins’ diet, which consists largely of pink creatures called krill. They eat so much of it that their plentiful poop stains the ground on which they live, as well as their own bodies. Moreover, they produce so much poop that the pink stains can be seen from space.

This attribute has been useful for scientists studying these birds, as it has allowed them to locate colonies of penguins using satellite images. It isn’t possible to see individual penguins in satellite photos, but the pink stains are easy to identify. Scientists can even estimate the size of the colony from the size of the pink area.

Researchers using this method were, until recently, reasonably certain that they knew the whereabouts of all the Adelie penguin colonies on the continent. However, a colleague at NASA then developed an algorithm which automatically detected these stains, rather than finding them by human eye. The computer programme identified many more pink patches that the researchers had previously overlooked, particularly in the Danger Islands.

Researcher Heather Lynch admitted that the researchers had probably missed these colonies because they never expected to find them there. As the name suggests, the Danger Islands are difficult to get to and are almost always covered in sea ice. They are so small that they don’t even appear on many maps of Antarctica. However, once the researchers were aware of the colonies, they completed a full survey. They discovered 1.5 million penguins in this small area, more than in the rest of Antarctica.

Although this seems a large number, research findings suggest that it is lower than previous years. By studying satellite images from the past, which date back to 1982, the team were able to deduce that penguin numbers peaked in the late 1990s, and have since declined by 10–20%. Krill fishing is one of the main causes for the population decline of penguins in Antarctica, but because the Danger Islands are normally surrounded by sea ice, there is less human activity here than in other parts of the continent. This leads researchers to believe that the recent decline is due to other factors, such as climate change.

The scientists are now conducting research in the area to better understand the species and the long-term health of the colonies. One team, for example, is analysing the colour and content of the poop to investigate changes in the birds’ diet. This can show the extent to which penguins are affected by commercial fishing. Another is digging holes to learn more about the penguins’ past. By radiocarbon dating the bones and eggshells found in these holes, the team have discovered that the penguins have been inhabiting these islands since 2,800 years ago. By learning more about the penguin population of Antarctica, the team hopes to understand more about the impact of human activity on the natural world.

Listening. Watch a Video About the Future of Airport Security. Decide if the Following Statements are True or False.

18. In Vancouver airport, they are concerned about the security in the airport premises.

19. They have implemented security measures similar to those used in Istanbul.

20. Don Ehrenholz gives us an idea of what the new security measures are.

21. The objective is to obstruct, as much as possible, the action of any potential terrorists.

22. Other countries have also taken extraordinary security measures, but many of them only after being attacked by terrorists.

23. In Moscow the terrorists had to go through a security check to get into the airport buildings.

24. In Glasgow airport the terrorist attack caused no casualties.

Writing: Check the ‘Explanation’ Tab Above Before Doing These Exercises. Read the Following for and Against Essay Sample. For Each Gap, Choose the Correct Option from the Expressions in the Box Below

Having an only child is easier for parents and better for kids.

Several centuries ago, it was unbelievable that having only one child could have any advantages. The higher number of children, the bigger opportunities your family had to survive. 23 _ nowadays families with just one child are most common. And as a parent, you will ask yourself what are the advantages and disadvantages of being or having an only child.

24 _ for parents who have just one child is that they need to spend less money and time and can survive with just a small two-bedroom house. 25 _, an only child doesn’t have to share anything, and they get all their parents’ attention and affection. 26 _ of only children is that having just one child prevents traditional problems related to the partition of the parents’ last will. 27 _, there are also well-known disadvantages. 28 _, only children tend to become more selfish and have a more difficult personality. 29 _, if you have a brother or sister, you will always have someone to play with or talk to if you need help or advice. And 30 _ you are the centre of the universe as a child, when your parents grow old, you will be the only one to look after them.

31 _, either having or being an only child has numerous advantages and disadvantages, and if you are thinking of becoming a parent, you will have to think carefully what you believe is the best for you as a parent, but also for your child.

Appendix 2

Grammar: Choose One Correct Answer

Reading: Read an Article About Personality and Health, and the Correct Answer

Personality and Health

There is increasing evidence that health is linked to personality. However, until now, the relationship has not affected the way health care is delivered. There are several reasons for this. Some health workers doubt whether there is a direct link between health and personality or whether it’s just a coincidence. Some feel it is their professional duty to treat all patients in the same way. Others argue that delivering health services according to patients’ personalities will have minimal impact and therefore isn’t worth the effort. However, some psychologists believe that applying different procedures to people with different personalities could have a significant, positive effect on health.

Research into personality has, in recent years, focused on the Big Five model of personality types. This model measures how neurotic, extrovert, open to experience, agreeable and conscientious a person is. Some of these personality types have been studied in relation to health. For example, conscientious people tend to be less likely to smoke, drink too much alcohol or be inactive. However, in other cases, the relationship is less clear. Neurotic behaviour, for instance, has been found in some studies to increase the risk of death, in others to protect people from illness and in others to have no link to health at all.

Even so, if health workers applied an understanding of personality to the services they provide, they could influence the extent to which patients act on advice and follow their treatment. For example, high sensation-seeking individuals, who are extroverts and unconscientious in the Big Five model and tend to take part in risky activities, respond to drama, energy and emotion. Thus, to encourage those people to follow health advice, health promotions can be designed to incorporate those factors. An example of this was the campaign SENTAR which aimed to reduce cannabis use among high sensation-seeking teenagers. By creating a suitable television advert, they successfully engaged these youths and reduced their recreational drug use. Of course, this approach isn’t always possible. It is often impractical and expensive to create several versions of a campaign to reach different personality types. However, recent developments in computer technology, cookies and targeted advertising may allow this approach to be used more in future.

Personality could also be considered when sending messages, information and guidance to specific patients. Already, health information is usually available in various forms—printed, digital, audio, and so on—to be suitable and accessible for different users, such as the blind, the elderly, and people with reading difficulties. Research has also shown that, by identifying different patients’ motivations for treatment and then corresponding with them in a way that reflects their motivations, patients will become more involved in their treatment, compared to when the same messages are sent to everyone. Correspondence could, therefore, be adapted to reflect patients’ personality type, too. For example, less conscientious people could be sent phone reminders to attend appointments. So far, there has been very little research into the effectiveness of tailoring health guidance according to personality, so this area deserves further study.

Until now, the focus of personality-health research has been to explore the link between personality and health and has had very little practical application. Thus, health workers have not engaged deeply with it. However, by suggesting, trialling and implementing practices to engage patients with different personalities, the relationship between psychology researchers and health workers could improve, along with the health of the general public.

Listening. Watch a Video About the Future of Airport Security. Decide if the Following Statements are True or False.

21. Frida Kahlo was born in Mexico City.

22. As a child, she didn't like to play with her sisters, and preferred to be alone.

23. As a child, she loved drawing, but didn't want to be an artist.

24. She began to paint in a hospital bed after a terrible illness.

25. Diego Rivera saw her paintings and approached her to say she could become a professional artist.

26. Diego Rivera wanted to live in the US, but they returned because Frida missed Mexico.

27. Loneliness made Frida feel a lot of pain, which she reflected in her self-portraits.

28. Frida used her art to cope with her difficult life.

Writing: Check the ‘Explanation’ Tab Above Before Doing These Exercises. Read the Following for and Against Essay Sample. For each Gap, Choose the Correct Option From the Expressions in the Box Below

Dear Sir/Madam,

I am writing in 29 _ to the home exchange service that you offer on your website. We are a family of four who have been considering the possibility of exchanging our main home for some time and we would be 30 _ if you could answer a few questions. 31 _, I would like to 32 _ if some kind of insurance is included in the fee that you charge for your services. We have our own home insurer, but we are not sure if we should talk to them before doing an exchange. I would 33 _ some information on this point.

I would 34 _ like to know if pets can be included in the exchange. We have a cat and we do not have anybody to look after him while we are away. Could you tell me if exchanging pets or leaving a pet in the care of the people who are coming to your home is a common practice?

35 _, I would be interested to receive 36 _ information about the confirmation process. Would you 37 _ telling me if there is an exchange contract that needs to be signed before your exchange?

We would appreciate it if you could answer these questions. I look 38 _ to hearing from you.

Yours faithfully,

Stephanie Clark.