XII Международная студенческая научная конференция Студенческий научный форум - 2020

It is no secret that studying at universities and colleges sponsored by governmental agencies has a number of peculiarities. Yesterday's graduates of schools, entering the service of the internal affairs bodies, are subjected to an increased level of stress compared to students of civilian universities. The solution to this problem requires the united work of not only special psychological services and departments, but also the introduction of elements of psychological practice in the classroom.

This paper offers a number of activities that can be used when teaching cadets English as a foreign language. Not only do they help practice various grammatical or lexical issues, but also boost motivation to study English and make cadets feel at ease in the classroom.

Mood Gage. On the blackboard and in the notebooks, cadets draw a fuel gauge with the divisions Depleted, Meh, OK, Good, Energized. The teacher suggests noting the level corresponding to the mood of the students, as well as commenting on why they feel this way. At the second stage of the assignment, it is proposed to offer ways to improve mood (buy and eat chocolate, call parents, listen to music, etc.). The cadets feel the teacher’s interest in their life, learn to realize that our mood is our own decision, and that even if everything does not go the way we want, we have a choice - to lose heart about this or do something to start Feel different. From a psychological point of view, exercise develops a level of responsibility for one’s life. The developed language material includes adjectives and verbs of feelings, modal constructions of I can / could, etc.

10 Things I like. Cadets make a list of 10 things that they like doing, having previously stipulated that obvious things, such as love for parents or homeland, are omitted and attention is paid to those activities that bring pleasure to students. This exercise shows the teacher’s interest in the student’s life, and also allows classmates to get to know each other better and ask additional questions, while training different grammatical constructions (I like / enjoy / love doing something. When do you enjoy running?).

5 Good Things that Happened to Me Today / Yesterday. Very often cadets are not very good at answering the teacher’s question about what new / good happened in life. The specificity of the daily routine in departmental educational institutions, in fact, dictates its own conditions for perceiving reality. This exercise allows you to practice past tenses and teaches cadets to see the good in simple everyday things: a cup of delicious tea, a call home, a good grade, a sunny day, a book you have finished reading etc.

What I want to Do Right Now VS What I Have to Do Right Now. Cadets make a list of 3-5 duties that they need to perform today / tomorrow / per week, next to each point they note how they feel about this need. Next, a list of things they would like to do is made, also with a note on the emotions each activity provokes. After presenting the lists, the teacher draws attention to the “need to do” list and asks cadets to comment on 2 scenarios: what will happen if the duty is done, and what are the consequences of ignoring or poorly performing the tasks facing them. Exercise allows you to learn to see that our attitude to the matter is also our choice. We may suffer from the need to be on duty, but we can’t change it in anyway, so another way is to see the consequences of not fulfilling this task and focus on the positive aspects of its implementation. During the exercise, cadets enthusiastically talk about their lives and their responsibilities and do not even notice how they learn the grammatical constructions I have to, I need, I want to, etc.

Positive gossiping. The exercise is performed in a group of three people. Two cadets gossip about one of the classmates who actually listens to them. A prerequisite for the exercise is to say only positive things, give good characteristics, and compliment looks and actions. After listening to the dialogue, the third participant is asked to describe the feelings and emotions that he experienced while listening to the conversation, the hero of which he appeared to be. This exercise raises self-esteem, and teaches you to focus on the good.

All the above exercises, in addition to solving educational problems, have a huge educational, developmental and educational value. The ability to think positively is important for every person in the modern society, and especially for cadets. In addition to solving linguistic and psychological problems, such tasks greatly increase the motivation for cadets to learn a foreign language. The versatility of such exercises, coupled with a small amount of time allocated to them, makes their use in the classroom very effective.