Грамматика: описание привычек в прошлом при помощи used to и would на уровне А2-В1

Статья освещает особенности обучения слушателей уровня А2-В1 описанию привычек в прошлом, подробно описывая варианты значения, формы, произношения и употребления past simple, used to и would. Статья также затрагивает возможные проблемы усвоения данных конструкции у русскоговорящих слушателей и возможные пути их решения.The article deals with helping lower level learners with talking about past habits with used to, would, past simple; focusing on meaning, form, function and use of these structures. It also describes possible problems of acquiring these structures by Russian speakers and possible solutions to these problems

THE RESULTS OF ENGLISH TEACHING AS A FOREIGN LANGUAGE FOR ACADEMIC STAFF IN THE ARTIFICIAL BILINGUALISM ENVIRONMENT

Introduction. In the conditions of the modern globalization, one of the most significant indicators of competitiveness of the universities is the academic mobility of students, graduate students, teachers and research associates that implies their free and competent enough foreign language skills, first of all English. Yet, until recently, comparatively little attention has been paid to foreign language skills of the Russian academic teaching staff. However, in recent years, with regard to the process acceleration of internationalization of the higher education to provide own effective functioning and remain a demanded one in education and training market, domestic higher education institutions are forced to quickly fill in the gaps of foreign language knowledge among academic teaching staff. The aim of this article is to analyse and describe the tuition outcomes for academic teaching staff based on the official exam results from Cambridge English Language Assessment for three years (2015–2017). Methodology and research methods. The research, which is grounded in interdisciplinary approach and lies at the intersection of psychology, linguistics and pedagogics, was conducted on the basis of the statistical analysis and generalization of mean scores of English language testing results, taking into account qualitative and quantitative standards of speech skills: reading, writing, listening, speaking and use of English (for levels B2, C1). Results and scientific novelty. The essential strengthening and development of the Cambridge English system for level increase of proficiency in English among the Russian academic teaching staff is proved. The data of external peer evaluation provided by exam centre Cambridge English Language Assessment including the foreign language training results of academic teaching staff are analysed. The results obtained show that contrary to the wide-spread opinion that productive skills (speaking and writing) take longer to develop and are difficult to acquire, university teachers demonstrate a different trend: the worst developed skill is listening, then comes reading, writing and speaking. Practical significance. The research provided in the article gives additional understanding of specifics of English training for adults, namely academic teaching staff, and features of their cognitive age processes when foreign language skills acquisition. The materials of the presented publication will be useful to teachers of a foreign language and higher education institution authorities while organizing additional learning foreign languages education in the conditions of artificial bilingualism, also, when teaching programmes updating for the purpose of strengthening of its efficiency. Введение. В условиях всемирной глобализации одним из наиболее ярких показателей конкурентоспособности университетов является академическая мобильность студентов, аспирантов, преподавателей и научных сотрудников, подразумевающая их достаточно свободное и грамотное владение иностранным языком, прежде всего английским. До недавнего времени данное требование не предъявлялось к российским ученым. Однако в последние годы в связи с ускорением процесса интернационализации высшего образования, чтобы обеспечить собственное эффективное функционирование и остаться востребованными на рынке образовательных услуг, отечественные вузы вынуждены оперативно восполнять пробелы в знании иностранного языка у своего профессорско-преподавательского состава (ППС). Цель публикации – описать на основе методики и требований уровневых экзаменов Cambridge English Language Assessment накопленный за три года (2015–2017) опыт оценки результатов обучения английскому языку ППС Уральского федерального университета. Методы и методики. Исследование, которое носит междисциплинарный характер и находится на стыке психологии, лингвистики и педагогики, проводилось на основе статистического анализа и обобщения средних значений результатов тестирования по английскому языку с учетом качественных и количественных оценок речевых навыков: чтения, письма, аудирования и говорения; а также критериев выполнения лексико-грамматической части экзамена (для уровней В2, С1). Результаты и научная новизна. Обоснована необходимость укоренения и развития в вузах системы Cambridge English для повышения уровня владения английским языком ППС. Проанализированы данные внешней экспе тной оценки экзаменационного центра Cambridge English Language Assessment об итогах обучения иностранному языку целевой аудитории – высокоинтеллектуальной элиты федерального вуза. Несмотря на общепринятое мнение о том, что продуктивные навыки (письмо и говорение) формируются дольше и сложнее, чем рецептивные (чтение и аудирование), выявлено, что в среде представителей профессуры и преподавательского состава университета существует противоположная тенденция: больше всего трудностей возникает с восприятием устных текстов, меньше – с письмом и говорением. Практическая значимость. Изложенное в статье исследование дает дополнительное понимание специфики обучения английскому языку взрослых, а именно членов профессорско-преподавательского состава университетов, и особенностей их когнитивных возрастных процессов при усвоении навыков владения иностранным языком. Материалы представленной работы будут полезны преподавателям иностранного языка и администраторам вузов при осмыслении организации дополнительного образования для изучающих иностранные языки в условиях искусственного билингвизма и при корректировке программ с целью усиления эффективности такого обучения.

An International Study on Psychological Coping During COVID-19: Towards a Meaning-Centered Coping Style

Background/Objective This study examined the role of different psychological coping mechanisms in mental and physical health during the initial phases of the COVID-19 crisis with an emphasis on meaning-centered coping. Method A total of 11,227 people from 30 countries across all continents participated in the study and completed measures of psychological distress (depression, stress, and anxiety), loneliness, well-being, and physical health, together with measures of problem-focused and emotion-focused coping, and a measure called the Meaning-centered Coping Scale (MCCS) that was developed in the present study. Validation analyses of the MCCS were performed in all countries, and data were assessed by multilevel modeling (MLM). Results The MCCS showed a robust one-factor structure in 30 countries with good test-retest, concurrent and divergent validity results. MLM analyses showed mixed results regarding emotion and problem-focused coping strategies. However, the MCCS was the strongest positive predictor of physical and mental health among all coping strategies, independently of demographic characteristics and country-level variables. Conclusions The findings suggest that the MCCS is a valid measure to assess meaning-centered coping. The results also call for policies promoting effective coping to mitigate collective suffering during the pandemic

THE RESULTS OF ENGLISH TEACHING AS A FOREIGN LANGUAGE FOR ACADEMIC STAFF IN THE ARTIFICIAL BILINGUALISM ENVIRONMENT

Introduction. In the conditions of the modern globalization, one of the most significant indicators of competitiveness of the universities is the academic mobility of students, graduate students, teachers and research associates that implies their free and competent enough foreign language skills, first of all English. Yet, until recently, comparatively little attention has been paid to foreign language skills of the Russian academic teaching staff. However, in recent years, with regard to the process acceleration of internationalization of the higher education to provide own effective functioning and remain a demanded one in education and training market, domestic higher education institutions are forced to quickly fill in the gaps of foreign language knowledge among academic teaching staff. The aim of this article is to analyse and describe the tuition outcomes for academic teaching staff based on the official exam results from Cambridge English Language Assessment for three years (2015–2017). Methodology and research methods. The research, which is grounded in interdisciplinary approach and lies at the intersection of psychology, linguistics and pedagogics, was conducted on the basis of the statistical analysis and generalization of mean scores of English language testing results, taking into account qualitative and quantitative standards of speech skills: reading, writing, listening, speaking and use of English (for levels B2, C1). Results and scientific novelty. The essential strengthening and development of the Cambridge English system for level increase of proficiency in English among the Russian academic teaching staff is proved. The data of external peer evaluation provided by exam centre Cambridge English Language Assessment including the foreign language training results of academic teaching staff are analysed. The results obtained show that contrary to the wide-spread opinion that productive skills (speaking and writing) take longer to develop and are difficult to acquire, university teachers demonstrate a different trend: the worst developed skill is listening, then comes reading, writing and speaking. Practical significance. The research provided in the article gives additional understanding of specifics of English training for adults, namely academic teaching staff, and features of their cognitive age processes when foreign language skills acquisition. The materials of the presented publication will be useful to teachers of a foreign language and higher education institution authorities while organizing additional learning foreign languages education in the conditions of artificial bilingualism, also, when teaching programmes updating for the purpose of strengthening of its efficiency

THE RESULTS OF ENGLISH TEACHING AS A FOREIGN LANGUAGE FOR ACADEMIC STAFF IN THE ARTIFICIAL BILINGUALISM ENVIRONMENT

Introduction. In the conditions of the modern globalization, one of the most significant indicators of competitiveness of the universities is the academic mobility of students, graduate students, teachers and research associates that implies their free and competent enough foreign language skills, first of all English. Yet, until recently, comparatively little attention has been paid to foreign language skills of the Russian academic teaching staff. However, in recent years, with regard to the process acceleration of internationalization of the higher education to provide own effective functioning and remain a demanded one in education and training market, domestic higher education institutions are forced to quickly fill in the gaps of foreign language knowledge among academic teaching staff. The aim of this article is to analyse and describe the tuition outcomes for academic teaching staff based on the official exam results from Cambridge English Language Assessment for three years (2015–2017). Methodology and research methods. The research, which is grounded in interdisciplinary approach and lies at the intersection of psychology, linguistics and pedagogics, was conducted on the basis of the statistical analysis and generalization of mean scores of English language testing results, taking into account qualitative and quantitative standards of speech skills: reading, writing, listening, speaking and use of English (for levels B2, C1). Results and scientific novelty. The essential strengthening and development of the Cambridge English system for level increase of proficiency in English among the Russian academic teaching staff is proved. The data of external peer evaluation provided by exam centre Cambridge English Language Assessment including the foreign language training results of academic teaching staff are analysed. The results obtained show that contrary to the wide-spread opinion that productive skills (speaking and writing) take longer to develop and are difficult to acquire, university teachers demonstrate a different trend: the worst developed skill is listening, then comes reading, writing and speaking. Practical significance. The research provided in the article gives additional understanding of specifics of English training for adults, namely academic teaching staff, and features of their cognitive age processes when foreign language skills acquisition. The materials of the presented publication will be useful to teachers of a foreign language and higher education institution authorities while organizing additional learning foreign languages education in the conditions of artificial bilingualism, also, when teaching programmes updating for the purpose of strengthening of its efficiency

Preliminary results of the first scientific drilling on Lake Baikal, Buguldeika site, southeastern Siberia

The Baikal Drilling Project (BDP) is a multinational effort to investigate the paleoclimatic history and tectonic evolution of the Baikal sedimentary basin during the Late Neogene. In March 1993 the Baikal drilling system was successfuly deployed from a barge frozen into position over a topographic high, termed the Buguldeika saddle, in the southern basin of Lake Baikal. The BDP-93 scientific team, made up of Russian, American and Japanese scientists, successfully recovered the first long (\u3e100 m) hydraulic piston cores from two holes in 354 m of water. High quality cores of 98 m (Hole 1) and 102 m (Hole 2), representing sedimentation over the last 500,000 years, were collected in 78 mm diameter plastic liners with an average recovery of 72% and 90%, respectively. Magnetic susceptibility logging reveals an excellent hole-to-hole correlation. In this report the scientific team describes the preliminary analytical results from BDP-93 hole 1 cores. Radiocarbon dating by accelerator mass spectrometry provides an accurate chronology for the upper portion of Hole 1. Detailed lithologic characteristics, rock magnetic properties and inorganic element distributions show a significant change to the depositional environment occuring at 50 m subbottom depth, approximately 250,000 BP. This change may be due to uplift and rotation of the horst block in the Buguldeika saddle. The sedimentary section above 50 m is pelitic with varve-like laminae, whereas the section below 50 m contains a high proportion of sand and gravel horizons often organized into turbidite sequences. Accordingly, high resolution seismic records reveal a change in sonic velocity at this depth. It is inferred that sedimentation prior to 250 ka BP was from the west via the Buguldeika river system. After 250 ka BP the Buguldeika saddle reflects an increase in hemipelagic sediments admixed with fine-grained material from the Selenga River drainage basin, east of Lake Baikal. Variations in the spore-pollen assemblage, diatoms, biogenic silica content, rock magnetic properties, clay mineralogy and organic carbon in the upper 50 m of BDP-93-1 reveal a detailed record of climate change over approximately the last 250,000 years. These variables alternate in a pattern characteristic of glacial/interglacial climatic fluctuations. The present age model suggests that the climate signal recorded in Lake Baikal sediments is similar to Late Quaternary signals recorded in Chinese loess sections and in marine sediments. Copyright © 1996 INQUA/ Elsevier Science Ltd