VIRTUAL LEARNING ENVIRONMENT IN THE FOREIGN LANGUAGE TRAINING SYSTEM AT A MODERN HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTION

Abstract

The following objectives have been defined in this study: to clarify the concepts “virtual learning environment”, “virtual language environment”; to list the modern software and tools for creating virtual learning environment in the foreign language teaching process and to identify their technical and didactic possibilities.

The authors investigate also the main requirements for teachers’ information and communication competence that can develop their teaching skills and strategies.

A virtual learning environment is a system of learning resources delivering to the students via Internet. It consists of a set of tools, information resources, web connections to support the teaching process, in which teachers can create and publish in Internet the educational content, and students are to use this content to improve their foreign language knowledge.

A virtual learning environment can be defined also as a platform that includes a content management system and incorporates course materials, tests, student tracking, assessments, electronic communication tools, social media tools, etc.

Teachers should become nowadays more proficient in the use of new information and communication technologies, Internet-resources, because these provide many diverse opportunities for teachers in terms of new effective teaching strategies. They should be able to use blogs, wikis, apps for creating and sharing multimedia, including audios, videos, book and text collections, web links, etc.