Theoretical philosophical background of foreign language teaching and learning and language competence assessment at tertiary level

LTUžsienio kalbų mokymas aukštojo mokslo institucijose bei kalbinės kompetencijos įvertinimo modelis turėtų būti grindžiami: humanistinio ugdymo idėjomis ir principais; sociokonstruktyvizmo idėjomis apie tai, jog kalbos įsisavinimas yra dinamiška asmeninio pasikeitimo ir tobulėjimo bei socialinės aplinkos interakcija; kognityvistinė teorija, teigiančia, kad mokymasis reikalauja aktyvaus besimokančiojo dėmesio ir aktyvios mentalinės veiklos, informacijos perdirbimo, interpretavimo ir išlaikymo atminties procese; konstruktyvistinės teorijos idėjomis, aiškinančiomis, kad mokymasis yra individualios prasmės konstravimas, besimokantieji ne tik priima ir išlaiko informaciją, bet interpretuoja savo patirtį. Mokymo ir mokymosi teorijų gausa asmenybės tobulėjimo kontekste sąlygoja keleto teorijų priderinimą prie ugdymo situacijos, o tai reikalauja pedagoginio meistriškumo ir kultūros.

ENTeaching foreign languages at a higher education institution and design of the model of language competence assessment at a higher education institution should be grounded on the ideas of humanistic education theories with the purpose to reveal the principles of humanistic education; on the ideas of the cognitive theory according to which learning requires active attention of the learner and active mental activities in the processes of processing, interpreting, and retaining the information; on the principles of constructivist theory which maintains the view that learning is a construction of individual meaning, as learners not only receive and retain information but interpret experience, develop and employ these interpretations; and on the principles of socioconstructivist approach according to which the assimilation of a language is a dynamic interaction between personal change and development, and social environment. The objective of the article: to review of some teaching and learning theories that could help to create theoretical/philosophical reasoning for teaching foreign languages at a higher education institution. The subject of the research: the development of methodological basis for foreign language teaching and learning at tertiary level. The methods; comparative literature analysis.The results: Various teaching and learning theories emphasise one or another teaching and learning aspect, therefore, teaching and learning languages at the institutions of higher education should be based on the theories of cognitivism, constructivism, socioconstructivism, and humanism that understand teaching and learning as the development and change of a personality when the learner reconstructs personal knowledge with the help of reflection and when the emphasis lies on the equivalent importance of cognitive, social and affective dimensions in the process of learning.