Benefits and challenges of digital technologies applied for teaching target languages in Ukrainian agrarian HEIs (2019-2022)

Abstract

The paper deals with the reviewing of digital technologies implemented into the process of teaching target languages for students at Sumy National Agrarian University (SNAU) in the period of pandemic SARS-19 and the beginning of russian aggression against Ukraine. The aim of the paper is collecting, generalizing, summing up and evaluating the outcomes of the studies conducted in SNAU in the field of learning target languages by means of digital technologies. Pedagogical observation and expert evaluation techniques were applied by the authors to investigate cognitive and behavioural modes of modern students who belong to the generation of centennials. Series of questionnaires and interviews were implemented to research students’ opinions and views about educational platformsbased electronic courses vectored to leaning target languages; video conferencing platforms such as Zoom utilized for promoting students’ communication skills; mobile applications used for fostering students’ grammar skills, diagnostics and control of mastered knowledge; social networking that increased students’ motivation, fostered their intercultural communication skills and knowledge on innovations in the specific field of their future professional activities. In the course of the study, it was found out that digital technologies had both advantages and disadvantages for the formation of students’ target language proficiency. However, the efficacy of their implementation pivotally depended on students’ ability for self-organization and independent studying modes, as well as teaching and diagnostic approaches of lecturers that should have been adapted to the peculiarities of online learning.