The theme of Motherland in foreign language teaching in higher education

In the period of threat to the national sovereignty of the country, awareness of the value of the Motherland through the education and upbringing system will serve as the mobilizing force that will help us confront the challenges of the present time. However, numerous teachers are experiencing some problems in realization of the tasks of the patriotic education in general; and in particular, in developing the Motherland’s image during foreign language lessons. The teachers of European languages are suffering from specific difficulties in terms of maintaining fierce information war. The aim of the study was to rethink traditional approaches to organizing patriotic education in foreign language classes, the core of which is the formation of a personality that values its Motherland. The objectives of the research are in the study of the national experience of Motherland’s image development during foreign language lessons; underpinning of the importance to review longstanding norms in accordance with the current situation; the elaboration of new approaches in the development of patriotic education which will satisfy today’s requirements. The main directions of the research were constructed on the basis of empirical data results and the methods of comparison, generalization and analysis of literature data. The material of the research is the results of the practical experience of teaching the discipline ‘Foreign language’ to the students of linguistic faculties. The formation of the image of the Motherland in foreign language lessons should be based on the following principles: 1. Preservation of continuity. Work on patriotic education in foreign language lessons should be based on the best traditions of the national system of upbringing and education. 2. Formation of a holistic image of the Motherland. For a long time, knowledge about our country was transmitted fragmentarily and, as a rule, was only supplemented with some information about the country of the language being studied. It is important once again to assess the content of major disciplines with the aim to fill in the gaps which were made earlier and did not allow to see the multi-faceted image of the country. 3. The creation of a positive image of the country. It is essential to revise the curriculum with the aim to decently and informally cover the heritage of the country in specific sectors of economy and in the world landscape. 4. The development of the skill to criticize constructively by providing a weighted and critical analysis of the disadvantages, by being able to provide positive as well as negative sides. 5. The motivation to define the student’s personal opinion as an active citizen in our society. 6. The encouragement of the students’ proactivity. 7. The revealing of the most significant contemporary issues which require the youth active participation comprises the basis of the relevance principle. A special role in this paper is attributed to the personality of a teacher who develops the need to know more about their country; enables the formation of spiritual youth’s experience which serves as a basis for developing the feeling of love to Homeland; forms the sense of belonging to the common activity; teaches to see the ways to realize their own possibilities in favor of the motherland. On the contemporary stage it is important to be aware of the significance of the individual algorithm to the acquisition of the Motherland’s image among students, as well as the skills not only in presenting this image to a representative of another culture but also in guarding the interests of the Motheland’s image.

foreign languages, higher education, fatherland, homeland, patriotic education, national identity, civic position