Dear colleagues, students, friends of Sumy State University!
The spirit of Easter is all about hope, love, and joyful living. The fantastic signs of springtime bring the true spirit of Easter. Enjoy this happy time of cheerfulness and hope. Wishing you a blessed Easter filled with love, peace, and happiness! May this Easter bring you new hope, new faith, and new beginnings.
Stay blessed and happy. But most importantly, stay safe! Have a wonderful Easter!
We are excited to share news of the 4th session of our academic mobility course, which featured a hands-on method in facilitating problem-solving and decision-making through group discussion and collaboration. The session was led by Stuart Carroll, a professor from the College of New Jersey, and focused on the topic "Our dilemmas in teaching and learning."
During the session, the professors were introduced to a new methodology called "The Consultancy Protocol" or "The Dilemma Protocol." This structured approach to group problem-solving and decision-making encourages collaborative thinking and active participation. It was first developed in the field of group relations by the Tavistock Institute in London and is commonly used in various fields, including business, education, and psychology.
On March 25, 2023, the teachers of the Departments of Foreign Languages and German Philology held their third meeting with Stuart Carroll, a professor from the College of New Jersey. The session was dedicated to the topic of "Music, Song, and Poetry" and was aimed at developing speaking skills with students in the classroom. The teachers used the Structured Academic Controversy (SAC) method, which was developed by cooperative learning researchers David and Roger Johnson of the University of Minnesota.
The SAC method is a discussion technique that moves students beyond either/or debates to a more nuanced historical synthesis. The method provides an alternative to the “debate mindset” by shifting the goal from winning classroom discussions to understanding alternative positions and formulating historical syntheses. The SAC’s structure demands that students listen to each other in new ways and guides them into a world of complex and controversial ideas.
During the meeting, the teachers explored a question by reading about and then presenting contrasting positions. They worked in pairs and then came together in four-person teams. They helped students track their analysis and prepare their positions. Dyads then came together as a four-person team and presented their views to one another. Rather than refuting the other position, the listening dyad repeated back to the presenters what they understood. Listeners did not become presenters until the original presenters were fully satisfied that they had been heard and understood. After the sides switched, the dyads abandoned their original assignments and worked toward reaching consensus. If consensus proved unattainable, the team clarified where their differences lay.
Overall, the SAC method provided a structured and focused way to explore complex and controversial ideas. The teachers found it to be an effective way to engage students in critical thinking and to develop their speaking skills in the classroom.
Dear students, postgraduates, teachers!
We have the pleasure to invite you to participate in the XVII-th all-Ukrainian Scientific and Practical Conference “To Make the World Smarter and Safer”, which will be held online on March 30-31, 2023.
Objectives of the conference:
• developing students’ motivation to learn foreign languages;
• developing research skills;
• improving presentation abilities using foreign languages;
• improving academic communication skills, both oral and written;
• exchanging teaching/learning experiences.
Conference panels:
• Teaching foreign languages at difficult times.
• High-tech and information technology advances.
• Engineering advancements. − Innovation in medicine and modern life.
• Financial and economic changes of today.
• Intercultural communication as a tool of mutual understanding in the national diversity of the modern world, journalism and multimedia technologies.
• The importance of learning foreign languages in the modern world.
• Linguistic research of the present: challenges and perspectives.
• Maintaining a healthy environment for future generations.
• Postgraduate research.
• Extracurricular activities and life-long education in foreign languages teaching.
Conference languages: English, German, French.
The New Deadline for full paper submission is set to 30. March
Get more details below: call for papers
On March 11-12, 2023 a tournament in badminton «Spring Open KRSP 2023» took place in Kyiv. The representatives of Sumy State University, senior teacher of the Foreign languages department Oksana Gladchenko and senior teacher of the Physical Education Department Antonina Siryk took the third place in the tournament in pair category WD B2C.
Congratulations to the bronze medalists!
Students at our university have been given the opportunity to participate in an online conversational club with Professor Stuart Carroll from the College of New Jersey. The club meets every two weeks and includes students from both institutions.
The online club provides students with the chance to practice their English-speaking skills in a relaxed and friendly environment. Professor Carroll, who specializes in language learning and teaching programs, has also invited his own students to join the club, which allows for a diverse group of participants with different backgrounds and experiences.
"Our students have enjoyed the opportunity to converse with Professor Carroll and his students," said one of the university's language instructors. "The club provides an excellent opportunity for them to practice their spoken English, build confidence, and learn from native speakers."
The conversational club covers a variety of topics, from current events to personal interests, and includes opportunities for participants to ask questions and engage in discussions. The virtual format allows students to join from anywhere and provides a safe space for students to practice without the pressure of being face-to-face.
"I appreciate the opportunity to participate in this club," said one of the university students. "It's been a great way to practice my speaking skills and to learn from others who speak English fluently."
The online conversational club with Professor Carroll and his students is just one of the many ways our university is committed to providing opportunities for our students to develop their language skills and broaden their cultural horizons.
International Women’s Day, which is celebrated on the 8th of March every year, is dedicated to all the women around the world, regardless of what they do or the choices they make. It is celebrated to recognize, acknowledge and celebrate the achievements of women in all spheres of life. This day, acknowledge the power of womanhood and their ability to deal with multi-tasking in various spheres of life.
On this day of celebration, we wish everyone a very Happy International Women’s Day and hope that the world becomes a better place for all human beings. There is nothing impossible in this world for a woman because she is born with the dedication to make everything possible.
To all the women who have faced challenges and successfully overcame them, happy International Women's Day! May you touch new heights of success! May you impress everyone with your professionalism and work! Nothing is impossible for you!
Warm wishes on Women’s Day to all the women. Happy International Women’s Day 2023!
The faculty members of the Departments of Foreign Languages and German Philology at the University participated in an academic mobility course with Professor Dr. Stuart Carroll, who holds a doctorate in teaching and learning programs and is an associate professor in the Department of Early Childhood and Elementary Education at the College of New Jersey in Ewing. He teaches undergraduate students at the university and leads methodological seminars for teachers as part of the Virtual Educator Program, RELO Embassy Kyiv, US Department of States. During the second session of the course, the teachers learned about new teaching approaches, with a focus on technology and motivational videos.
The session, which focused on "Discussion in Class," provided the teachers with the opportunity not only to see a new approach to teaching through visual aids and motivational videos, but also to try this method themselves. The teachers participated in group discussions using descriptive and functional constructions, and also learned how to find common ground even in completely opposite arguments.
"This was extremely useful for our department because it gave us the opportunity to see how media technologies can be used to engage students in discussions in class," said one of the faculty members of the Department of Foreign Languages.
The session also focused on how to engage students in more active participation in discussions in class and how to create a positive atmosphere in the classroom for discussing complex topics. The teachers believe that this will positively contribute to the development of their teaching skills and improve communication with students to achieve better learning outcomes.
TESOL-Ukraine maintains its professional collaboration with TESOL Hawai’i: this time Ukrainian TESOLers Maryna Tsehelska, TESOL-Ukraine Vice-President, and Lyudmyla Hnapovska, Associate Professor of Foreign Languages Department, shared their insights from a study visit to Heidelberg, Germany, in November 2022. Their article has been published in the February 2023 issue of The Word, the TESOL Hawai’i official newsletter which publishes useful materials for EFL teachers such as book reviews, reports from members working overseas, teaching ideas on various issues including applying theory to practice, online teaching, blended learning and other topics.
See the article ‘”CLIL at Work”, or how Ukrainian TESOLers Explored Romanticism of Multilingual Education in Germany’ on p.p. 27-33 of The Word (February 2023, Volume 32, Issue 2)
A new course on academic mobility has begun with Dr. Stuart Carroll, PhD in Teaching and Curriculum, Associate Professor, Associate Professor of Elementary and Early Childhood Education Department, The College of New Jersey, Ewing, and faculty in the Department of Foreign Languages and German Philology. The class on the use of visual aids for the active development of reproductive skills in balance with vivid and meaningful perception was a reflection on the teachings of John Fanselow, a prominent educator of our time.
Teachers were actively involved in discussions, creative tasks and discussions, had a great opportunity to improve their speaking and writing skills, communicate and enjoy the warm atmosphere of professional experience and humour.