Using chat bots when teaching a foreign language as an important condition for improving the quality of foreign language training of future specialists in the field of informatization of education

Abstract

The problem and the aim of the study. Training of specialists in informatization of education involves formation of competences in development of software tools and automated systems and development of the foreign language communicative competence. Formation of appropriate qualities in the conditions of higher education is complicated by a number of problems. The authors propose to organize project activities to create dialogue programs (training bots) to improve foreign language training of future specialists. Research methods. The construction of a chat bot takes place during teamwork and foreign language communication. The authors' testing is carried out, which includes checking knowledge of syntax, vocabulary and grammar, skills of professionally oriented communication and digital skills. The experimental study was carried out at Vyatka State University during the study of the discipline "Foreign Language", "Development and Use of Computer Games in Education". 43 first- and second-year students of the training program 44.03.01 Pedagogical education (Master's degree programme) were involved in foreign language communication with the support of automated systems. The average age of the respondents was 25 (90% female and 10% male). When constructing chat bots, the BorisBot resource is used. Fisher's test was used to find out statistically significant differences. Results. The students studied services for creating chat bots, the didactic potential and functionality of the dialogue programs. The students of the experimental group used them to do professionally oriented and foreign language communication tasks. Statistically significant differences were revealed in the changes φCRIT=1.64<φEMP=2.514. Conclusion. The features of the presented version of using chat bots when teaching a foreign language are described: teamwork, using templates and scripts, choosing project topics. The problematic questions are formulated, the answers to which make it possible to determine the directions of work on designing chat bots: discussing the development goal and didactic goal, modeling scenarios of foreign language interaction, etc.