The Method of Research in Language Learning

Many universities nowadays attempt to organize a plethora of various activities and courses, that are connected with research work, as well as with the foreign language learning. The role of research work and foreign language learning in higher education is crucial: these two aspects develop basic competencies that are necessary for a future highly qualified specialist. Research conference that is held in a foreign language (as one of the types of students’ research work) combines all the functions, that contribute to this: it comprehensively contributes to the development of skills and basic universal, professional and communicative competencies, establishes meta-subject communications, and also plays an important role in foreign language learning overall. Nevertheless, despite a widespread prevalence of language conferences and their significant contribution to foreign language learning, there is no clear list of competencies that this type of research activity develops. Moreover, many students are not interested in participating in such conferences due to uncertain reasons, which deprives them of the ability to write in an academic foreign language, the development of analytical and oratory skills, the development of productive and perceptual types of speech activity, presentation experience. This work is an attempt to consider the impact of research conference held in a foreign language on a foreign language acquisition at universities. The study examines in detail this type of research activity from different aspects: format, evaluation, the role of the teacher, students’ motivation in participation in such research activities and the problems that students face during the preparation and participation in a research conference held in a foreign language. The main goal of the study is to identify how the research method impacts foreign language learning and acquisition; to understand whether it is possible to develop students' language competencies deeper within the research method. Furthermore, it is important to identify the main reasons of students’ participation / non-participation in research conferences held in a foreign language. To achieve these goals, the competencies that research work and the discipline “foreign language” develop were analyzed, and then, a new set of competencies that research conference held in a foreign language was made up. In order to determine the possible grounds for the non-participation of students in research conferences, and to understand the main motives for participating in research conference in a foreign language, the survey was conducted. The survey was aimed at the students of HSE University. In the survey students could anonymously share their experience of participating (or not participating) in a research conference held in a foreign language. The results of the study and suggestions can be used by educational programs to formulate curricula of disciplines in a foreign language, as well as by organizers of conferences in a foreign language and teachers, whose students would like to further take part in research work.