At the end of the twentieth century in Russia, the methods of teaching the English language underwent revolutionary changes. Initially, all priorities in the study of the language were given to grammar, literary translation and reading.
Such a system of mastering the language, of course, paid off, but it required a long routine work, which consisted in reading the text, translating, memorizing new words, retelling and exercises in the text. Sometimes a dictation or composition was given, and as a rest, a phonetic drill. Such priorities, in fact, realized only one function of the language - informative. Therefore, mastering the language at a high level was possible only by the most purposeful and hardworking.
If earlier teaching had a more theorized character, now it has acquired an applied character. The role of the teacher in the educational process has changed - the mentor teacher and dictator teacher have been replaced by an intermediary teacher and an observing teacher.
Currently, more and more tangible changes in the minds of people, especially they are expressed in the need for self-actualization and self-realization. Therefore, in the first place now is the psychological factor of language learning, for which it is important to respect the authenticity of communication, balanced requirements and claims, mutual benefit and respect for the freedom of other people.
The first place in the popularity ranking is occupied by the communicative method of teaching English, aimed at the practice of communication. This technique pays special attention to speaking and listening perception.
In the process of mastering the language, simple syntactic constructions are used, because spoken language is very different from written, and it often contains short phrases than long sentences. However, the communicative method is applicable not only for easy conversation. If you want to become a professional in any field and regularly educate yourself on this topic, reading foreign publications, you can increase the vocabulary enough to be able to maintain a conversation with a foreign colleague. The communicative technique, first of all, is designed to remove the fear of communication. A person who can apply a standard set of grammatical constructions and has a vocabulary of 700-1000 words will find it easier to build communication in an unfamiliar country.
Among the Russian courses for the study of English by the communicative method, one of the leading places is the textbook Headway.
The Headway textbook English learning system is specifically designed by London-based methodologists Liz and John Soars for youth and adults. The system has 5 levels and each of them has its own “methodological set”, including a textbook, a book for students and teachers, audio tapes. During the “Headway” course, grammar is studied at two levels: in the context of the lesson and in the student’s workbook. It is also summarized in a special application at the end of the textbook. This approach to the study of grammar is a distinctive feature of this course.