Conceptual Approaches to the Organization of Independent Work of Students in Higher Educational Institutions

The current article deals with conceptual approaches to the organization of independent work of students in the higher educational institutions. The notion of “Independent work” includes a type of learning activity which is performed by a student without direct contact with a teacher or a supervisor, managed by a teacher through special educational materials. The main objectives of independent work in terms of the practical acquisition of a foreign language are the achievement of an appropriate level of foreign language communicative competence and the preparation of graduates to conduct self-education work with a foreign language after graduation. There exist various viewpoints concerning the concept of individual work of students. According to some scholars, independent work of students is understood as planned scientific and educational work carried out on the instructions of the teacher under his methodological and scientific guidance. From the point of view of other scientists, independent work is an active creative work of a student, based on his ability to think independently, the ability to navigate in a new situation, to see problems himself, to pose new tasks and find approaches for solving them. Long-term analyses of literary sources and practical experiences allow us to conclude that in the organization of independent work of students. it is advisable to integratively apply the already well-known and proven methodologies (systemic, integrated, active, personality-oriented, competency-based, integrative-modular approaches) and modern educational strategies (the theory of educational activity, problem-situational learning, contextual learning, learning in collaboration, project training, continuing education of self-educational activities).