History

The History of the Department of Foreign Languages for Natural Sciences

The current level of specialist training involves the creation of conditions for the development of language and speech competences, and achieving by students the level of knowledge required for a specialist with a Degree. The overall objective of foreign language training, which is currently provided by our Department of Foreign Languages ​​for Natural Sciences for all specialties, is a practical language proficiency. A student should obtain a level of language knowledge that will facilitate his/her integration into the language surrounding and competitiveness in the labour market.

A highly professional and united staff of the Department of Foreign Languages started its work only in September 1976 p., with PhD. I. Turchyn at its head. In December 1977, by the order of the Ministry of Higher Education of the USSR, it received the status of the reference department together with the other 12 universities in Western Ukraine. Within its competences, the Department had been performing a large amount of work, aiming at the improvement of the educational process, the students’ knowledge control, as well as compilation of methodological guidelines, recommendations, manuals and the application of various educational technologies, which, however, had a significant ideological orientation. Subsequently, the Department became the place where the National Contest for the best knowledge of English, French and German languages has been annually conducted.

Taking into consideration the increasing number of students in ChNU, in 1983, the Department was divided into two sections — the Department of Foreign Languages for Humanities (headed by  Associate Professor I. Turchin) and the Department of Foreign Languages for the Sciences (headed by – Associate Professor N. Shcherban).

Since 1990 the Department became a part of various structural units of the Faculty, University and later two different departments were formed ‒ the Department of Foreign Languages ​​for Humanities (the head – Professor O. Ohui) and the Department of Foreign Languages ​​for Natural Sciences (the head – Professor V. Kushneryk ).

Since 2012-2013 academic year the Department of Foreign Languages ​​for Natural Sciences has been headed by the Candidate of Philological Sciences, Associate Professor O. Maniutina (PhD). In 2016, the staff of the Department consists of 44 academics; among them – 10 Candidates of Philological Sciences, 5 associate professors, 17 assistants, 10 persons are in maternity leave to care for a child. The Department’s academics are delivering practice lessons in English and German at the Physical, Technical and Computer Sciences Institute, Biology, Chemistry and Biological Resources Institute, Faculty of Geography, Faculty of Mathematics and Informatics, Faculty of Architecture, Construction, Arts and Crafts of ChNU. They teach fulltime and part-time students, provide distance learning in 217 groups (totally 2, 250 students), and are actively involved into methodological and scientific research.

The department staff improves teaching methods, develops typical and working programs and training tutorials, textbooks, workbooks, (learner’s) guides, creates methodological recommendations and specialized dictionaries. Over the past five years, the members of the Department published 4 textbooks (authorized by the Ministry of Education of Ukraine), 35 study guides (including 3 approved by the Ministry of Education of Ukraine) and 24 workbooks. The scope of our scientific and research interests includes cognitive linguistics, text linguistics, socio – and gender linguistics, lexicology, phraseology and others. Over the past five years, there were published some 90 scientific articles, more than 50 brief theses of reports and 1 Doctoral dissertation (V. Kushneryk), 7 Candidate’s PhD theses were defended.

The Department of Foreign Languages ​​for Natural Sciences maintains close relations with basic secondary schools, gymnasia and high schools of the city and the region. An important issue is to enhance interdisciplinary bonds in teaching and research work of the Department with Natural Sciences Faculties of our University. We also entered into cooperation with relevant departments and faculties of the leading universities of Ukraine as Kyiv National Linguistic University, National University of Kharkiv, universities in Odessa, Uzhhorod, Ternopil, Ivano-Frankivsk and with Kyiv branch of Goethe Institute (Germany).

28 PhD theses and 5 doctoral dissertations were defended by our academics for 35 years of the Department’s activity. They are: I. Turchyn, N. Shcherban, S. Denysenko, T. Romanova, V. Kushneryk, O. Ohui, O. Bourbak, G. Labovkina, O. Ivasiuk, B. Hinka, I. Yatsiuk, I. Hnatyshena, I. Muradhanian, G. Semen, Z. Shevchenko, S. Kantemir, L.Oleksyshyna, N. Tymoshchuk, T.Venkel, R. Vatseba, A. Korol, O. Lopatiuk, O. Maniutina, S. Balaniuk, T. Buhinska, I. Paroviak, V. Dribniuk, T. Tonenchuk, L. Makoviichuk, N. Melnychuk.

 

Associate Professors without a scientific degree became A.M. Zhovkivskyi and J.V. Bachynskyi.

 

Doctors of Philology, ProfessorsT.R. Kyiak, S.N. Denysenko, O.D. Ohui, M.M. Popovych, V.V. Kozlovskyi, V.I. Kushneryk.

 

The Department’s academics published 7 monographs, 27 textbooks and workbooks, and a great number of scientific articles and brief theses of reports.

 

A Brief Chronology of Significant Events

YEAR SIGNIFICANT EVENTS
1976 The Department of Foreign Languages was established: 16 specialists of English, German and French and 1 laboratory assistant.
1977 According to the order of the Ministry of Higher Education of the USSR, the department received the status of the reference department in the group of 12 universities in Western Ukraine.
1983 The Department of Foreign Languages was divided into two ‒ the Department of Foreign Languages for Humanities (14 members) and the Department of Foreign Languages for the Sciences (16 members).
1990 Two Departments of Foreign Languages merged under the title of “The Department of Germanic Languages for Non-Specialised Faculties” (38 academics).
1994 Due to the deputy’s work of Professor T.R. Kyiak in the Parlament ‒ Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, the Department was split into the Department of Foreign Languages for Sciences, headed PhD, Associate Professor V.I. Kushneryk (26 members) and the Department of Foreign Languages for Humanities, headed by PhD, Associate Professor T.O. Romanova (26 members).
2001 A new reformation happened. The teachers and professors had to join the staff of several University departments: Department of English, Department of French and Department of Germanic, General and Comparative Linguistics respectively.
2006 The practice and experience of our academics working in non-special Faculties of ChNU proved that the most effective structure is the division into two parts: the Department of Foreign Languages for Humanities and the Department of Foreign Languages for Natural Sciences (24 and 25 staff members respectively).

 

 

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