ACTIVATION OF COGNITIVE FUNCTIONS OF ELDERLY LEARNERS IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE TEACHING

Abstract

The article is devoted to the grammar skills formation of elderly learners in teaching English. Peculiarities of teaching a foreign language to elderly people are considered from the standpoint of the neurodidactical approach.
The purpose is to analyze the age-related characteristics of cognitive functioning of elderly learners and to design activities for English grammar skills formation taking into account the level of cognitive functioning of the learners. It is indicated that elderly people (60-75 years) should maintain their mental activity and use their potential for further personality development in various fields of activity. Further education is an effective means to maintain social and mental activity. It is emphasized that learning a foreign language is one of the effective ways to prevent and slow down aging, to overcome the negative manifestations of aging. It is noted that age-related changes in the brain occur with the time that predisposes a decline in some cognitive functions, namely, in perception, attention, memory, abstract - logical thinking. In the process of teaching English grammar to elderly students, it is proposed to include learning activities based on the stimulation of the cognitive functions mentioned above. In the process of phased formation of grammar skills, learners perform practice activities and communication activities specially designed. Practice activities aim at supporting and improving concentration, attention span, a span of memory, the process of differentiation, generalization, and abstraction. Communication activities aim at improving memory, developing the distribution of attention, concentration, and classification. А fragment of the lesson of the formation grammar skills with the usage of designed exercises is proposed. Research results can be used as a foundation for creating sets of grammar exercises in teaching English to elderly learners at language courses, centers, clubs, and third-generation universities.