The Influence of Restrictions Caused by Coronavirus Infection on the Students’ Goal Settings when Learning a Foreign Language in a Non-Linguistic University

   Relevance. Stagnation in various spheres of human activity is largely caused by the non-decreasing incidence of a new coronavirus infection, which also negatively affects the educational process in universities. Lack of opportunities to participate in international university partner programs for academic exchange changes students’ needs in learning a foreign language. Conscious needs gradually transform into motives that ‘stimulate’ and
‘guide’ students and largely determine the effectiveness and success of the learning process.
   The purpose of this study is to assess the level of motivation development, which is possible by observing students’ behaviour as well as by means of a questionnaire or survey.

   Our observations of students over the past two years indicate a drop in the level of motivation, which leads to a decrease in interest in disciplines related to the study of a foreign language by students of non-linguistic specialties and, consequently, to lower outcomes.
   The objective of the study is to obtain a refined picture of the needs and motives that encourage SWSU students to master disciplines related to the study of a foreign language in modern conditions; to do this surveying is
necessary.
   The scope of the study is the students’ needs in studying such disciplines as Foreign Language and Foreign Language in the Area of Professional Activity at university.
   The subject of the study is students’ goal setting.
   Methodology. To implement the objective set, the methods of surveying, analytical-synthetic and statistical data processing, classification and systematization were used. The issues associated with motivation in learning at university and in learning a foreign language are not new and have been studied in different periods of the development of society. The studies conducted in the “pre-Covid” period, when interuniversity relations were actively developing both within the country and with foreign partner universities, argue that students’ interest in learning a foreign language was very high, which was caused by opportunities to participate in student academic exchanges, international projects abroad, etc. The protracted outbreak of coronavirus infection has changed the situation, and it is necessary to clarify what the goals of a modern student are in order to adjust the process of teaching a foreign language to increase its effectiveness.

   The study results analysis showed that students put forward the goal settings that are more familiar to them, although it is not clear from this survey how they intend to achieve the goals. Goal settings aimed at cognitive activity should be leading in the learning process at university, but they are ranked the second. And settings which direct students to activities that, figuratively speaking, “beyond the territorial borders of Russia”, are of less interest to students. In order to adjust teaching activities to actuate cognitive motives and focus students on scientific activities as well as increase their interest in learning a foreign language, it is also necessary to get data on how they intend to achieve the goals set as well as the goals that teachers consider to be important, which requires the identification of means to achieve the relevant goals and, consequently, an additional study.

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