Autodidactic English for Intending EFL Teachers: a Coursebook Structure

The article deals with the problem of structuring a coursebook on English for intending EFL teachers at teacher training universities. Considering the main requirements for their professionally-oriented training in Russia, self-directed language learning readiness is analyzed on the basis of scientific literature on the problem. As one of the possible solutions of the problem the authors of the article suggest using an autodidactic approach to teaching English and share their positive experience in applying it to practice at the Institute of Foreign Languages of Ural State Pedagogical University. The autodi-dactic approach is based on intersubject coordination, tutoring, individually oriented assessment and heuristic principles and presupposes the realization of three subsequent stages: learning, self-directed learning, and peer-teaching. The application of the autodidactic principles and the stages of the approach finds reflection in the structure of the coursebook on English "Autodidactic English for Intending EFL Teachers" which is given in detail in the article. The coursebook structure is modular, the three basic modules being "Autodidactic Awareness" (which assists students at the stage of learning), "Brush up Your Study Skills" (at the stage of self-directed EFL learning) and "Teach and Learn" (at the stage of peer-teaching). The main modules are supplemented by "Language Portfolio" and "Assess Your Self-Directed Learning Readiness" modules which help both the teacher and students to plan their interaction and assess the results of their work. The research results prove that it is possible to effectively form students' self-directed EFL learning readiness by means of increasing their methodological awareness in the field of teaching foreign languages and applying their knowledge and skills to the process of self-directed learning both within and beyond the classroom environment.

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