Modern approaches to the implementation of extracurricular activities as a factor in optimizing the study of a foreign language

Importance. The relevance of the research is determined by the increasing attention of the pedagogical community to the use of extracurricular activities as a format and technological direction in linguodidactics. Diverse in content, purpose, and methodology, extracurricular activities become a tool for the comprehensive development of personality. They not only deepen and expand knowledge of a foreign language but also contribute to the development of cultural horizons, erudition, creative activity of learners, optimization of their communicative skills, spiritual and moral sphere, and aesthetic tastes.

Materials and Methods. In the course of the research, a selection of publications dedicated to the problems of foreign language teaching is made, reflecting methodological, technological, and methodological approaches to organizing the pedagogical process within the framework of extracurricular (out-of-class) activities. The results of domestic and foreign empirical studies that integrated confirming and formative experiments, implying both quantitative and qualitative analysis of the obtained data followed by their statistical processing, have been summarized.

Results and Discussion. An analysis of literature sources showed that the majority of studies aimed at substantiating the dependence between student participation in extracurricular activities, their academic achievements, and the improvement of their social well-being, as well as specifying directions for improving the methodology of teaching a foreign language. Researchers analyze the methodological foundations for implementing extracurricular activities in foreign language teaching, highlighting the priority approaches as activity-based, communicative, project-based, inclusive, humanistic, and eclectic. Educators construct the significance of creating a special educational environment, a real or virtual creative space that stimulates. Teachers emphasize the importance of creating a special educational environment, whether real or virtual, that stimulates intercultural interaction and the overcoming of psychological barriers.

Conclusions. A wide range of methodological approaches, didactic technologies, and formats of extracurricular activities currently used by teachers has been noted. Teachers have proposed methodological recommendations concerning the prospects for improving the organization of extracurricular activities as an effective method for learning a foreign language.