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MICROSOFT TEAMS AS A TOOL FOR FOREIGN LANGUAGE STUDY AT UNIVERSITY // Pedagogical Review. 2021. Issue 4 (38). P. 108-116

This paper presents the concept, principles of distance education and its relationship with the terms online-learning and e-learning. The author determines the importance of Internet technologies for foreign language learning and the formation of foreign language communicative (often professionally oriented) competence as the main task of this subject. The article gives the reflections of the functionality of the Microsoft Teams online platform to create a unique online learning environment. The issue is addressed by analyzing the survey data on learning foreign languages online via the MS Teams at the University of Tyumen. The specific objective of the study is to juxtapose the MS Teams tools with the parameters of organizing classes in foreign languages such as interactivity, multimedia, the implementation of the learner-centered approach, the teaching and learning materials used, teaching methods and forms, the creation of an authentic environment and the formation of various types of speech activity. In addition, the study defines the most significant MS Teams functions, in particular, storing educational materials, having feedback, video communication (online-meetings), working in teams and channels, MS Teams tests, working with co-editing files etc. The author identifies the difficulties that arise (namely technical, psychological, physiological, methodological difficulties and problems in perceiving information), their possible causes and ways to overcome them. The article ends with conclusions on how MS Teams integrates into the foreign languages learning process.

Keywords: distance education, distance technologies, foreign language, MS Teams, online platform