Methodological aspects of the application of audio-visual tools for learning a foreign language and translation at the university

The paper discusses the methodological aspects of audio-visual materials use in teaching students a foreign language and translation. The advantages of using video materials in the university educational process are described. A brief overview of teaching technologies is presented, including the technology of writing subtitles, audiovisual technology for shooting video by students, as well as technologies for viewing video in a silent and freeze-frame mode. A new audiovisual technology for teaching a foreign language to undergraduate students of a technical profile with the use of VideoAnt and MindMeister electronic resources to create a mental map is considered in detail. This three-stage technology, which is based on the use of advertising video material from the American company CISCO, has been tested at the St. Petersburg State University of Telecommunications named after Professor M.A. Bonch-Bruevich (SPbSUT) for students majoring in «Service». There are also four formats of assignments for oral and written summary translation of video clips for master students of the translation profile of Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University (SPbPU). According to the survey of the students majoring in linguistics, the most interesting and useful task for future translators was the task of interpreting video fragments in the classroom mode. A brief analysis of the questionnaire survey results of two students samples, technical and linguistic training profiles, is given, most of whom preferred to perform audiovisual tasks in the mode of psychologically more comfortable extracurricular independent work. The mode of independent out-of-class work with video materials, well tested during the period of self-isolation, is preferred by 60% of the students from two samples. The proposed application of audiovisual aids for teaching foreign languages and translation to university students is shown to be efficient.