The dissertation is devoted to the study of the actual problem – the development of the English language education of primary school students in modern Ukraine at the end of the XX – the beginning of the XXI century and the generalization of its educational tendencies.
It is determined that in Ukraine teaching English began at the Imperial University of St. Vladimir in 1843. Later, its study was introduced in commercial schools, and in the early twentieth century – in men's high schools. With the establishment and construction of Soviet power in Ukraine, this process proceeded cyclically: from the decline (1917), the attempt to introduce as a main subject from the third class (1934), the introduction of a progressive idea of implementation (1940), the establishment of boarding schools with advanced study of subjects and introduction of teaching of one of the foreign languages from the III class of all secondary schools of the USSR (1946), transfer to the fifth class and permission to create a group for learning a foreign language in kindergartens and primary classes of secondary schools allowed it by the request of the parents (1961), the emergence of interest in early English language education (80's of the XX century) to stable and increased attention as a key competence in the New Ukrainian School.
According to certain criteria (communicative direction, humanization of education, competence approach and innovative approach), a historical and pedagogical periodization of the development of English language education of primary school students in modern Ukraine in the studied period has been developed:
Stage I (1984–1990) – period of practically oriented English language education: communicative function of English language education of primary school students;
Stage II (1991-2000) – a period of personally oriented English-language education: humanization as a function of English-language education of elementary school students;
Stage III (2001-2016) – a period of European-oriented English language education: Competent function of English-language education for primary school students
Stage IV (2017) – first half of 2018) is a period of competitive English language education: an innovative function of English language education for primary school students.
The syllabuses, standard curricula and textbooks in English at the primary school at the end of the XX – the beginning of the XXI century are analyzed.
It was found that each new curriculum introduced certain changes in the scope of speech competence and the topic of situational communication in order to achieve interest of students and correspondence with the psychological characteristics of younger students.
The results of the analysis of English language textbooks for the beginning classes of the late XX – early XXI centuries revealed their advantages and disadvantages and the emergence of qualitatively new educational and methodological complexes.
Didactic aspects of English-language education of younger students in primary schools of Ukraine at the end of XX – beginning of XXI century and their development during the specified period are revealed. It is shown that socio-economic events during 1984-2018 influenced on the education of the country and led to changes in the perception of the conscious-practical method of teaching foreign languages and contributed to the substantiation of new methodological approaches - communicative, personal-activity and competence. These changes prompted theorists and practitioners to look for new technologies, methods, techniques, tools, and forms in teaching English. Constructive historical and pedagogical experience on the topic is outlined.
Principles of organization of training, normative-legal bases and content, forms, methods and means of teaching foreign languages in the domestic English-language education of pupils of primary classes during the period under investigation have been revealed.
The advanced pedagogical ideas are highlighted and pedagogical heritage of the studied period is generalized on the organization of English language education of younger schoolchildren. On their basis, perspective directions of their use in the context of teaching English in the conditions of the New Ukrainian school are determined.
Taking into account the main scientific results of the dissertation, it gives grounds to outline perspective directions of using the English language experience in primary schools of Ukraine at the end of XX – beginning of XXI century in the context of teaching English in the conditions of the New Ukrainian School.
Therefore, a new pedagogical rethinking of the development of English-language education for primary school students in Ukraine makes it possible to use its advantages and prevent the recurrence of deficiencies by both practitioners and the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine.
