The relevance is due to the need to describe and rethink the historical experience of formation and development of methods of teaching French in Galicia (second half of XIX - first half of XX century.) By analyzing specific historical material relating to administrative, social, educational processes that took place in Galicia. also the need to update the process of training students, undergraduates, graduate students by introducing new scientific and archival sources related to the history of methods of teaching French in the selected area and within the defined chronological boundaries.
The scientific novelty of the study is that for the first time in the science of methods of teaching foreign languages comprehensively studied the formation and development of methods of teaching French in Galicia during 1867-1939; historical-social and educational-organizational preconditions of formation and development of methods of teaching French are characterized; periodization of French language teaching methods is substantiated; the process of learning French is covered; defined and clarified methodological approaches, principles, methods of teaching French in Galicia during the study period; little-known and unknown archival documents were introduced into scientific circulation; historical facts concerning the formation and development of methods of teaching French in Galicia (second half of the nineteenth - first half of the twentieth century) are analyzed.
The methodological tools of the research are substantiated, the source base is outlined and the approaches to determining the stages of formation and development of the methods of teaching French in Galicia (1867–1939) are presented; curricula, plans, annual school reports and textbooks in French were considered and analyzed; features of realization of methods of teaching French in Galicia during the studied historical and chronological period are outlined.
According to the selected criteria, the main stages of formation and development of methods of teaching French in Galicia in 1867-1939: Stage I - 1867-1890 - the formation of methods of teaching French; Stage II - 1890-1939 - development of methods of teaching French.
During the formation of the methodology of teaching French in different types of schools in Galicia, the discipline of "French" was exclusively a subject of choice. Within the selected chronological period, there were curricula and annual school reports in which the elective subject "French" was available. The aim of teaching French was knowledge of grammar, the ability to translate short sentences and texts from and into French, as well as the ability to read fiction in French. It is established that translation methods of teaching French, namely grammar-translation and text-translation, were declared the leading ones.
As a result of a detailed analysis of plans, reports and textbooks, it is proved that the teaching of French in Galicia in the period 1867-1890 was carried out on the basis of conceptual and methodological principles of grammatical translation and textual translation methods. The implementation of these methods was based on the language approach in compliance with the basic didactic and methodological principles.
The second stage (1890–1939) is considered to be the period of development of the methodology of teaching French in Galicia. This historic period was marked by reforms in the field of education aimed at developing and improving the education system.
The French language discipline becomes a compulsory subject.
The purpose of teaching French in schools and gymnasiums of Galicia was to understand messages in French, free speech in oral and written forms within familiar topics and situations of everyday communication, reading texts in French, acquainting students with the best examples of French fiction and biographies of prominent French writers and poets. In the senior classes reading of texts in the field of science and technology was provided.
Analyzed curricula, plans, school reports and textbooks in French showed the use of a direct method of teaching foreign languages. The teaching of French was carried out on the basis of language and speech approaches, the principle of intercultural interaction, was based on adherence to didactic and methodological principles.
It was investigated that the progressive recommendations at that time were the use of dramatization in French lessons, as well as listening to gramophone records with excerpts from French to train correct pronunciation. In addition, teachers used film depicting the movements of the speech apparatus when pronouncing French sounds.
It was found that the peculiarity of using the direct method of teaching French in Galicia was the reluctance of teachers to completely abandon the theory of language, namely grammar and phonetics.
