Developing readiness of FL teachers to Work On EIEE of IHL

The present study investigates the major obstacles preventing foreign language teachers from effective use of electronic information educational environment (EIEE) at the institutes of higher learning (IHLs) in Russia with the view of developing learner autonomy. Having interviewed 60 respondents from three universities, the authors found out that these obstacles include: insufficient knowledge of information and communication technologies among foreign language professors; poor standards of material and technical resources available at universities; inadequate readiness of FL teachers to apply new information and communication technologies; insufficient level of FL teachers motivation to use innovative IT at work. The authors have worked out a number of pedagogical conditions that should be provided at IHL to overcome the above mentioned barriers: gradual development of FL teachers' readiness to use EIEE (IT competence acquisition on the basis of learning management systems (LMS); FL teachers activity stimulation to work in EIEE through creating modular courses); setting up EIEE in IHL which can translate all possibilities of e-learning into action including LMS, software and documentation. These pedagogical conditions have successfully been tested and implemented at RUDN University.