TRANSFORMATION OF STUDENTS’ INDEPENDENT WORK IN LANGUAGE PROGRAMMES WITHIN THE DIGITAL EDUCATIONAL ENVIRONMENT

Abstract

The digital transformation of higher education has fundamentally changed the organization, content, and pedagogical functions of students’ independent work. In language education, this transformation is particularly significant because foreign-language acquisition requires continuous practice, regular interaction with authentic materials, individualization, and the development of learner autonomy. Traditional independent work, primarily based on textbooks, written exercises, and teacher-assigned tasks, is increasingly complemented and transformed by digital platforms, multimedia resources, learning management systems, mobile applications, online communication tools, artificial intelligence, and adaptive learning technologies. This article examines the transformation of students’ independent work in language programmes within the contemporary digital educational environment. Particular attention is given to the concepts of learner autonomy, self-regulated learning, digital competence, personalized learning, formative assessment, and digital collaboration. The article analyses the pedagogical potential of digital technologies as well as their limitations, including information overload, superficial learning, technological dependence, academic integrity issues, and unequal access to digital resources. Recent research indicates that the effectiveness of technology-enhanced language learning depends not simply on the presence of technology but on how digital tools support meaningful learning activities and self-regulatory processes.