Reading as a tool for the development of communicative competence in a foreign language: theoretical and practical aspects

Abstract

The article considers the theoretical and practical aspects of the formation of foreign language competence of students while reading. It is found that reading involves working with authentic texts of different subjects, complexity and promotes the development of foreign language communicative competence, forms readiness to speak a foreign language in a particular situation, and positively adapts to the further study of foreign languages. The factors that influence the successful development of reading skills in foreign languages are analyzed. The requirements for the selection of texts for processing are outlined and the main functions and tasks of the educational process that the teacher accomplishes in the process of reading foreign languages are determined. Traditional stages of working with foreign texts are described and a detailed description of each stage is provided. It is found that the assignments of the first pre-textual stage are aimed at modeling the background knowledge, which is necessary and sufficient for the reception of the proposed text, eliminating the semantic and linguistic difficulties of its understanding, and at the same time building of reading skills and abilities. The text tasks contain communication settings with specific instructions on the type of reading, the speed and the necessity of solving certain educational and communicative tasks. Exercises offered at the post-textual stage are aimed at testing the reading comprehension in order to control the degree of reading skills and the abilities to use the information obtained in future professional occupation. An algorithm and examples of assignments that can be used while reading at different stages of working with text material are offered. It is concluded that the proposed algorithm is not compulsory and universal. The teacher varies the assignments and the scheme of work with the text depending on the educational assignments, the topic and the level of knowledge of the foreign language by students.