Abstract:

In the context of development students' communicative competence together with recognition of the text as the main communication unit, the text is in the limelight of language learning methodologists. The authors consider the concept and role of the educational text as a means and sample of verbalization of units studied in a foreign language class. Active use of the textocentric approach by educators makes a text the fundamental didactic unit of the educational process. It is construed as constituting the basis for enhancement of skills and abilities in receptive and reproductive types of speech activity concurrently.

The article demonstrates that up-to-date textbooks on foreign languages (in particular, on Russian as a Foreign Language) should include a wide range of activities designed for progressive work with educational texts (teaching, adapted and authentic texts of various volume and content). The topics of the proposed texts are determined by their educational nature, as well as application of the knowledge gained by students.

Special focus is put on productive assignments used to form students' skills of producing oral and written statements. The authors present their own methodological module which includes a set of exercises centered on the text about Paralympics sports. The module is based on the course of a foreign language for Bachelor’s degree students majored in Linguistics.

Keywords:

Foreign language, text, textocentric approach, set of exercises.