ASPECTS OF TEACHING FRENCH FOR SPECIFIC PURPOSES TO STUDENTS OF THE HUMANITIES

Presently, Russian higher education institutions pay special attention to teaching foreign languages for specific purposes as this is crucial for students who plan to work at international companies or enterprises where knowledge of a language for specific purposes is required.

Teaching French for specific purposes to students of the Humanities encounters certain challenges. They entail such peculiarities of the terminology of the Humanities as polysemy, existence of many synonymous terms and paronyms, absence of equivalent terms in the target language, problems with translation of some loanwords.

The method presented in the article is aimed at assisting in understanding, mastering and correct use in speech and writing of terminology related to such areas as international relations, politology as well as governmental and local management.

The method envisages the following:
By performing contextual analysis, refinement of senses of polysemes either of which has its own equivalent in the target language;
Comparison of a studied term with its synonyms and identification of distinctions between their respective notions;
Identification of semantic differences between a term and its paronym;
Mindful approach to translation of loanwords, some of which do not coincide by their sense with consonant words in the target language; and
Search for options when translating terms with no linguistic analogues in the target language.

Efficiency of the method was assessed in the form of a check test of students and by their recitation. The objective was to identify whether there were any changes in their self-esteem in mastering the language for specific purposes. The test has revealed some reduction in the number of lexical and style errors related to the use and translation of terms. The recitation results allow to assert that many students have overcome their diffidence which they had before when preparing their written or oral answers.

Further expansion of the method is expected in order to help students to develop their knowledge and skills related to syntax peculiarities of French for specific purposes.