METHODOLOGICAL ISSUES FOR TEACHING WRITING IN FRENCH

Abstract

This article is devoted to the analysis of written papers in French which are a distinct nationally specific genre. The article describes the main features of the different types of written papers which are actively used by methodologists and professors in schools and universities to test students’ knowledge. Written types of papers are especially challenging for learners because they imply not only good knowledge of vocabulary and grammatical structures of the studied language but also the knowledge of structural and stylistic features of the papers themselves which usually differ from their analogues in native language. The article points out that the effectiveness of teaching writing in French depends as much on the linguistic background of the learners as on the number of tasks and exercises needed to build, practice, and monitor learners’ writing skills. Speaking about written work done in French, an important factor for sustained interest in further learning of French is adequate reasoned assessment of assignments. The article provides the assessment criteria for different types of written papers that are taught in contemporary universities.