Teaching writing cohesive informative and explanatory texts using authentic video material (based on the French language resources)

Abstract

This article deals with the problem of using authentic video production for developing writing skills. The theoretical principles of teaching writing informative and explanatory texts in French are specified. It is substantiated that in order to create a highquality themed text, students should be able to realize their own communicative intention, understand the problem under consideratioin, find necessary information, determine essential and secondary aspects when selecting information, compose a list of key words to organize the content of their statement, determine the optimal structure of the text, use adequate lexical and grammatical means to embody the necessary ideas, critically analyze the result of their work and edit it in conformity with all conditions and demands, if it is necessary. Effective strategies for developing cohesive texts are defined. The suggested teaching methods for intermediate level of foreign language communication B1 and B2, including the didactic material description, teaching scenario, and relationship between all types of language activities are depicted. The characteristics of authentic video materials which make it acceptable and applicable in the educational process are defined. The ways of familiarizing students with samples of informative and explanatory texts, analyzing the difference between these texts, examining their structure, the means of idea expressing and ensuring the realization of the communicative intention (the best information compre hension) are demonstrated. The examples of exercises assigned to attain macrostructural, microstructural and situational coherence of the texts are given. The role and the place of activities for perception and use of video in teaching writing informative and explanatory texts are defined.