Text-based approach to writing development at Russian as a second language lessons

Abstract

The article is devoted to the usage of educational texts in writing skills development during Russian as a second language learning process. It is especially relevant for those who are taking higher education programs in Russia and in Russian. It discusses the main problems arising in working with various genres of written texts presented in modern textbooks on writing. Particular attention is paid to differences in work with reproductive and productive types of writing texts, as well as genres that are included in Test of Russian as a Foreign Language (TORFL). Various methods were used, such as comparative, analytical, descriptive and others. All the methods used allowed us to identify the distinctive features of sample texts offered in modern writing materials. An analysis of students' papers performed during the lessons, allowed us to draw a conclusion about the causes of errors. The article substantiates the possibility of including into the educational process a new genre of written texts - SMS messages. The relevance of this idea is explained by the existing trend of using electronic communication, as well as the wide distribution among students of various messenger applications, such as WhatsApp and others.