Authentic text is an integral formation component of communicative foreign language competence in students of higher education institutions

Abstract

New trends in the socio-economic, political and technical development of Ukraine lead to requirements for training future professionals with a high level of communicative foreign language competence. In the formation of foreign language communicative competence in students of higher education institutions, the socio-cultural component acquires special significance through the use of authenticity. The role of authentic texts in the formation of communicative foreign language competence and working stages with authentic texts in foreign language classes remain insufficiently studied, which determines the relevance of the research. The purpose is to determine the functions, types and content aspects of authenticity in educational texts and working stages with authentic texts in the process of forming foreign language competence in students of higher education institutions. Pearson textbooks have been used to achieve the purpose. The descriptive method with the contextual analysis, elements of observation, classification, generalization and interpretation, made it possible to describe illustrative and theoretical material on the researched issues. Authenticity is the leading criterion for the successful formation of foreign language communicative competence. The main feature of authenticity is functionality: the focus of authentic materials on the use of life, to create the illusion of attachment to the natural language environment. Authentic texts in English classes perform informative, stimulating, integrative, educational, controlling functions. The work with authentic texts consists of three stages including tasks of speech interaction, information gap, problem-oriented and tasks of spontaneous communication. Authentic texts have a positive effect on learning motivation, increase professional and general knowledge, help to learn and improve the language through the use of original vocabulary, develop memory, attention and thinking. The prospect of further research involves studying the role of authentic texts for the formation of communicative professionally-oriented foreign language competence in students of higher education institutions.