ON PRACTICE-ORIENTED ASPECTS OF TEACHING HOME READING TO UNIVERSITY STUDENTS IN ENGLISH CLASSES

Abstract: The article analyzes and describes the personal experience of university foreign language (English) teachers and suggests effective pedagogical approaches, methods and techniques of working with aspects of home reading in order to increase their practical significance. Home reading as a type of practice-oriented activity in foreign language classes has long played a secondary role and occupied a subordinate position in relation to analytical reading and speaking practice. A set of new tasks and assignments has not yet led to noticeable changes in methodology of teaching home reading and, thus, has not improved the effectiveness of students' training of practical language skills. The purpose of this article is to identify and prove the need to change attitudes and approaches to home reading and to propose new methods and techniques for their realization. The authors describe different educational strategies for working with foreign language literary texts in home reading classes with students at the initial stage of their studies at the Faculty of Foreign Languages. These strategies can ensure that home reading will provide more effective foreign language acquisition and help build and develop various valuable components of communicative competence. Such approach seems to be quite effective, as it allows focusing on the most important aspects of work with literary texts and at the same time to cover all types of reading and speaking activities, using a variety of methods and forms of language practice. The integrative and comprehensive nature of home reading activities can significantly increase the potential of students' learning motives and make a significant contribution to the scope of their communicative skills and competencies, which are the main goals of teaching a foreign language. Home reading classes in this regard are aimed at solving the following objectives: expansion of active vocabulary as the basis of language proficiency; enhancement of students` spontaneous and situational speech skills with the use of selected active vocabulary, authentic patterns and samples; and development of students’ correct communication modes and speech styles. The following factors may also contribute to the successful implementation of the methodology proposed in this study; they include: integration of predetermined content that meets students' cognitive needs and language abilities, increases students' motivation to read and discuss a literary work, ensures their effective independent work on the text, and promotes the development of initiative and speech activity in the class; determination of clear directions of activity reflected in certain strategic stages of work with literary texts in home reading classes for junior students of the Faculty of foreign languages; and employment of a variety of methods, techniques and forms of teaching and learning based on an individual approach that will meet the learning needs of students, stimulate their creativity and active engagement in classroom activities. The proposed methodology was tested in the course of the pedagogical experience with the second-year students of the specialty “Pedagogical education with two training profiles: foreign language and social studies” of Kazan (Volga region) Federal University, and confirmed its effectiveness. This article will be of interest to foreign language teachers, educators, methodologists and researchers dealing with complex problems of improving the quality of modern higher education.