Structuring and Organizing Textual Component in the Elective Course "English for Business Communication" for Upper Secondary School

- Пасічник, Олександр Сергійович (orcid.org/0000-0002-0665-2099) (2015) Structuring and Organizing Textual Component in the Elective Course "English for Business Communication" for Upper Secondary School Педагогічна освіта: теорія і практика, 2 (19). pp. 125-131. ISSN 2309-9763

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Abstract

The article outlines key approaches to selecting and organizing textual component for the elective course “English for Business Communication” which is to be taught at upper secondary school. The texts were selected from a wide range of authentic sources (Internet, magazines, other didactic materials etc.) in compliance with didactic and methodological principles. Most texts were re-structured and adapted to student’s intellectual and linguistic capabilities, they cover a wide range of topics relevant to the sphere of business communication with a special emphasis on intercultural ad sociocultural aspects. Average text volume in the course is 1500-2000 characters. Generally each text covers a particular problem which serves as a pre-condition for further communication. Work with texts in the elective course involves three stages: 1) pre-reading, 2) reading and 3) post-reading. According to the suggested scheme pre-reading stage is aimed at stimulating students’ active involvement in the general problem of the text. This motivational effect is achieved with the help of discussion points relevant to the text. At the reading stage students apply various reading strategies (skimming, scanning, searching, critical and analytical reading). Translating is deemed as a compulsory activity for some texts as it develops students’ ability to interpret stylistically properly. At the post-reading stage comprehension of the factual information is checked. Besides, some tasks at the post-reading stage are aimed at developing critical skills: reading and thinking critically involves more than claiming that some ideas are correct or faulty; it involves presenting a reasoned argument that analyses what a student has read. Consequently, text itself serves as a basis for stimulating further students’ communicative activity. Some of the conceptual ideas are illustrated with samples from the elective course.

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