TEACHING PREPARATION OF AN AUTHENTIC ENGLISH TEXT FOR READING AT AN EARLY STAGE: BASED ON THE CHAPTERS OF THE NOVEL “FORREST GUMP” BY W. GROOM

Abstract

This paper aims to test the hypothesis that involving students not only in performing lexical exercises, analytical and creative tasks based on reading materials but also in designing them, testing in the classroom and correcting them can enhance vocabulary proficiency and increase motivation to language learning and to performing teacher’s work. To test the hypothesis, we carried out a linguodidactic experiment. The participants were 22 students studying to be English teachers. Chapters 1–6 of the novel “Forrest Gump” by W. Groom were selected as the material for the study. During two semesters of the experiment, the participants processed 292 keywords and expressions to design four types of exercises with six exercises for each type: sentences translation from Russian into English, gap filling, rephrasing with the use of synonyms and opposites without the involvement of Russian. Feedback analysis indicated high level of interest in the novel for more than 90% of the participants and similar per cent of increased motivation. Designing gap filling exercise turned out the easiest while rephrasing with the use of opposites was the most difficult. After-chapter final vocabulary tests displayed the average point of 9 out of 10 proving high efficiency of the results obtained during the experiment.