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Abstract: The study focuses on the use of extensive reading for learning French as a foreign language at advanced level. Reading is traditionally used to develop foreign language skills. Despite the relative decline in learners’ interest in literary reading, it remains an effective way to enrich vocabulary, construct complex sentences, and develop written comprehension and oral production skills. This role of reading is particularly important for advanced learners, when communicative tasks in everyday situations are successfully fulfilled, but it remains necessary to continue developing skills and competences to enable full-fledged social and professional communication. The existing criteria for assessing the level of proficiency in a foreign language presuppose consistent enrichment of vocabulary, complication of syntactic structures, use of various forms and moods of the verb, expression of complex logical connections between parts of the sentence, cohesion and coherence, etc. The aim of this study is to work out the organizational and methodological aspects of working with a literary text. The organizational aspect includes number of pages, number of words, and regularity as a condition for progress. The methodological aspect encompasses techniques for working with the text and methods for developing oral skills. This approach can be applied at advanced level (B2–C1) with university students and learners of other educational institutions. The article provides a brief overview of recent scholarly research analyzing reading as a language learning tool. The authors share instructions for conducting receptive and productive activities illustrated with examples. The article presents guides and authorial exercises for the development of lexical and grammatical skills at advanced level: working with synonyms, antonyms, idiomatic expressions, cognate words, context analysis, detailed presentation of characters, explanation of their actions and decisions, possible alternative ending, comparison of fiction works, reconstruction of previous and reflection on subsequent events. Particular attention is paid to the individual approach to extensive reading which allows learners to vary the pace, content, intensity and tools of their progress. The types of activities suggested by the authors can be used when working with audiovisual content in a foreign language, and are also recommended for graduates of linguistic faculties for independent learning activities and maintaining proficiency in a foreign language at the proper level.

About the author(s) :

Olga L. Sokolova

Ozyegin University (Istanbul, Türkiye)

Institute of International Relations (Ekaterinburg, Russian Federation)

ORCID ID: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7055-9104

Elena V. Erofeeva

Ural State Pedagogical University

Ural State University of Economics (Ekaterinburg, Russian Federation)

ORCID ID: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8524-8851

Publication Timeline:

Date of receipt: 15.12. 2025; date of publication: 31.03.2026

References:

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Sokolova, O. L., Teterina, I. M. (2022). Inklyuzivnaya grammatika frantsuzskogo yazyka kak didakticheskaya problema = Inclusive grammar of the French language as a didactic problem. Linguistics, translation, intercultural communication, 153–158. Ekaterinburg: Alfa Print Universal Printing House. EDN DVIYKA.