GENRE DIFFERENTIATION AND SELECTION OF TEXTS TO TEACH ENGLISH POLITICAL DISCOURSE TO STUDENTS OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
The study is aimed at identifying and describing linguodidactically relevant criteria for differentiating the genre space of political discourse as a basis of developing the main methodological principles for selecting texts for teaching the English-language professionally oriented discourse to students of international relations. The paper analyzes various approaches to the definition of genre; it is noted that one of the common features of political discourse is its genre diversity. The genre is presented as an institutionalized standard of social communication, in which the complex interaction of the individual and the social is manifested. Criteria of genre differentiation of political discourse, relevant in linguodidactic perspective, were identified: the leading intentions of discourse agents, field structure, stylistic affiliation. The study and analysis of these criteria made it possible to determine the methodological principles that form the basis for the selection of texts for teaching English-language political discourse to students of international relations. The following principles were identified as the leading ones for selecting textual material: professional relevance, specialization of students, functionality, and stylistic variability. It was concluded that teaching the English-language political discourse to students of international relations should be based on texts of all genre varieties, at the same time taking into account the dominance of certain genres, relevant for the specialty of the target audience. The theoretical significance of the study is determined by its contribution to the development of the linguistic foundations of teaching foreign-language political discourse. The practical significance lies in the fact that the results of the study can be used in the development of a corpus of methodological materials for teaching the English-language political discourse to future specialists of international relations.