Teaching paraphrasing strategies while dealing with texts at English language lessons

Paraphrasing skills are essential for students studying a foreign language. Such skills allow them to avoid word-for-word repetitions of the author's sentences and to show the individuality of their speech and thought by using words and grammatical structures they know. Paraphrasing techniques are ideal for developing language skills and especially for developing speaking skills thus making students more eloquent. However at the beginning of the foreign language course students demonstrate the lack of such skills. The article gives some definitions of the term "paraphrase " and outlines the types of text paraphrases which the author of the article teaches her students of non-linguistic specialities at English language lessons. The author's focus is on teaching students such type of a text paraphrase as rendering. The work describes the most common paraphrasing strategies (using synonyms, antonyms, changing a sentence structure, etc.). The article reveals the most common mistakes students make while rendering a text (reproducing sentences from the text wordfor word, using information only from the first half of the text, inability to single out the main information leaving insignificant details aside). The article describes the author's experience of teaching students paraphrasing strategies while dealing with texts at English language lessons. Students master the strategies while checking the exercises aimed at developing such reading skills as scanning and reading for detail. Paraphrasing strategies are also mastered when texts are used as a basis for developing other language skills. In particular for developing speaking skills the exercise "snowball" is often used.