Articles

The role of slang in modern English is highly controversial since the purpose of its use is rarely a simple exchange of information. Slang serves more as an identification of a social group; its functioning is a linguistic reflection of the modernity, which comes down to the changing of a certain discourse towards informal speech. The article is devoted to the study of slang in the Colloquial Singapore English. SMS of 2004 and 2012 from the NUS SMS corpus were used as the material for the study. The NUS SMS is the corpus developed by the linguists from the National University of Singapore. The purpose of this article is to observe the use of slang and its role in SMS. This study presents a corpus-driven approach where the statistical data analysis was used. As a result, it was found that the words which are commonly referred to slang originated from the Chinese and performing pragmatic functions of addressing and expressing the authors’ emotional state are widely used in SMS of 2004 and 2012 from the NUS SMS corpus.

The article deals with the typical means of personal deixis encoded in the texts of popular legal discourse, as well as the techniques that a scientist as a popularizer uses to construct his image. Popular legal discourse is viewed as a kind of popular science discourse with a number of distinctive features inherent in scientific communication. The authorial position in the text under analysis is impersonal, which is typical of scientific discourse, but the popularizer demonstrates greater freedom and variability of expression due to the less rigid stylistic framework of the popular science discourse. The combination of certain strategies of scientific and media discourses employed by the author, enables him to manifest high competence and professionalism in his field and at the same time establish some personal contact and convey the necessary legal knowledge to the audience of nonspecialists. Personal narrative, including subjective assessment of the events described, allusions to precedent court cases and known criminals, as well as the use of various stylistic devices, are powerful and efficient means to achieve various purposes and goals, namely, encouraging interest in legal knowledge in the future. The concepts verbalized by the author of a law-related popular science article are relevant for legal discourse.

The article provides the results of a study of German football fans’ communication where reference to the Third Reich can be detected. The represention of this issue is preceded by a general description of the problem with a reference to respected Russian and foreign scientists. A conclusion is made that allusions to the Third Reich are still strong in the national cognitive base and are inevitably projected onto the German linguistic consciousness and futher on to discourses, including sports discourse. New lexical markers are identifi ed to represent the conceptual sphere ‘The Third Reich’, especially its area in which German football fans (mostly ultras) let themselves resort to anti-Semitic narrative and symbols. The reasons for using nazi lexicon by fans are revealed, the prospects for studying this and related problems in linguistics (sexism, social discrimination, etc.) are highlighted. In the course of empirical material analysis complex methotodologies were employed: integrative approach, discourse, component, conceptual analysis, classifi cation, observation, description, lexicographical, contextual method, deduction and induction method. The obtained results allow us to supplement with new data the idea of what conceptual meaning constitues the categories “us — them”, “identity” in football fans’ world view, how individual and collective (linguistic) consciousness works within a certain subculture and on the level of the national sphere of concepts.

The article is devoted to changes in the semantics of color symbols in French from the 20th to the 21st centuries within the framework of cultural interaction. The examples chosen for the study are the names of the colors of everyday goods, because, as a communicative means of action, they are used as an emotional argument aimed at manipulating the buyer’s will at the level of his neuropsychological processes. Emotional color information is realized through advertising texts, verbal components of logos and emblems and refl ects, by creating additional meanings and connotations, the value preferences of buyers. In today’s world, with the growing interest in consumer goods, marketers are creating original color shades, which, on the one hand, are aimed at promoting the product, and, on the other hand, are features of the color categorization of a given era. The starting point is that, as part of the convergence of cultures, the process of creating color designations with a color reference represented by facts or realities from a foreign culture, is accompanied by the integration of intercultural concepts and the creation of a new mental space. The work uses the results of a study of the dynamics of the connotative potential of color designations in French of the XX–XXI centuries conducted on the material of advertising catalogues, websites of everyday goods and dictionaries of modern French language.

The article is dedicated to the lexical and semantic analysis of Mexican riddles about plants. The study of the picture of the world perception and verbalization associated with fl ora representation in folklore texts is of particular interest. Phytonyms in riddles carry a great semantic load, help to better understand ethnic priorities. Of particular interest are riddles in which ethno-specifi c features of the Mexican linguistic picture of the world are manifested. Units of culture are revealed in the texts of riddles, firstly, because they contain linguistic elements that are peculiar only to a given culture, and due to unique ethno-specific elements directly reflect the features of the corresponding culture in the language. Secondly, in addition to such a direct reflection, cultural units can be transmitted indirectly in texts, through specifi c structures, which find their expression in the way of describing hidden phytonyms. The lexical and semantic analysis of riddles about the plant world makes it possible to reconstruct the folklore features of phytonyms and, on the basis of the typology of these features, describe plants that are prototypical for the Mexican linguistic personality. The study of non-standard language explicants of plants allows not only to determine their most relevant features, but also to generalize the metaphorical or metonymic aspect of transfers.

The search for a new word for the name of a political, social or cultural phenomenon is the essence of the communication process and the development of the language as a whole. But in each area of intellectual activity, this process has its own characteristics, depending on the cognitive, stylistic or cultural postulates of each discourse. In the conditions of non-rigid boundaries between the objects of scientifi c fi elds of study, the intensity of interdiscursive interaction increases, during which a figurative, metaphorical comprehension of reality makes it possible to identify new, previously unexplored facets of the objects being compared. The process of finding similarities and differences between the phenomena studied is at the heart of scientific activity, in its language, in which there is inevitably a stage of “approximate meaning” of the concept before it takes shape in the form of a term. The spontaneity of oral speech, variability and verbal creativity in the broad understanding of these phenomena contribute to the emergence of new lexical formations — quasi-terms. The epistemological value of a quasi-term consists in the absence of the need for its clear definition. Changing the context entails the appearance of terminological analogues and quasi-terms. The subject of this research is the quasi formant in natural science, philosophical and cultural discourses, its grammatical, semantic, stylistic features in Russian and French. The purpose of the article is to compare the semantic and pragmatic qualities of the quasi–formant, to consider its discursive variant, to show its heuristic potential for interdisciplinary interaction.

The article is devoted to the specifi cs of teaching foreign languages to Chinese students in a Russian university. The purpose of the study is to identify and rationalize the linguistic and cultural features of teaching the French language and culture. According to a common point of view, representatives of diff erent cultures are characterized by diff erent forms of strategic thinking (Vyach.Vs. Ivanov, A.I. Kobzev, L. Levy-Bruhl, K. Lévi-Strauss, Yu.M. Lotman B.N. and others). Traditionally, several types of thinking are distinguished: a synthetic, eastern one, which is characterized by asymmetry, imagery, symbolism, and an analytical, western type of thinking (its features are logic, algorithmic, conceptual, systematic). These features infl uence the stereotypical scenarios of intercultural interaction, including the process of teaching foreign languages. The article analyzes some basic principles of educational and pedagogical communication in the Chinese cultural tradition and considers modern technologies for teaching foreign languages, refl ecting national educational traditions. Possible diffi culties for students are analyzed on the example of diff erences in the systems of French and Chinese at all structural levels (phonetic, lexical, morphological and syntactic). To conclude, it is necessary to take into account not only signifi cant diff erences in languages of diff erent structure in the learning process, but also the diff erence in methods of learning foreign languages, due to nationally specifi c features of speech behavior, cognitive strategies and culture in general.

The aims to study the interaction of two factors — hybridity and border — on the example of language education and functional multilingualism. The theoretical basis of the work is the concept of L.V. Shcherba on the relationship of language education with many other disciplines. It is established that the phenomenon of hybridity is associated with the idea of overcoming boundaries, mixing, in the field of language education, with the heterogeneity of students representing different countries and regions; belonging of students to different cultures, including educational ones. It is also connected with hybrid forms of education — full-time and distant learning; the concept of bilingual and multilingual teaching of foreign languages and cultures. It determines the relevance of the topic in terms of cultural and methodological aspects. Taking into account the works of N.V. Baryshnikov, N.I. Gendina, M. Causa, D. Marsh it is shown, that the use of a multilingual format mobilizes the resources of several languages that are in a situation of functional complementarity; it develops functional plurilingualism which is supporting an integrated system of communication. The condition for this is the systematic change of codes, or languages, in order to master and transfer the content of a particular discipline (translanguaring). The concept of information literacy (littératie / literacy) is considered, which implies the use of information resources in foreign languages, including digital ones, in order to educate a person who speaks several languages and has several sources of information. The question is raised about the results of the transfer of knowledge and concepts in a multilingual context and about the quality of the formed knowledge: integrated or disintegrated.

This article discusses designing and developing an innovative version of a digital textbook for teaching foreign languages. The main difficulty at the moment lies in the creation and design of the online learning environment of educational institutions, which implies the availability of relevant online materials, in particular, electronic textbooks, which are fundamentally diff erent from those used in the traditional form of education. Only specially prepared educational materials, requiring signifi cant intellectual, time and material investments, help to overcome many difficulties and increase the efficiency of the process of teaching and learning of foreign languages remotely. The article discusses the structure, general principles of designing an e-textbook, analyzes the digital and pedagogical technologies that are most often used to create this digital learning tool. The form of information presentation, educational interaction, task formats, types of control and assessment in a digital textbook are different from printed publications. Therefore, when designing a digital textbook, it is necessary to take into account requirements extending to the content of an e-textbook (methodological); the design (pedagogical design or ergonomics) and the technical features of an e-textbook. Particular attention is paid to the methodological principles that determine the quality and eff ectiveness of the content of an e-textbook. Developed in accordance with modern methodological requirements, the content will allow the teacher to implement a student-centered approach, provide individualization and diff erentiation of learning, taking into account the abilities of the student, apply the so-called adaptability of teaching aids, which is impossible when using a printed counterpart.

The article is dealing with the main traditions of education in Russia. These traditions have been developing over a long historical period and are still living. The process of acquiring knowledge in Russia has some specifi c national features. Education has always been under the guidance of the state. Consequently, the main initiative for reforms in this area has always been directed from above. The education in Russia has always been based on the idea of patriotism — not for personal benefi t only, but rather for the good of Russia. Otherwise it would lose its main purpose. The main idea in Russian education has always been to bring up a worthy citizen, to provide students not just with certain knowledge and skills, but rather some moral principles.

It has become customary to give the translator’s name on the front page of both fiction and non-fiction books, as well as in journal, newspaper and magazine articles. It is only fair that translators should take their rightful place in dictionaries of quotations next to the authors of memorable phrases, many of which would have never crossed the borders of their native linguacultures without the aid of a talented translator. The Oxford Dictionary of Quotations (ODQ), Bartlett’s Familiar Quotations (Bartlett’s) and Konstantin Dushenko’s dictionaries of quotations were analyzed as the most authoritative and popular representatives of British, American and Russian traditions in the field of lexicographic fi xation of memorable utterances. The study revealed the specific approaches of each tradition to the inclusion in the dictionary of foreign-language material, to presenting it in the original language or in translation, with the name of the translator or anonymously. Among the key factors determining the lexicographers’ choice are the epoch when the quoted texts were created, the language they were written in, and their functional and stylistic properties, as well as the position of the dictionary compiler/editor, the personality of the translator, and the prospective user of the dictionary. In the Russian dictionaries, the proportion of anonymous translated quotations, especially literary quotations, is lower than in Bartlett’s, and signifi cantly lower than in the ODQ. In addition, the Russian dictionaries often include several translations of the same quotation with the names of their authors, which is rarely the case in Bartlett’s and completely absent in the ODQ.

The paper deals with the issue of decoding and functional characteristics of such stylistic device as pun or play of words in a literary text, paying special attention to one of its main subdivisions — paronymic attraction. On the extensive linguistic material (more than 600 pages) the most important decoding stylistic functions of this phenomenon (such as evaluative, expressive, characterizing, etc.) have been identifi ed, and the initial hypothesis that paronymic attraction may be closely tied up with all the language system levels, not only phonetic, has been proved. Besides that, the role of communicative, informative and expressive functioning of this stylistic device was established not only in the humouristic literary texts, but in the most serious political discourses as well.

The article discusses the concept of cultural transmission. The language is considered as one of the tools for the transmission of values from one generation to another. The work is based on the materials of dictionaries and the National Corpus of the Russian Language. The research confi rms the thesis about the existence of fundamental culture codes, which manage its language and perception schemes. Understanding the signifi cance of cultural codes makes it possible to form and develop a national cultural identity, which contributes to the implementation of cultural transmission. Special attention is paid to identifying linguistic areas of concentration of cultural meanings. In the course of the study, it was found out that the internal form of the word and evaluative vocabulary open up great opportunities for establishing cultural-specifi c meanings hidden from direct observation. The meanings of words containing a subjective component allow us to formulate some laws of “naive” ethics. The use of words with evaluative semantics indicates the moral rules of the society or reveals their violation. The article also shows how values are refl ected in the formation of the ethnic style of communication. This work is deeply connected with such topical questions as the national and cultural specifi city of connotations, the means of their lexicographical representation, the decoding of speaker’s value system.

The article deals with the direction in linguistics focused on the description of the language for productive and receptive speech actions. The developer of this direction, Igor G. Miloslavskiy, proves in his writings that the classification approach is clearly insufficient to describe in full the language understood as activity. Orientation to the reflection of reality and to the understanding of speech activity as a set of receptive and productive actions lead to the understanding that language serves to ensure speaking / writing and understanding when listening and reading. Different initial data (meaning and text) require that the grammars intended for reception and production should have fundamental differences. The speaker/writer’s goal is (ideally) to strive to make an accurate choice of language units and ways of connecting them that correspond to his intention. For a person reading / listening, the most important task is to extract complete and accurate content from lexical and phraseological units in the process of listening or reading, as well as distinguishing between objective and subjective meanings contained in the statement. As convincingly, showed Miloslavskiy, the activity approach to the language, demanded by life and society, is able to ensure the effective development of the linguistics of the future. The article presents a brief review of the works of Igor G. Miloslavskiy and the main stages of his scientific and pedagogical activity, strongly associated with the Lomonosov Moscow State University.

Phraseological units are central to developing communicative competence, which is viewed as the main goal of teaching modern languages. They contribute to making our speech more figurative, expressive, and convey additional emotional, evaluative and pragmatic connotations, which determines an effective interaction with native speakers. In addition to the usual use, phraseological units are often subjected to individual semantic-structural transformations, which, in particular, are typical of newspaper texts. Acquiring the skills of using phraseological units, especially with transformations, is of particular difficulty for language learners, since this contradicts the perception of these units as ready-made and permanent in terms of structure and lexical components. Accordingly, this requires a deep understanding of their connotative, pragmatic, emotional-expressive and evaluative characteristics responsible for the transformations made. This calls for a methodically adequate presentation and the choice of practical tasks so that international students may use the expressions concerned in the proper form. The paper examines the common challenges that international students face when studying Russian phraseology. It also briefly reviews the types of transformations, and provides the author’s recommendations related to incorporating phraseological expressions, including the ones with transformations, in the learning process.