Perception of the cultural concept of wine in French, Italian, Spanish, English and Russian axiological world view based on contrastive analysis of paroemias

The study focuses on the contrastive analysis of paroemias denoting cultural concept «wine» in French, Italian, Spanish, English and Russian axiological world view. It is determined that idiomatic expressions related to the abovementioned concept constitute an important source of cultural information for the interpretation of the worldview fixed in collective consciousness. Semantic features of paroemias, which are reviewed in comparison to each other, allow to reveal the peculiarities of cultural mentality and national character of the French, Italians, Spanish, English and Russians from the point of view of their attitude to wine as a cultural and historical phenomenon. It is defined that difficulties of interpretation as well as translation of phraseological units are caused by the differences in perception of this concept as well as the absence or presence of similar connotations. The lexemes related to the concept of wine in French, Italian, Spanish, English and Russian languages represent profound linguistic material that is worth being analyzed within the framework of intercultural communication, linguistics and cultural studies. The practical significance of the study is determined by the ability to apply its results to contrastive lexicography and elaborate theory and practice of various contrastive language studies.

Humorous discourse in the Spanish and Basque lingual cultures: a comparative analysis

The thesis deals with the study of humorous discourse in order to interpret and reconstruct significant fragments of the Spanish and Basque linguistic worldview. For the sake of better understanding of this linguocultural space we recur to a complex analysis of nationally marked lexical units and ethnic components as stereotypes and other manifestations of national character traits reflected in jokes. A contrastive multidisciplinary approach to humorous discourse allows to reveal the most relevant ‘indicators’ of belonging to a certain cultural environment, to analyze particularities of interactions within the triad "language-mentality-picture of the world" and to clarify factors that determine national specifics of these correlations. The results and materials of the research can be used in teaching a foreign language, in theoretical and practice courses on translation, lexicography of the Spanish and Basque languages, semiotics, cultural linguistics, intercultural communication, as well as in other scientific disciplines involved in the study of the interaction of language, mentality and culture.

Linguo-Pragmatic Analysis of Biblical Idioms in Russian, Spanish, Italian, French and English

The dissertation is the first experience of complex linguo-pragmatic study of phraseology of biblical origin in five languages: Russian, Spanish, Italian, French and English. Biblical idioms are regarded as precedent phenomena and means of pragmatic influence. The linguo-pragmatic analysis is based on more than 1,500 idioms of biblical origin in Russian, Spanish, Italian, French and English. The author identifies, systemizes and analyzes typological classifications of biblical phraseology according to their structural, semantic and functional features. The research stipulates the composition of idioms of biblical origin, mechanisms for their implementation in the relevant linguistic cultures. The author identifies and analyzes etymological, structural, semantic, cross-cultural and pragmatic parameters of biblical phraseology in five languages. The dissertation reveals and describes the functional peculiarities of idioms derived from the Bible and used in the modern media discourse in Russia, Spain, Italy, France and the United Kingdom. The study identifies and explains transformational methods for biblical idioms in print and electronic media as a means of artistic expression and pragmatic impact on the recipient. Research materials and proceedings can be used in the preparation of theoretical and practical courses in general linguistics, lexicology, phraseology, stylistics and translation, intercultural studies, as well as language courses and seminars in Spanish, Italian, French and English.

Impoliteness and Rudeness in the American and Russian Communicative Cultures

This thesis is devoted to a comparative study of pragmatic and ethnocultural aspects of the communicative categories of impoliteness and rudeness in the American and Russian communicative cultures. Impoliteness and rudeness are analyzed in close connection with the category of politeness and as discursive and pragmatic categories which possess ethnocultural specifics. Based on the results of the sociolinguistic study, it examines and compares major characteristics of impoliteness and rudeness in American English and Russian, as well as analyzes and compares the peculiarities of how Americans and Russians conceptualize the phenomena under study. The paper also contains the results of the comparative study of impoliteness and rudeness in interpersonal everyday discourse in the American and Russian communicative cultures. It reveals and analyzes the communicative strategies of impoliteness and rudeness as well as linguistic and nonlinguistic means of their expression. The results of this research have implications for linguistic pragmatics, discourse analysis, communicative ethnostylistics, the theory of intercultural communication, sociolinguistics, teaching English and Russian, and the working practice of employees of international companies.

Functional and Pragmatic Features of the Speech Genre of Invitation in the American and Russian Communicative Cultures

This thesis explores the functional and pragmatic features of the speech genre of “Invitation” in the American and Russian communicative cultures. Based on ethnographic observation, questionnaires and interviews, it examines the two pragmatic types of invitation – genuine, and false (“phony”) which are regarded as subordinate speech genres with particular focus on the American and Russian communication strategies (politeness strategies) and linguistic means employed for their performance in a variety of social contexts. It also discusses criteria which can be used to differentiate genuine invitations from false ones revealed through sociolinguistic research showing how Americans and Russians conceptualize false invitations. The results of this research have implications for cross-cultural pragmatics, social linguistics, psycholinguistics, discourse analysis, cross-cultural communication theory and teaching English and Russian as second languages.

Conceptual models of the effective election campaigns for the posts of Moscow and London mayors

The thesis research is devoted to finding out the explanatory potential of model making in political communication studying and clearing up the communicative view of the texts representing the election campaigns as a typical way of a typical content representation for a definite culture. The universal algorithm of the holistic conceptual model derivation of the election campaign is worked out in the thesis. The conceptual models of the successful election campaigns for the posts of Moscow and London mayors and to interpret these models as the ones which correlate with the horizontal and vertical types of culture in conditions of a special communicative situation – the election situation. The results of this research can be used both in the lectures of research is both worked out and used. That allowed to derive the holistic comprehensive method of comparative typology, general and particular semiotics, cross-cultural communication and philological hermeneutics, in specialized courses and seminars and in diploma and course paper’s themes making.

Official correspondence in Education and Science in Russia and France: theoretical and practical aspects

In this dissertation, the author analyses the text of official correspondence relating to education and science in Russian and French in terms of its structure and linguistic content. On the basis of this analysis it is intended to develop the concept of a specialised French- Russian and Russian –French dictionary (in both printed and electronic format) of official terms relating to education and science. By examining the text of official letters it is possible to identify specific features of their design and to note the character of their linguistic and grammatical structure. It is also possible to group the most common French and Russian standard phrases used in official correspondence relating to education and science. On the basis of an analysis of current standard and specialist French and Russian dictionaries of official terms in both printed and electronic format, it has been possible to outline the principles whereby the vocabulary for a bilingual dictionary of official language can be selected, to produce a draft dictionary with examples of correspondence and to propose the methodology for designing a computerised version. The results of the research may be used in higher education to provide practical support for the improvement of French and Russian written language. It can also be used by students, teachers and administrative staff of educational and scientific institutions to assist them in the composition of official letters to their French colleagues who are taking part in university, school and scientific exchanges with Russia. The author’s conception can be used with good effect for further work in developing dictionaries by specialists in computer linguistics.

Discourse Of An International Non-Governmental Organization (Based On The Russian And French Versions Of The Amnesty International Website)

The dissertation describes the discourse of the international non-governmental organization Amnesty International in terms of the identification of its universal and ethno-cultural specifics based on the comparison of texts and polycode texts of the Russian and French versions of the organization's website. The influencing potential of texts in the two languages is considered in terms of the discursive activities of Amnesty International in Russia and in France. The organization's discourse is defined as a social hybrid persuasive discourse, suggesting a social dialogue with the Organization's supporters, the problems and forms of which are conditioned by the pragmatic intentions of the Addressee; verbal and non-verbal means of speech influence are described, basic communicative strategies and tactics are analyzed, principles of the websites' organization are highlighted. The research results contribute to the development of discourse study, comparative linguocultural studies and stylistics, theory of speech influence. The material of the research is also of linguodidactical value and can be used in developing courses on intercultural communication and text linguistics, as well as in teaching Russian and French languages, Russian as a foreign language, in translation theory and practice.

Secondary Colour Terms in Dictionary and Literary Text (in English and Ukrainian)

The dissertation is a complex contrastive-comparative study of secondary colour terms in two languages of different structure – analytical English and inflectional Ukrainian. The work treats similarities and differences of colour terms lexicographical representation both in English and Ukrainian, presents the list of English and Ukrainian secondary colour terms fixed as dictionary entries, describes colour terms structural-grammatical and lexico-semantic parameters, considers linguocultural peculiarities of the studied units in the English and Ukrainian languages, specifies colour terms classification. The dissertation analyses the functioning of English and Ukrainian lexical units of secondary colour nomination in English and Ukrainian literary texts. The research points out structural-grammatical and lexico-semantic types of the studied units, the denotation types characterized by English and Ukrainian lexical units with secondary colour nomination, their contextual meaning. The investigation reveals similarities and differencies of secondary colour terms in contrastive-comparative aspect.

Phenomenon of Greek substratum in compounding derivational models (based on the entries of defining and foreign words explanatory dictionaries in Russian)

The dissertation treats lexical units of the Russian language, namely, compound nouns which contain derivation components of Greek origin. In course of analysis there are being studied peculiarities and regularities of Greek substratum in derivational models of compound nouns in modern Russian as well as its role in both forming structure and semantics of a hybrid word-composite. Within approved onomasiological approach structures of compound words with a Greek loan component is described; their structural and semantic features are revealed, correlations of structure and meaning are established. Results and conclusions of the thesis could be further useful to elaboration theory and practice of comparative language studies, in lexicography and various university linguistic courses as well as teaching Russian as a foreign language.