Vol 22, No 1 (2024)

Scientific Review

Textbooks on reading in Russian for Chinese universities over the past 30 years: analysis and prospects

Li Y.

Abstract

Textbooks are the basis for implementing the curriculum and an important support in teaching activities. They play an important role in foreign language teaching, representing teaching materials that combine the characteristics of the time, learning objectives, advanced teaching concepts, and patterns of self-learning. The aim of the research is to identify trends and problems in the sphere of preparation and publication of teaching aids for reading in Russian in China. The author analyzed 84 manuals on reading in Russian published in China over the last 30 years. Special attention was paid to the 4 most representative books published at different times. Comparative-typological method, as well as methods of induction and mathematical processing were used. The comparative analysis of teaching aids was carried out considering the aspects of the purpose of creation, structure, content. The features of universal (comprehensive) and professional-specialized reading textbooks, including auxiliary teaching materials are considered. The necessity of creating a series of high-quality textbooks is emphasized, and the ways of solving this problem are determined. The author has deeply explored the alternatives of composing Russian reading textbooks from the point of view of a system of multifunctional thematic content, integration of intercultural and national-specific elements, and multipolar learning.

Russian Language Studies. 2024;22(1):7-28
pages 7-28 views

Russian Language in the World

Educating future Russian language teachers in the United States

Reagan T.G.

Abstract

The increasing tensions between the Russian Federation and the United States of America have exacerbated the already serious decline in numbers of students seeking to study Russian, as well as the concomitant elimination of many Russian language programs at both the K-12 and university levels. The purpose of the research is to consider the need to improve the preparation and quality of future teachers of Russian in U.S. public schools. This work draws on applied philosophical analysis and policy studies, as well as a review of existing Russian language and literature programs at major U.S. universities. Measures of relevant data are presented, showing a paucity of linguistic competence in Russian produced through current practice in the U.S. Implementation is suggested. A model five-year program is proposed for the preparation of future Russian language teachers in the United States. Based on the typical undergraduate curriculum, this model would involve coursework in three broad areas: general education courses (the liberal arts and sciences), Russian language and related courses, and courses concerned with pedagogy.

Russian Language Studies. 2024;22(1):29-42
pages 29-42 views

Russian Speech Culture

Folk orthology in the digital environment

Likhachev S.V., Popova E.I.

Abstract

In the digital era, folk orthologs (language normalizers who are not professional in the quality of speech, the choice of criteria, and the codified norm) have received unlimited access to the electronic publication of their opinions, which has come to the attention of scientists. The relevance of the proposed topic is determined by the need to popularize traditional cultural values, in particular, knowledge of the Russian language. The purpose of the study is to find out the motives of folk orthologs and the norm criteria used in their rulemaking, degree of objectivity, the correspondence of their opinions to scientific ideas and the level of literacy in their statements. The research material was based on judgments about the language of non-professional linguists available at online forums (public dialogues) about the Russian language. The method of content analysis was used, including the search and selection of judgments of folk orthologs, as well as the analysis of linguistic material from the perspective of compliance with norms in linguistic dictionaries. The results of the study showed both the lack of knowledge of folk orthologs about the Russian language and their demand for this knowledge. The motives for their activities were identified - interest in the language and its protection, self-realization, leisure time, and also the main areas of activity of folk orthologs - rulemaking, and the search for norms in spelling, vocabulary and grammar. This knowledge made it possible to propose recommendations for a possible dialogue between scientists and folk orthologs.

Russian Language Studies. 2024;22(1):43-57
pages 43-57 views

Cultural Linguistics: Theoretical and Applied Aspects

Semantic dynamics of the lexeme ‘pensioner’ in Russian linguistic culture

Denisenko V.N., Safaralieva L.A., Perfilyeva N.V.

Abstract

Socio-economic changes, reforms of the pension system have transformed the perception of old age by Russian language native speakers. The authors deal with the dynamics of the semantic volume of the lexeme ‘pensioner’, caused by the above-mentioned extra-linguistic factors. The aim of the study is to describe the semantic transformation of the lexeme ‘pensioner’ representing the concepts ‘pensioner’, ‘pension’ and ‘old age’. The material of the research was the data of the National Corpus of the Russian Language for the period from 1995 to 2021, lexicographic sources, data of the associative experiment, which identified the conceptual, value-oriented and image-bearing components of the concepts ‘pensioner’, ‘pension’ and ‘old age’. The method of analysis and generalization of linguistic material from lexicographic sources, associative experiment, and the method of component analysis were used. The analysis of verbal elements reflecting cultural, traditional and value representations of Russian language speakers presented the dynamics of the semantics of the lexeme ‘pensioner’, its semantic transformation, which reflects changes in the Russian linguistic world picture. Semantic merisms identified as a result of contrastive analysis of potential associations allowed to present the semantic volume of the word considering the extra-linguistic data. As a result, the data were obtained, which can be used in lexicographic sources when defining the lexeme ‘pensioner’. Theoretical and practical approaches to modeling of Russian linguistic-cultural concepts are generalized. This reveals cultural and moral dominants of Russian language speakers and sacred meanings of the Russian culture.

Russian Language Studies. 2024;22(1):58-72
pages 58-72 views

Intersection of the lexical-semantic fields “Mentality” and “Physiology” in the poetic language of Igor-Severyanin

Ivanova M.V., Shliakhova G.I.

Abstract

The intersection of two lexical-semantic fields “mentality” and “physiology” in the poetic texts of Igor-Severyanin is studied. The relevance of the research is determined by the fact that within the framework of modern anthropocentric approach and increased attention to the mental sphere lexical semantics is investigated, lexical-semantic fields, their intersections, semantic shifts are considered, actual problems of linguistic poetics are touched upon. The aim of the work is to explore the intersection of lexical-semantic fields “mentality” and “physiology” in the language of Severyanin's poems. The material includes lexemes of the mental sphere from Igor-Severyanin's poetic texts. While determining the usual meaning of these lexemes, the authors used the materials of “Explanatory Dictionary of the Russian Language” by S.I. Ozhegov. The methods of description, comparison, contrast, lexical-semantic and contextual analysis, and continuous sampling were applied; the lexical-semantic field - a generally accepted form of representing lexical units by their meaning - was used to structure the vocabulary. The intersections of the lexical-semantic fields “mentality” and “physiology” in Igor-Severyanin's texts, revealed in the research, are primarily due to the inseparable connection between the inner world of man and his bodily organs of sense. The language fixes stable expressions indicating the possibility of comprehending the human consciousness through analyzing the signals of his body. Words used to denote phenomena and processes related to the body, health, gestures, etc., are reinterpreted in poetic language and receive new semantics, which allows to refer these new lexical-semantic units to the lexical-semantic field of mentality. In Igor-Severyanin's poems the inner world of the lyrical subject dominates, which is reflected in the author's word usage. Even words and expressions with the semantics of physiology shift in their meanings, acquiring the semantics of mentality, at the same time thoughts and feelings are endowed with the author's positive evaluation. The prospects of the research are connected primarily with further study of the mental sphere in the Russian linguistic lexical-semantic system, its dynamics, as well as with the analysis of semantic shifts in the poetic language vocabulary.

Russian Language Studies. 2024;22(1):73-90
pages 73-90 views

Corpus explication of semantics of the dichotomous concept “Life - Death” in the Russian linguistic picture of the world

Lyi S., Polyakova E.V., Dzholdasbekova B.U.

Abstract

The conceptual dyad “Life - Death” in the Russian linguistic picture of the world is analyzed. The relevance of the research is conditioned by the existential significance of the studied phenomenon in the axiological field of the Russian linguistic picture of the world. The aim of the study is to conduct corpus analysis of the conceptual dyad “Life” and “Death”. The research material includes 70 poetic units containing the nuclear lexemes “Life” and “Death” in the Russian National Corpus. The poetic units are semantically complete contexts of poems by Russian poets (M. Tsvetaeva, M. Voloshin, S. Esenin, Z. Gippius, etc.). Descriptive method, conceptual analysis, method of linguistic-cultural commentary, contextual analysis, corpus method were applied. It was concluded that the concepts “Life - Death” reconstruct the dominant features of the Russian linguistic picture of the world, which is characterized not only by qualitative heterogeneity, but also by a certain bipolarity in the subject's behavior (agenticity vs passivity, providentiality vs activity, etc.). Such semantic parameters of the concepts “Life” and “Death” were established as transience and uncontrollability of life; life as an element, where a person is not an active subject, but an object for external forces; transience of life and its unpredictability; belief in life after death; death as a transition to otherness. The explanatory context for adequate commenting of conceptual meanings is formed.

Russian Language Studies. 2024;22(1):91-102
pages 91-102 views

Textual connections of the mythonyms in I.A. Bunin’s poetry

Selemeneva O.A.

Abstract

The question of the textual functioning of mythonyms in the poetic heritage of I.A. Bunin is raised. The relevance of the topic is due to the interest of linguists in the problem of artistic text-building, in particular the author’s preference in vocabulary selection, as well as the unresolved issue of modeling Bunin’s onomasticon. The purpose of the study is to describe the textual connections of mythological names, through which meaningful and conceptual information is explicated and a subtext is formed. The research material included the scientific edition (by Professor T.M. Dvinyatina) of I.A. Bunin’s poetry, from which 272 units were extracted by continuous sampling. The factual material was systematized and interpreted with the descriptive, taxonomic, quantitative methods, contextual analysis, modeling. Standing out against the background of different layers of the Bunin’s vocabulary, mythological names interact with each other, with other semantic subgroups of onyms, appellatives, attributive and verbal vocabulary. The author notes that mythoanthroponyms and theonyms have the richest syntagmatic connections. Contextual synonymy is found in demononyms, mythoanthroponyms, mythopersonyms, mythoponyms and theonyms; and contextual antonymy is found in mythoponyms and mythopersonyms. The intertextual nature and the precedent level determine the associative connections of Bunin’s mythonymicon units. It is concluded that the textual functioning of mythonyms is determined by I.A. Bunin’s intention to overcome the particularization of cultural worlds and create such an individual author’s mythopoetic space where images and plots already familiar to readers are constantly enriched with new meanings. The prospects of the work include the study of Bunin’s prose mythonymicon and the textual connections of mythonyms in it, which will allow to create a consistent onomastic model of Bunin-writer.

Russian Language Studies. 2024;22(1):103-116
pages 103-116 views

Methods of Teaching Russian as a Native, Non-Native, Foreign Language

Linguistic intuition in the system of teaching Russian as a foreign language at the pre-university stage

Urunova R.D.

Abstract

The relevance of the study is due to the lack of methodological complexes designed to develop linguistic intuition among foreigners studying the Russian language at pre-university stage. Foreign students at the initial level of education usually use linguistic intuition formed in their native language, but observations show that a full-fledged linguistic intuition in Russian-language speech communication is based on the automatic use of elements and constructions of the Russian language. The purpose of the study is to substantiate the need for consistent use of tasks that contribute to the automated speech skills and stimulate linguistic guess in the process of teaching Russian as foreign language. The following methods were applied: observation of the communicative activities of students learning the Russian language with the proposed methodology, analysis and synthesis of results, as well as observation in order to identify difficulties in achieving automaticity of speech skills and the use of linguistic intuition. The research was conducted at the elementary and basic levels of teaching the Russian language to Iranian students of medical and biological specialties at the Preparatory Faculty of the Kazan (Volga Region) Federal University. A methodology has been developed, based on the system of phonetic, lexical-grammatical and text tasks for classroom and independent work. The training complex uses elements of critical thinking to form and improve speech and cognitive skills that will help foreign students develop the ability to independently solve various communicative problems. Provided that tasks for developing intuition are regularly completed at classroom, it seems promising to achieve freedom of speech behavior of foreign students in communicative acts of various types.

Russian Language Studies. 2024;22(1):117-134
pages 117-134 views

Case system in learning Russian as a first and second foreign language

Ceytlin S.N., Kruglyakova T.A.

Abstract

The task of creating innovative technologies for teaching Russian as a native, as a non-native and as a foreign language, taking into account the age of students, their cognitive abilities and features of the first language, is relevant. The solution of this problem requires a fundamental psycholinguistic study of the processes accompanying the formation of the language mechanisms of children and adults. The aim of this research is to specify the ideas about mastering the category of Russian case in various conditions of language acquisition. The method of comparative analysis of the processes of mastering Russian case in monolingualism, simultaneous child bilingualism, studying Russian as a foreign language and Russian language acquisition by a foreign-speaking child in the process of communication, was used. The material was collected during longitudinal observation of the speech of primary school students from St. Petersburg, who were native speakers of Turkic and Caucasian languages. The classification of errors in selecting and constructing case forms is proposed. The ways of access to the mental lexicon and the mechanisms of procedural grammar rules formation are described. The conclusion is that there is the imbalance between the cognitive and communicative development of a foreign child and the level of language proficiency, which leads to a detailed, but grammatically unformed statement, characteristic of a successive natural bilingual. When Russian-speaking child resorts to retrieving ready-made frameworks of prepositional case constructions from memory, the foreign child independently constructs them in speech, preferring to use basic and reduced forms. In the future, it is necessary to develop a unified toolkit for studying grammar mechanisms formation and to increase the empirical base of the study. The information about speech ontogenesis obtained as a result of the study must be taken into account for developing scientifically based methods of teaching Russian as a non-native language and as a foreign language.

Russian Language Studies. 2024;22(1):135-149
pages 135-149 views

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