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Scientific Newsletter of Voronezh State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering

UDC 82.08

St. Petersburg State University Department of Public Relations in Business Doctor of Philological Sciences,

Associate Professor

Elena Vladimirovna Bykova e-mail: bykova2april@gmail.com

E.V. Bykova

PRINCIPLES OF ORGANIZATION OF WEB-SPEECH TEXT

The article reveals the contents of the concept of a modular text. It is shown that the organization of voice Web-page is subject to the category of modularity, which is related to the concept of usability (usability) - easy to use in a virtual environment. Modularity is the basic form of existence of the Web-text. Modularity involves the formation of the content of Web-text with tight focus on a frame structure that lies at its base. Organization of Web-text requires the joint work of the author and designer. In the Web-text speech organization is subordinated to usability of the information posted on the Web-page: bulleted lists, in which one fragment represents one idea, the keywords, hyperlinked frames; the location of the verbal and nonverbal fragments governs perception: presentation of the material is produced on the basis of an inverted pyramid, where the most important information is given in the beginning. This article describes the differences in the perception of information printed and electronic text by the reader.

Keywords: module, speech organization, format, Internet communication, webpage, frame.

The topicality is determined by the fact that the Z generation was born in the naughtiest of the twenty-first century without reading long texts. They prefer to receive information from poly-coded nonlinear text entities where the additional semiotic system is used [1].

However, the “lack of understanding of the specificity of the organization of a nonlinear text leads to semantic, syntactic, semiotic errors” and communication failures. [2].

The modern world descends to a digital format where information updates in every second. Between the subjects of communication in the Internet to the foreground the struggle for the attention of the reader or user appears. Whereby the organization of speech material on the principle of modularity goes to the Web format and gets a paramount importance as it controls the reader's attention.

The purpose of this article –is to show that speech actualization in the Web format have common features with the principles of the speech organization of modular texts. The description of the general principles of the modular type texts organization and Web-based texts is important for the development of new linguistic, stylistic and didactic approaches in teaching. Total accounted and analyzed material based on conclusions which are drawn by the author card file which forms more than 2000 units of text.

At the end of the 90th the researchers of the Internet found out that people have different perceptions of the information which was posted in electronic resources and on a paper page. It is obvious that each type of tangible medium requires some form of content organization. For example, speech organization of the front page in a newspaper with catchy font actualization has common features with the advertisement. It is significantly different from the speech material organization of book pages.

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© Bykova E.V., 2016

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How can it be explained? First of all, in our opinion, the communicative intention of the sender relies on the reader's attention, highlights information in a dense informational flow and an interacts him. “Linear communication with its passive role of the recipient was transformed into cyclic, which implies the exchange of roles in the process of dialogue. The text becomes a mediator and must interact of the author and the audience” [3 p. 6].

A thought that the form of organization of speech material carried the idea was expressed by F.I. Buslaev in 1861 in the “Historical Sketches of Russian folk literature and art” [4]. In his reasoning, the change in the graphical appearance of the text material indicates a change in the cultural code with a help of broadcasting of a message to the society. This idea is relevant today: Web-text which is output by a printer to a traditional paper media, partially loses the properties of the organization (color, animation components, transitions to hyperlinks, etc.), which reduces its effectiveness. This observation suggests the change of the text message organization can be violated, and consequently inhibit the perception.

The differences in the perception of printed and electronic information (except book readers − e-book) are primarily manifested in the fact that Internet users do not read the text sequentially, line by line, page by page, like a book. They glide a title, scan a content, assess fragmentary the potential importance of the information, turn their attention to the hyperlink and related promotional and reference materials. In the studies of 2008, it was indicated that the user usually reads 20% of all the placed on a page text and avoids large paragraphs [5]. To do this, apparently, the information in journalistic texts optimizes the reader's perception. It compresses to about 1:10, and in advertising texts information compresses up to 1: 100.

Widespread electronic media suggests that now days a new constructivist model of work with information sources has entered into force [6]. This pragmatic model is reflected in the fact that the assimilation of new knowledge is not carried out systematically, and fragmentary, in a personal search. “For a long time it was believed that an educated man – is the one who” knows where to find.” He is able to find information and determine its quality − that was taught in an institution of Higher Education. Today, you do not need to have a degree or special skills to find anything. It is enough to have a handy gadget with internet access to find everything.”[7]. For a current user the whole system of knowledge is not so important in general, but it is important as a certain part of the system which is needed here and now for the implementation of a specific intention, speech action: to quote, to find a dictionary entry, a thematic compilation, an answer to the question, etc.

The old technological world was compared with the book, on the approval philosophers “it does not develop in a straight line, it does not break down into separate parts or chapters” [5]. Modern digital era that journalism calls as a big data, has changed the way of transmission, storage, transportation and reception of information, it has demanded a new format for the transmission of large amounts of information, its quick finding, perception and processing. Technical progress manifests itself including the form of organization of the speech material, not only in the professional, educational, and domestic use. It seems necessary and appropriate to introduce scientific use of the concept of modularity and a number of concepts derived from it: a module, a module text, a modular thinking.

What the difference between the process of reading the text in Internet and reading a traditional book [8]? In our view, much is determined by the difference between the speech patterns of organization of the material in a traditionally printed text, which is dominated by a linear principle of the organization, and the speech patterns of the organization of the electronic text in Web-pages format, which is dominated by the principle of the planar organization of the speech material. We call the module − the text which is placed plane and framed

(modular text). 16.

16 A typical example of a modular text can serve as an advertisement, product label, the poster and so on.

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We will show the main differences between the two principles of the organization of speech material.

The linear principle is manifested in the fact that it dominates the linear arrangement of speech material in the one-line space. And for clarity of perception all text is marked by paragraphs, chapters, sections, parts and other elements of a pragmatic division. The boundaries of space-pragmatic articulation of the text array on a page are indicated by indentation, the uptrend line spacing or special icons (paragraphs, stars, etc.), special characters and graphical appearance of the first letter of the main line.

The text, which is dominated by the linear organization of verbal material consist of the usual offerings of various syntactic nature, which fills a line completely, regardless of the length of the proposal. Splitting the voice of the array on the line does not depend on the semantic structure of a sentence or a part of it. The transfer from one line to another with a linear organization is due only to the format of the page where the text is located. Parts of the complex sentences are connected with punctuation marks; the end of each sentence is denoted by a point and the beginning of the proposal − a capital letter.

For a complete filling of the line, as we have said, the transfer systemic used. While there is no transfer system in a linear text, it is not as important as the new technical meanings of a computer typesetting speech material allows not tolerate words from one line to another. But this phenomenon proves the rule of a canonical design of a classical linear text, which historically dates back to the handwritten text.

Printed text with dominant linear principle of speech material organization is aligned on the left and edgewise. In a hand-written text, for example, there is an absolute left alignment and a relative alignment on the right, as in the manuscript there are no automatic, mechanical layout techniques to fill completely equal length lines with different number of digits.

Within a paragraph and between paragraphs, the line spacing is made mostly the same as the spacing between letters, words and sentences. It is generally observed while typing on the computer and adjusted using the option “hidden characters”, which helps to create a technically perfect linear text. Text box is typed the same size and font. The use of italics, boldface and discharging confirms the stability of the basic principle of a linear organization. For the convenience of the reader pagination, actualizing the sequence of presentation of verbal material and the order of perception is introduced. Using of pagination underscores a dimensional linear organization.

As we can see, the very principle of the linear organization of the text and its location in the plane of the page, defines the character of slow, focused perception, stretched in time.

These features of the text is dominated by a linear principle of the organization of speech material, seems obvious, trivial. However, only a clear, systematic understanding of these features helps to understand the principle that a linear organization of the text is different from the principle of a planar organization of speech material in the module. Modular text is inscribed in the frame, requires specific rules for the organization of speech material in the plane of the two-dimensional space. We will list these rules.

Modular text is usually broken up into separate fragments (both verbal and nonverbal), which are located in the plane of the module in accordance with the specific intent of the author. Fragments are heterogeneous in content, and this heterogeneity actualized graphic design: pieces made of different fonts, font size, may have a different color scheme. The boundaries between the fragments of the text are not the same. A line in a modular text is incomplete. Fragments have different text alignment (left, right, center, etc.), and the vertical line spacing may be different. Spaces between words in a line module (speech fragment) may be different in length.

In a modular text the diversity in different parts of the sentence the lines due to the need of updating the meaning of this or that part of the proposal. A transferring system in

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modular texts is not used at all, since the transfer is cutting a word and updates on the line, unwanted connotations and sometimes even kill the meaning of all content of the proposal. The location of verbal and nonverbal fragments in the plane of the module determines a simultaneous perception of fragments. All speech organization of a modular text is intended for scanning perception, unlike the texts with a linear organization.

Let’s compare the speech organization of linear and nonlinear texts. In the example below, information is presented in a linear and non-linear format:

“If your pet needs special veterinary care, it can be obtained in our clinic, which operates 24 hours. And also you can dial a phone number 063, to call the pet doctor home. Veterinarians of our clinic leave to challenges in all areas of the city, including the regions”.

“Если вашему питомцу потребуется срочная ветеринарная помощь, то ее можно получить в нашей клинике, которая работает круглосуточно. А также вы можете набрать номер телефона 063, чтобы вызвать к питомцу врача на дом. Врачи – ветеринары нашей клиники выезжают на вызовы во все районы города, включая область” – (“Esli vashemu pitomcu potrebuetsja srochnaja veterinarnaja pomoshh', to ee mozhno poluchit' v nashej klinike, kotoraja rabotaet kruglosutochno. A takzhe vy mozhete nabrat' nomer telefona 063, chtoby vyzvat' k pitomcu vracha na dom. Vrachi – veterinary nashej kliniki vyezzhajut na vyzovy vo vse rajony goroda, vkljuchaja oblast'”).

The modular texts, as shows the speech practice in modern society, have come to occupy a dominant position in media consumption and defined in many ways of the nature perception. We believe that the modular principle of organization of speech material is consistent with the specifics of the speech organization of a Web-text in Internet. The modular speech organization of online text requires the joint work of the author and Web-based designer who actualizes its fragments in a page format processing Webtext, following the principles of usability (ease of use and speed of the information placed on the Web-page).

Usability principles are designed to hold the attention of the reader's web page: information is presented in bulleted lists, an updated fragment contains an idea of keywords actualized in the communicative situation in tags.

The very location of the verbal and non-verbal fragments obeys directing of Webdesigners, it tells the user where the primary and secondary thought process itself and controls perception, unlike the book where all pages are numbered and appear equally important. “Analyzing the movement of the eyes of Internet-users, it was found that web pages are viewed by the form of the Latin letter F: after the horizontal movement at the top of the content should be another horizontal movement and vertical offset from the top to the bottom”. [5] That is in contrast to a line printed text on the web-page of the information presented by fragments in labeled heading lists, one idea is one fragment, actualization of the

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keywords is produced by color and hyperlinks, explanatory subtitles are used, the presentation of material produced on the basis of an inverted pyramid: the most important thing at the beginning of. Home information is determined by the sender and the communicative intent [5].

It can be said that the principles of modularity meet the usability principles (ease of use) on the following aspects:

1)management of reader attention with the design;

2)forming a visual hierarchy (major-minor);

3)updating of important information elements in the plane of the page;

4)to provide quick access;

5)lapidary supply information.

Knowing the specifics of the modular organization of the text is necessary and during the working with a text in a virtual environment. Terms of the special organization of the speech material in a plane limited frame in some cases dictate the content itself, since regulates the amount of text-based material in the module plane. For example, if a message on Twitter, which should be limited to 146 signs, has no specified format, the user sends a message: “You need to be more creative, to put the message”.

If the printed edition of the text of the modular maximum parameters are determined by the page size of a newspaper or in the case of electronic texts, these parameters are determined by the plane electronic pages. They should be included in the display size of the gadget. Window value in the electronic device can be changed by the user. However, if the screen does not contain all of the text in full (due to limitations format support − smart phone, tablet, iPod, laptop), the perception of the text is significantly inhibited. Borders is also a display frame, it means the module, and consequently, the creation of the text for the gadget must obey the rules of the modular organization of the text.

In the modular texts most of the transmitted information is represented in the form of frames. Frame is a data structure designed to represent stereotypical situations [9 p.16-17, 10 p.18-24]. For example, the stereotypical situation corresponds frame holiday in the mountains. Then the slots of the frame - skiing, ski resort, cheap tours in Bulgaria. In frames or individual slots are searching information on the Internet. The basis of the formation of the frame are features of perception of reality based on a comparison of information received from the outside with the information that is stored in the memory of the subject of communication.

Conclusions

The usability rules [11], are focused on attracting and retaining the attention of users on the web-page, you should consider framing an approach to the construction of the content, characteristic of modular text. The frame concept is borrowed from the programming language and literally means frame. The web-text is divided into fragments corresponding to independent frames or slots of one frame.

The organization of Web-pages, if a large number of verbal and non-verbal material must comply internationalist page layout with fixed width for the convenience of Web-based pages. Only in this case the receiver can accept the text as a whole. If the text in format Webdisplay does not fit in the frame and requires additional horizontal or vertical scrolling, the principle of modularity, as set out in the article, is broken, and therefore, violate the rules and usability, that is not conducive to optimizing perception.

Thus, we can conclude that the modular principle of organization of the speech material is becoming more widespread as organically corresponds to modern information technology.

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Bibliographic list

1.Son L.P. Virtual'naja onomastika i neverbal'nyj komponent internet – kommunikacii /L.P. Son // Nauchnyj vestnik Voronezh. gos. arh.-stroit. un-ta. Sovremennye lingvisticheskie i metodiko-didakticheskie issledovanija. – 2012. – vyp. 18. – S. 123 - 124.

2.Misonzhnikov B. Ja. Fenomenologija teksta (sootnoshenie soderzhatel'nyh i formal'nyh struktur pechatnogo izdanija). –SPb.: Izd-vo SPbGU, 2001.– 490 s.

3.Bykova E.V., Fedorova N. Ju. Principy obuchenija prezentacii/ E.V. Bykova // Nauchnyj vestnik Voronezh. gos. arh.-stroit. un-ta. Sovremennye lingvisticheskie i me-

todiko-didakticheskie issledovanija. – 2015. – vyp. 1 (25). – S. 115-127.

4.Shchelkunova E.S. Publichnyi text v sisteme massovoi kommunikazii [Public text in mass communication system: specificity and function. Author. dis ... .kand. Philology. Sciences. Voronezh, 2004 ] p. 6. (In Russ.).

5.Byslaev F.I. Istorocheskii ocherk russkoi narodnoi slovesnosti I iskusstva[Historical Sketch of Russian folk literature and art.] 1861. (In Russ.).

6.Pavperov A. Vne fokusa: kak meniaitsa chteniye v cifrovuyu epochu[Out of focus: how to change the reading in the digital age] URL: http://vozduh.afisha.ru/technology/reading-in-digital-age/.24.09.2015(In Russ.).

7.Petrenko V. F. Konstrucktivizm kak novaya paradigm v naykah o cheloveke[Constructivism as a new paradigm in the human sciences] // Voprosy filosofii. 2011. №6. S. 75-85. (In Russ.).

8.Legoyda V.R . Kogda otkiuchat Internet [When turn off Internet ]// Thomas September 2015 (149) №9 URL: http://foma.ru/bez-interneta.html].

9.Bykova E.V. Rechevaia organizatziya modylnogo teksta [Speech Organization of modul text]. Spb. 2011. (In Russ.).

10.Deik van T.A. Yazyk. Poznaniye. Kommunikaziya.[Language. Cognition. Communication], 1989.(In Russ.).

11.Nikonova J.V. Freimovyi analis v lingvisticheskich issledivanijach [Frame analysis in linguistic studies // Scientific Herald of the Voronezh State Architecture and Construction University. Seryu Modern linguistic and methodical-didactic research]. 2006, №6. S. 18-24. (In Russ.).

12.Uzabilitisaita [Site Usability] URL: http://ru.jimdo.com/2014/10/03/ uzabiliti saita/03.09.2014. (In Russ.).

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UDC 81

Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia

Assistant of Foreign Languages Department, Faculty of Economics

Serafima Sergeevna Kogotkova e-mail: BonZoso@yandex.ru

S. S. Kogotkova

FUNCTIONS OF TAG QUESTIONS IN BUSINESS INTERVIEW

The article deals with some specific features of interview-dialogue as a genre of business communication and functions of tag questions in the context of effective verbal influence on the respondent. The research is mainly focused on functional and pragmatic analysis of English tag questions in business interviews. The article also tackles the problem of gender as a factor which affects communicants’ verbal behavior. Some examples are given to illustrate two types of communication strategies – those facilitating and inhibiting cooperative communication. The author concludes that the tag question is an effective means of realizing interlocutors’ communication strategies. Tag question function as organizes of the process of communication and, consequently, stimulators of communication in the modern English language.

Key words: business discourse, verbal interaction, interview, communicants, tag question, tag, gender factor, cooperative interaction, verbal strategies.

Due to the global expansion of foreign contacts, communication is becoming a key to successful business cooperation in general [1]. Each person is sure to deal with what is called “business communication”. The aim of such communication is the most effective verbal impact on the addressee [2]. In its turn, it is directly related to the problem of verbal communication effectiveness.

The relevance of this article is defined by the necessity of studying linguistic phenomena from the viewpoint of functional pragmatics, when linguists’ attention is focused on studying speech as opposed to the structural study of language as a system.

The aim of this study is functional and pragmatic analysis of English tag questions in male and female speech in a business interview with regard to revealing their gender characteristics and further development of their classification.

The subject of this study is functional and pragmatic characteristics of English tag questions in male and female speech in a business interview on the example of the two main national variants – British and American.

Nowadays, business communication is one of the crucial spheres of social life. Business communication allows enhancing international cooperation thus being a relevant problem to study. New economic realities define the primary need for communicative competence growth.

Business communication success depends on its participants’ interaction in various situations. In recent years, the problem of professional communication effectiveness has drawn the attention of researchers in different countries (V.Bhatia, К. Nickerson, R.W. Shuy, I. Galperin, V. Doroshenko, I. Podgaiskaya, T. Astafurova, etc.)

Our attention is focused on studying modern English business discourse (in particular, such form as business interview), as it seems important for the successful performance of professionals from different spheres. The limited character of subjects and aims of this type of communication is a vital feature which defines all linguistic peculiarities of this business discourse sphere.

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© Kogotkova S. S., 2016

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Interview is one of the most interesting spheres of business communication where the functional aspect of language is most visible. Interview has recently been one of the mass media basics. The term “interview” itself is used in particular situations where verbal interaction is observed [3]. In our context, these are situations on television or radio where one of the participants – the interviewer talks to the other – the respondent, in order to achieve the so-called communicative goals.

J. Brady in “The Craft of Interviewing” suggests the following definition of an interview: a specific form of verbal interaction used for specific purposes aimed at getting specific information and, therefore, excluding any extra material. Moreover, interview is a verbal interaction model where the relations between the interviewer and the respondent are of a specific character defined by the interview’s aim and type [4].

The researcher singles out the following types of interview:

1.Informational, aimed at getting information about topical problems.

2.Descriptive, aimed at revealing the respondent’s personality, their character and facts from their biography. In such kind of interview, the interlocutor’s evaluation is often expressed through the interviewer’s comments. As for the respondent’s self-assessment, it is normally of a negative or slightly positive character.

The specific feature of interview as a genre is that its text is not always prepared in advance. It is generated by both participants in the process of their communication. A certain part of question is normally prepared, still most journalists admit that most part of questions appear spontaneously in the course of communication.

Bearing in mind the fact that the journalist is the “director” of the interview and manages the communication process, the content of the respondent’s answers is defined by the pragmatic purposes of the interviewer’s questions. During an interview the journalist is faced not only with the task to receive information from the respondent, but also to generate their judgmental response to the problem discussed. In order to realize this communicative goal, an appropriate attitude is required from the respondent. Therefore, a lot of attention in an interview is paid to setting and maintaining a communicative contact which is a key factor for communicative effectiveness [5].

Preparedness is the basis of a successful interview. As seen from practice, a tenminute interview preparation may take several days. It is the formulation of questions that is considered the main step in preparing an interview. The interviewed should avoid too academic and specialized questions. They should be easily understood both by the respondent and by the listener or reader. Besides, the respondent has their strengths to draw attention to and weaknesses to hide.

Bearing these factors in mind will help make an interview in general and questions in particular more informative, as the respondent’s answer depends on the questions asked by the interviewer.

R. Maddox rightly observes that regardless of each interviewer’s individual style and the topic discussed, there are basic rules for preparing questions. Firstly, a question should be a question by nature: the situation signals where exactly the journalist stops talking and a question is asked to the respondent. Moreover, each question should be formulated so as to get the respondent’s answer avoiding extra information. In case the question does not sound clear enough, the respondent’s answer will not be clear either and there is a risk of the whole interview losing its consistency. On top of that, the respondent may take advantage of uncertainty, for instance, avoid difficult of inappropriate questions. Thus, a question should be unambiguous, tactful and clear, relatively brief so as not to lose its main idea and not to make the interview seem monotonous and boring [6].

An interrogative question belongs to the main communicative sentence types. Its main characteristic is focus on getting information. Tag questions are a sub-paradigm of

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the interrogation category, organizers of verbal interaction and, therefore, stimulators of communication in the modern English language.

A recent tendency in various languages has shown a convergence of the conversational and the official styles expressed in the simplification of grammar forms and the use of dialogical clichés as well as in the use of certain words and expressions typical of the oral conversational style [7]. That is why such common and stereotyped conversational expressions as tag questions have become popular in modern business English [8].

Some researchers classify the functions of tag questions on the basis of tag types. Thus, J. Algeo singles out five main tag categories: informational, confirmative, emphatic, categorical and aggressive [9].

The informational tag is used when the speaker asks for information having a certain idea of it and as a rule does not expect an answer for the addressee. Also, this type of tag makes the discourse participants equal partners and provides maximum space for an answer:

You don't have to wear any sort of glasses or anything, do you?

The confirmative tag points not to the speaker’s request for information but to his wish to find confirmation for his own utterance. This type of tag is also considered one of the most polite ways of involving the addressee in further discourse:

The Lakers really deserve the cup, don't they?

The emphatic tag is used by the speaker to focus the addressee’s attention on something previously said:

You classicists, you've probably not done Old English, have you? Course you have- n't.

The remaining two categories of tag are not instruments of involving the addressee in the conversation. On the contrary, their function is quite opposite. Thus, the categorical tag is supposed to stop the discussion and crowd the addressee out of the communication process. As a rule, in such cases the tag is preceded by a peremptory utterance assuming no objections:

He's not a professional, is he?

The aggressive tag is the least polite when it follows a statement containing new information for the addressee, as if the speaker accused his partner of certain ignorance:

Did she call you? – She hasn't got my number, has she?

From the point of view of J. Holmes, tags serve as instruments of positive and negative politeness. In case of the former, the speaker’s aim is to involve the addressee in the conversation stimulating his answer:

So, you've passed the interview, haven't you? In case of the latter, the speaker cushions the impact of a negative or harsh utterance aimed at the partner, especially in the context of criticism or instruction:

Stop interrupting me all the time, would you? [10]

Considering the problem of negative politeness strategies, one should address the research of P. Brown and S. Levinson who single out four negative politeness strategies for all interrogative utterances:

1)The strategy of respecting the addressee’s opinion;

2)The strategy of indirect expression of unobtrusiveness;

3)The strategy of indirect expression of evasiveness;

4)The strategy of utterance impersonalization

Tag questions serve the first three of the above mentioned strategies [11]. It has frequently been pointed out in a number of publications on English interrogative utterances that it is in the structure of tag questions where the strategy of respecting the addressee’s opinion finds its best expression. It is conditioned, in the first place, by cultural factors, in

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