методология / haritonchik / Leksikologiq_(seminary)

5.Ginzburg R.S., Khidekel S.S., Knyazeva G.Y., Sankin A.A. A Course in Modern English Lexicology – M. : Higher School Publishing House, 1979. – p. 160 – 175

6.Hockett Charles F. A course in Modern Linguistics. The Conditions for Borrowing. – In: Readings in Modern English Lexicology. С.С. Хидекель, Р.С.

Гинзбург, Г.Ю. Князева, А.А. Санкин. Английская лексикология в выдержках и извлечениях. – Л.: «Просвещение» Ленинградское отделение. 1969. – p. 172 - 182

7.Jespersen Otto. Growth and Structure of the English Language. – In: Readings in Modern English Lexicology. С.С. Хидекель, Р.С. Гинзбург, Г.Ю. Князева,

А.А. Санкин. Английская лексикология в выдержках и извлечениях. – Л.: «Просвещение» Ленинградское отделение. 1969. – p. 191-192

8.Leshchova L.M. Words in English. Modern English Lexicology/ Л.М.

Лещѐва. Слова в английском языке. Лексикология современного английского языка. – Минск, 2002. – с. 24, с. 26 – 35

9.9. Sheard J.A. The Words We Use. – In: Readings in Modern English Lexicology. С.С. Хидекель, Р.С. Гинзбург, Г.Ю. Князева, А.А. Санкин. Английская лексикология в выдержках и извлечениях. – Л.: «Просвещение» Ленинградское отделение. 1969. – p. 183 - 190

Topic 8

VARIANTS AND DIALECTS OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE

Key words: idiolect, dialect, standard norm/English, regional/local dialect, minority dialect, variation/variety, regional variety, ethnic/indigenized variety, pidgin, creole, lingua franca, cockney, vernacular.

Study the definitions given below of the key words listed above. Also see: D.

Crystal‘s ―The Cambridge Encyclopedia of the English Language‖ (CEEL). – Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1996, and ―The Oxford Dictionary of

Current English (COD). – Oxford University Press, 1982. Look up the Russian equivalents in O.S. Akhmanova‘s «Словарь лингвистических терминов» – М.:

‗Советская энциклопедия‘, 1969; and in ‗Лингвистический энциклопедический словарь‘ – М.: ‗Советская энциклопедия‘, 1990.

Idiolect – the linguistic system of an individual speaker. (CEEL)

Dialect – a language variety in which use of grammar and vocabulary identifies the regional or social background of the user. (CEEL)

Standard – a prestige variety, used as an institutionalized norm in a community; forms and varieties not conforming to this norm are said to be nonstandard or (pejoratively) substandard. (CEEL)

Regional dialect: a regional dialect is not a distinct language but a variety of a language spoken in a particular area of a country. Some regional dialects have been given traditional names which mark them out as being significantly different from standard varieties spoken in the same place. Some examples are “Hillbilly English” (from the Appalachians in the USA) and “Geordie” (from Newcastle upon Tyne in the UK). (from: http://www.une.edu.au/langnet/definitions.htm)

Minority dialect: a variety used sometimes by members of a particular minority ethnic group as a marker of identity, usually alongside a standard variety. Examples are African American Vernacular English in the USA, London Jamaican in Britain and Aboriginal English in Australia. (from: http://www.une.edu.au/langnet/definitions.htm)

Variety – a situationally distinctive system of linguistic expression (legal, formal, etc.). (CEEL)

Ethnic – pertaining to race, ethnologica.l (CEEL)

Indigenized variety: indigenized varieties are spoken mainly as second languages in ex-colonies with multilingual populations. The differences from the standard variety may be linked to English proficiency, or may be part of a range of varieties used to express identity. For example, “Singlish” (spoken in Singapore) is a variety very different from Standard English, and there are many other varieties of English used in India. (from: http://www.une.edu.au/langnet/definitions.htm)

Pidgin: A pidgin is a new language which develops in situations where speakers of different languages need to communicate but don‟t share a common language. The vocabulary of a pidgin comes mainly from one particular language (called the

“lexifier”). An early “pre-pidgin” is quite restricted in use and variable in structure. But the later "stable pidgin”develops its own grammatical rules which are quite different from those of the lexifier. Once a stable pidgin has emerged, it is generally learned as a second language and used for communication among people who speak different languages. Examples are Nigerian Pidgin and Bislama (spoken in Vanuatu).

(from: http://www.une.edu.au/langnet/definitions.htm)

Note: pidgin is believed to have been a Chinese pronunciation of the English word business. There have been many forms of pidgin English, often with common elements because of the wide range of contacts made by commercial shipping.

(from: The Hutchinson Encyclopedia. Helicon Publishing 2000)

Creole: When children start learning a pidgin as their first language and it becomes the mother tongue of a community, it is called a creole. Like a pidgin, a creole is a distinct language which has taken most of its vocabulary from another language, the lexifier, but has its own unique grammatical rules. Unlike a pidgin, however, a creole is not restricted in use, and is like any other language in its full range of functions. Examples are Gullah, Jamaican Creole and Hawai‟I Creole English. (from: http://www.une.edu.au/langnet/definitions.htm)

Lingua franca – a medium of communication for people who speak different first languages (CEEL)

Cockney – (characteristic of a) native of London, esp. of the East End or speaking its dialect; this dialect. (COD)

Vernacular – the indigenous language or dialect of a community. (CEEL)

Problems for Discussion

1.General characteristics of the English language in different parts of the Englishspeaking world.

1.1.Territorial variants versus local/regional dialects.

1.2.Minority dialects. Indigenized varieties.

1.3.English as the basis for pidgin and creole

2. British variant of the English language. 2.1. Standard English

2.2. Local dialects and varieties in the British Isles. The Scottish and Irish varieties.

2.3. Local dialects in England 2.4. Cockney

3. American variant of the English language.

3.1.Specific features of American English in phonetics, grammar, spelling, word meaning, word-formation

3.2.Local dialects in the USA

Additional topics for discussion. Students‘ presentations on:

1.African American Vernacular English. In: Walt Wolfram and Erik R. Thomas. The Development of African American English. – Blackwell Publishers, 2002.

– p. 184 – 211

2.Canadian English. In: Wikipedia Information About Canadian English. –

http://www.answers.com

3.South African English. In: http://www.answers.com

4.English in Australia and New Zealand. In:

http://www.linguist.de/reese/english/austarlia.htm

Questions and Tasks

1. Give equivalents in American English for the following British English words and word combinations:

billion, bill, bank note, bookings, cinema, charity organisation, dummy(for babies), full-stop, handbag, homely (simple in a way that makes you feel comfortable), tinned food, car park, potato crisps, single ticket, , stalls, sweet, toilet

2. Write the most suitable American words in the gaps:

In our building we have a caretaker to see to that things are ok. In our building we have a … to see to that things are ok.

On the top of the roof we have an aerial for our television set. On the top of the

I was in the Tivoli – I tried several tours in the big dipper. I was in the Tivoli – I tried several tours in the … .

Give me another sweet thing – one of those biscuits. Give me another sweet thing

– one of those … .

I will have to get a new pair of shoelaces, as I broke them this morning. I will have to get a new pair of … , as I broke them this morning.

Between two lessons you often have a break. Between two lessons you often have a … .

3. Translate the following words and word-combinations into English giving two variants – British and American:

аптека, в отпуске, грузовик, ж-д касса, заполнить анкету, класс (в школе), купать (выкупать), метро, миксер, овсяная каша, переезд (перекресток), подземный переход, почтальон, свитер, страна, стюардесса, тренировка, умный, фарш, центр города, ящик для мусора.

4.Compare the spelling and the use of words and word combinations in British, American and Canadian English. Make conclusions about the peculiarities in the territorial variations of the English language:

5.Compare the examples in British English with their equivalents in South African English, Australian English and Kiwi (New Zealand) English. Use them in your presentations on the suggested topics for discussion.

University College of London, engaged in a speculation about the future. His paper was called „English in twenty years‟.

I must base my speculation about the future role of English upon assumptions outside linguistics, and my assumptions are these: that Britain will become more and more closely involved with continental Europe, economically, intellectually and politically; and that English will retain in the next 20 years the degree of prestige it has enjoyed in continental Europe in the past twenty years…. On these assumptions I could confidently predict that English will retain its prominent place in Europe… One could in fact go further and predict that English will actually increase its currency, above all for purposes of trade, but also in scientific communication and in the everyday matters of popular culture – for example, through Eurovision. And all this even in the European countries whose mother tongue is so important a language as German or French. … Given something more like a cultural boost, we may expect present uses of English to expand so that by 1990 everyone in Europe may be using, or be exposed to, English for some part of every day.

Recommended Reading

1.Cлепович В.С. Курс перевода. Английский – русский/Translation

Course. English – Russian. – Минск: Тетра Системс, 2004. – с. 59 – 68

2.Швейцер А.Д. Социальная дифференциация английского языка в США.

– М.: Наука, 1983

3.Ярцева В.Н. Развитие национального литературного английского языка. – М.: Наука, 1969

2.Arnold I.V. The English Word/ И.В. Арнольд. Лексикология современного английского языка. Изд. 3-е – М.: Высшая школа, 1986. –

с. 262-271

3.Ginzburg R.S., Khidekel S.S., Knyazeva G.Y., Sankin A.A. A Course in Modern English Lexicology – M. : Higher School Publishing House, 1979. – p. 200 – 209

4.Leshchova L.M. Words in English. Modern English Lexicology/ Л.М.

Лещѐва. Слова в английском языке. Лексикология современного английского языка. – Минск, 2002. – с. 123 – 135

Topic 3

Semantics (Semasiology)

Seminar I. Meaning. Its Essence and Structure

Key words: semantics, meaning, denotation, connotation, referent, extension, concept, intension, implication, meaning postulates, semantic components: markers and distinguishers, categorial and subcategorial features. Study the descriptions of the terms given above in D. Crystal‘s ‗The Cambridge Encyclopedia of the English Language‘ and their Russian equivalents in O.S. Akhmanova‘s ‗Словарь лингвистических терминов‘, and in ‗Лингвистический энциклопедический словарь‘.

Problems for Discussion

1.Semantic theories: various semantic models.

2.Interpretations of word meaning: а) a referential approach,

b)a contextual (functional) approach,

c)a behaviouristic approach,

d)a cognitive approach (prototype theory),

e)a generative approach,

f)a semantic differentiation theory.

3.Types of meaning: a) lexical vs grammatical, b) conceptual (denotative, cognitive) vs connotative (pragmatic, associative), c) affective vs stylistic, d) intended vs interpreted, etc.

4.Meaning as structure:

a)meaning as a set of meaning postulates,

b)meaning as a set of semantic components,

c)meaning as a set of prototypical features,

d)meaning as a unity of pragmatic and cognitive elements ( extension, intension, implication, negative implication).

5.Meanings of correlative words in different languages (a contrastive description).

Questions and Tasks

1.Define the aspects of the word that make it possible to describe its meaning in various ways. Try to establish a correlation between the aspect of the word chosen for description and a semantic theory.

2.Say on what grounds each of the semantic models can be criticized.

3.Define the major points of difference between the referential and the contextual approaches to word meaning.

4.Compare the relationships between the form of the word and its referent, on the one hand, and meaning of the word and its referent, on the other. Say which of the relationships is arbitrary and which is causal. Try to find linguistic examples to prove your point.

5.Compare the referential approach to word meaning and the cognitive semantic model, the behaviouristic approach to word meaning and the semantic differentiation theory and state whether they possess any features in common and what differentiates them.

6.Say which semantic model is best suited, in your opinion, to learners‘ purposes. What semantic theories are EFL teaching methods based on?

7.Compare the following word forms and say on what ground they can be classified into sets and subsets:

a)telephones, desks, paintings, curtains, men, books, students; asked, reflected, smiled, smoked, told, wished, brought; happiest, bravest, best, most interesting, uncomfortable;

b)smell, scent, odour, aroma; intelligent, clever, alert, quick-witted, bright, smart, brainy, sharp, shrewd, canny; goal, jail, clink, tronk, jug, can, cooler; head, nob, nut, bean, upper storey, belfry, crumpet.

8.Describe the meaning of the words writer, student, water, salt, cow, bull, mare, stallion in terms of semantic components.

9.Study the meanings of words bird, heron, sparrow, swallow and name the constituent prototypical features.

10.Study the meanings of correlative English and Byelorussian (Russian, German, French, etc.) words red – чырвоны (R. красный, G. rot…), dog –

сaбака (R. собака, G. Hund…), make – рабiць, (R. делать,G. machen…) and state whether their spheres of denotation are identical.

Find your own examples of analogous semantic relationships in correlative words.

Recommended Reading.

I. Arnold I.V. The English Word/ И.В. Арнольд. Лексикология современного английского языка. – C. 27-50.

2.Ginzburg R.S., Khidekel S.S., Knyazeva G.Y., Sankin A.A. A Course in Modern English Lexicology. – P. 13-22.

3.Смирницкий А.И. Лексикология английского языка. – С. 138-157.

4.Харитончик З.А. Лексикология английского языка. – С. 27-47.

5.Никитин М.В. Курс лингвистической семантики. – Санкт-Петербург: Научный центр проблем диалога, 1996. – С. З – 202.

6.Беляeвская Е.Г. Семантика слова. – М.: Высшая школа, 1987. – С. 4-55. 4- 55.