scholarly journals The Content Form of the Lexeme “Average”: Synchrony and Diachrony

2015 ◽  
pp. 250-254
Author(s):  
T. A. Svetonosova
Keyword(s):  
Research Methods ◽  
English Language ◽  
Lexical Semantics ◽  
English For Specific Purposes ◽  
Theoretical Part ◽  
Diachronic Analysis ◽  
British National Corpus ◽  
The Given ◽  
National Corpus

Why can a word in the English language have various meanings? As a rule, such queries arise in English for General Purposes classes and their number is increasing in English for Specific Purposes classes. The word average is learnt in both above-mentioned classes and it is evident that it has different meanings. It is worth noting that not all these meanings can be found in monolingual dictionaries. Watching the usage of the word average while teaching has led to the given article. The synchronic and diachronic analysis of the content form of the lexeme average as the noun is conducted in the article. The theoretical part embraces points of semantics development, lexical semantics notions as well as concepts and definitions of semantics terms used in this article. Then the reasons for choosing the lexeme average are stated, the goal of the article is set, the research methods are provided. The practical part covers the synchronic and diachronic contexts in which the lexeme average operates - data from the British National Corpus, entries from monolingual dictionaries, materials from coursebooks, entries from etymological dictionaries. All these contexts are analyzed and inferences about the content form of the lexeme average are made. At the end of the article further possible research of the lexeme average is outlined.

scholarly journals FUNCTIONING OF THE TERM ‘ENVIRONMENT’ IN LANGUAGES FOR SPECIAL PURPOSES: FRAME ANALYSIS

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 44-53
Author(s):  
Angelina S. Sukhanova ◽  
Keyword(s):  
English Language ◽  
English Word ◽  
Frame Structure ◽  
Physical Parameters ◽  
Accurate Picture ◽  
British National Corpus ◽  
Universal Structure ◽  
Scientific Worldview ◽  
The Given ◽  
National Corpus

The article is devoted to the functioning of the English-language term ‘environment’ in the humanities and technical sciences. The main aim of the research was to construct the frame denoted by the word ‘environment’ based on the frame approach in the description of word semantics, the application of etymological data, language corpora analysis, and to find the similarities and differences in the structure of the resulting frame depending on the particular topic of scientific discourse that a text is devoted to. The frame approach to the study of word semantics provides a more complete and accurate picture of the diversity of meanings of the given word in the English-language scientific worldview. The research was conducted on the materials of the articles published on the Science Direct platform and data provided by the British National Corpus. The English word ‘environment’ was found to be used in various contexts, which include environmental issues, medicine, biology, economics, psychology, computer technology and other areas of special discourse, where the slots of the ‘environment’-associated frame are manifested in the surrounding context. The article presents a graphical depiction of the ‘environment’ frame structure, defines a set of its basic slots and their possible content, demonstrates the differences and similarities in the structure of the frame when ‘environment’ is used as a term or part of a term. There have been identified the main parameters of the frame: the fact of its belonging to the physical or non-material aspect of the worldview, varying in physical parameters from the micro to the macro world. The frame ‘environment’ has also revealed a universal structure, including the surrounding factors, the object and the interaction between them, which is preserved regardless of the text specialization.

scholarly journals A Corpus-based Comparative Study of Learn and Acquire

2015 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 209
Author(s):  
Bei Yang
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Comparative Study ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
English Language ◽  
Second Language Learners ◽  
Linguistic Feature ◽  
Natural Discourse ◽  
British National Corpus ◽  
National Corpus

<p>As an important yet intricate linguistic feature in English language, synonymy poses a great challenge for second language learners. Using the 100 million-word British National Corpus (BNC) as data and the software Sketch Engine (SkE) as an analyzing tool, this article compares the usage of <em>learn</em> and <em>acquire </em>used in natural discourse by conducting the analysis of concordance, collocation, word sketches and sketch difference. The results show that different functions of SkE can make different contributions to the discrimination of <em>learn</em> and <em>acquire</em>. Pedagogical implications are discussed when the results are introduced into the classroom.</p>

scholarly journals Material Critique for Touchstone 3rd Edition: on corpus analysis and spoken grammar

2019 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 34
Author(s):  
Entusiastik -
Keyword(s):  
Natural Language ◽  
English Language ◽  
Spoken Language ◽  
Corpus Analysis ◽  
English Language Teaching ◽  
Free Access ◽  
Lexical Bundles ◽  
Language Analysis ◽  
British National Corpus ◽  
National Corpus

This paper analysed the use of corpus and spoken language features in the English Language Teaching (ELT) coursebook “Touchstone”. The corpus analysis was carried out by using the British National Corpus (BNC) which was chosen for its easy and free access. In doing the spoken language analysis, I refer to McCarthy and Carter’s (2015, p.5) argument which take the grammar of conversation as ‘the benchmark for a grammar of speaking’ by considering features such as ellipsis, heads and teailsm lexical bundles, and vagueness. The analysis indicated that the language used in this coursebook signified a certain level of authentic and natural language, although areas of improvement were also found.

scholarly journals Lexical semantics of the verbs denoting debate in english

2021 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. 57-60
Author(s):  
Natalia Skrytska ◽  
Tetyana Nykyforuk
Keyword(s):  
Research Methods ◽  
Analytical Methods ◽  
English Language ◽  
Semantic Analysis ◽  
Lexical Semantics ◽  
Semantic Features ◽  
Semantic Meaning ◽  
Lexical Meaning ◽  
Methods Of Analysis ◽  
Language Research

The semantic meaning of verbs to denote controversy is culturally justified language, habits and traditions of people. The analysis of verbs for designating disputes is based on a formalized method of lexical and semantic analysis. This method explores semes, combined into lexical units, as well as connections.between them. The relevance of the study lies in the need to form new semes, as well as to determine verbs of the highest and highest degrees of polysemy, the study of monosemantic series of the lexical meaning of verbs to denote disputes in English. The purpose of the article is to study the semantics of verbs to denote the manifestation of disputes in the English language. Research methods: descriptive, analytical, methods of analysis andsynthesis. Conclusions. As a result of the research, the lexical and semantic features of verbs for designating disputes in English have been identified.

scholarly journals Exploring the complexity of 'can', 'could' and 'be able to' through corpus analysis and classroom- and coursebook-based investigation

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Lauren Whitty
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
English Language ◽  
Social Contexts ◽  
Language Learner ◽  
Second Phase ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Modal Auxiliaries ◽  
British National Corpus ◽  
National Corpus ◽  
Classroom Data

<p>The purpose of this study is to investigate the central modal auxiliaries CAN and COULD, and the quasi-modal BE ABLE TO, together with their negative forms, and from this investigation, make a contribution to English language learning pedagogy. This study uses analysis of the spoken and written components of the British National Corpus (≈ 100 million words) to gain a better understanding how these modal auxiliaries are used by native and native-like speakers of English. It also draws on a classroom data set (68,265 words), containing a spoken and written component, to investigate how they are being used by students and an instructor. Furthermore, these modal auxiliaries are examined in an English language learner coursebook, New Headway series (441,760 words).  This study uses both quantitative and qualitative methods for analysis. In the first phase of this investigation, previous literature along with an examination of each modal auxiliary form in a sample BNC data set were used iteratively to establish meaning categories for CAN, COULD and BE ABLE TO. In the second phase, overall frequencies were obtained from each data source. And finally, based on the categories of meanings found, in the third phase, meaning frequencies for all three data sources were determined. Taking these overall frequencies and meaning frequencies into consideration, comparisons were made between the classroom and the BNC, and New Headway and the BNC.  As a result of the investigations above, this study found ‘possibility’ to be the predominant meaning for CAN, COULD and BE ABLE TO with a subset of meaning categories. The subset of categories identified is larger than previously identified in literature. Context played a central role in interpreting these meanings of modal auxiliaries and this study suggests that it would be beneficial for anyone writing about modal auxiliaries to fully account for context when modal meanings are being examined, especially in pedagogical materials. As a result, included in this study are instances with expanded criteria.  Focusing on the classroom, this study shows not all meaning categories are present in the classroom data set and also suggests that students may benefit from explicit instruction around the role and communicative effects of these modal auxiliaries in various social contexts. Moving to the New Headway series, this study demonstrates that the meaning frequencies for some categories (e.g. ability) were higher in frequency than the British National Corpus due to the inclusion of contrived example conversations. Taking these and other findings in the study into consideration, this thesis raises awareness of the complexities of understanding and conveying these modal auxiliaries and concludes with recommendations for instructors in English language classrooms.</p>

scholarly journals Figure-Background Relations in Black and White Illustration as a Section of Teaching Book Art on the Art-Graphic Faculty of MSPU

KANT ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 36 (3) ◽  
pp. 308-329
Author(s):  
Ksenia Makarova
Keyword(s):  
Visual Perception ◽  
Research Methods ◽  
Young Generation ◽  
Book Art ◽  
Black And White ◽  
Theoretical Part ◽  
The Given ◽  
Practice Of Teaching

The problem with the study below is contradiction between the need to introduce the young generation to the culture of books as an aesthetic phenomenon and the lack of development of methods for studying the composition of illustrations in art and pedagogical education. The research methods used were the study of literature on the given topic and the practice of teaching the art of the book at the AGF MPSU for ten years. During the theoretical part of the study we examined the perception of black and white, laws of visual perception (similarity, neighborhood, closure, continuity, inertia and primary forms) and features of construction of the relations "figure - ground" in one-figure, two-figure and multi-figure compositions. The result of the practical part of the study was the system of compositional exercises on the theme ""figure - background relations" in black and white illustration". The system of exercises below is not final and can be expanded and refined by the author during further scientific and pedagogical activities.

scholarly journals Constructions Expressing Inaccurate Quantity: Functions and Status in Modern English

2016 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 48-55 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nina Zhukova ◽  
Ludmila Petrochenko
Keyword(s):  
English Language ◽  
Native English Speakers ◽  
English Speakers ◽  
American Fiction ◽  
Lexical Representations ◽  
The Everyday ◽  
The Status ◽  
British National Corpus ◽  
Question Form ◽  
The Given

The article reviews lexical units expressing evaluative (inaccurate and/or unspecified) measurement in Modern English. The study reveals that this measurement, located on the periphery of scientific and traditional metric systems, has great significance for operational partitioning and measuring different kinds of objects in the everyday life of native English speakers. To date, there have been no detailed descriptions of lexical representations for evaluative measurement in the English language since existing papers do not approach this issue systematically. The present article, based on the British National Corpus and English dictionaries, as well as on extracts from modern American fiction, is the result of an analysis and systematization of the constructions, or patterns, expressing inaccurate and unspecified quantities in Modern English. In particular, the article provides a list of such constructions and their corresponding classifications based on their functions as specific classifiers. It also studies the structure of each type distinguished, the semantics of their components and their combinatory specificities. The analysis determines the status of these constructions in the paradigm of the category of measure in relation to the other language means of the given conceptual category, with which the constructions in question form the corresponding functional-semantic field. The results of the conducted research reveal how the “human factor” manifests itself in the English-language culture when expressing quantity evaluation of the outward things.

British National Corpus in English Language Teaching of University Students

2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (6) ◽  
pp. 174-193
Author(s):  
Nataliia Bober ◽  
Yan Kapranov ◽  
Anna Kukarina ◽  
Tetiana Tron ◽  
Tamara Nasalevych
Keyword(s):  
University Students ◽  
English Language ◽  
Language Teaching ◽  
English Language Teaching ◽  
Emotional States ◽  
English Classes ◽  
Word Forms ◽  
Cognitive Semantic ◽  
British National Corpus ◽  
National Corpus

The article deals with the application of corpus-based direction in English language teaching of university students, suggested by Ukrainian scholars. The most representative corpus for English language teaching (ELT) is the British National Corpus (BNC), which offers many opportunities (e.g. search for specific word forms, search for word forms by lemmas, search for groups of word forms in the form of syntagms, etc.). The article presents the methodological algorithm of university students' work with the BNC during English classes based on the verbs denoting human emotional states. The methodology of work with BNC consists of three stages: 1) a student has to compile the initial lexicographic register of basic verb denoting emotional states; 2) a student has to measure the frequency of each unit in the corpus usage; and 3) a student has to analyse, described and record all corpus calculations. The main benefits of the findings for the future relevant studies may be described in the following way: the work with corpus tools in ELT is aimed at students performing the following successive steps: 1) processing concordances, 2) calculating the absolute frequency, 3) analysing the left and right valence, and 4) modelling clusters to build cognitive-semantic profiles of the studied units, which will allow university students to understand the essence of every grammatical, lexical, and syntactical unit.

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