Lecture 13 The Problem of Functional Styles

Classification of Functional Styles (Arnold)

FORMAL STYLES NON-FORMAL STYLES

• Poetic diction (esp. in the 18- - Literary colloquial

19th centuries) (литературно-разговорный)

• Scientific style - Familiar colloquial
• Official documentation (фамильярно-разговорный)
• Publicistic (Newspaper) style - Low colloquial
• Oratory style (просторечие)

Sublanguage: definition (Skrebnev)

• The term “sublanguage” (“подъязык”) was originally introduced by N.D. Andreyev. In his conception, a sublanguage is predetermined by the contents of the text. Style is defined by emotional aims and refers to the form of expression.
• Skrebnev: Sublanguage is a subsystem of language which fully conforms with the aims of communication in a particular sphere of speech. It embraces:

- CONTENT (thematic aspect);

- FORM (linguistic peculiarities);

- EXTERNAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE COMMUNICATIVE SITUATION.

Sublanguage and Style (Skrebnev)

• Style is what differentiates a given sublanguage from all other sublanguages, a text of one group from texts of other groups.
• Style is specificity of sublanguage as it is formed by absolutely specific units.

E.g. Scientific prose style – use of terminology, specific sentence patterns, abundance of passive constructions, etc.

Classification of Sublanguages (Skrebnev)

THE SUBLANGUAGE OF THE SUBLANGUAGE OF

OFFICIAL INTERCOURSE INFORMAL INTERCOURSE

(THE OFFICIAL SPHERE) (THE COLLOQUIAL SPHERE)

Classification of Sublanguages (Skrebnev)

The Official Sphere The Colloquial Sphere

• Private correspondence with a - Colloquial SL

stranger - Low-Colloquial SL(slang,

• Business correspondence jargons)
• Diplomatic correspondence - Dialects
• Legal documents
• Science and technology
• Newspaper texts
• Poetry and fiction
• Church service ………………