Fraseological Units in English Discourse of Mass Media: Functional-Linguistic Analysis

Abstract

This article is devoted to the study of the way phraseological units function in the English mass-media discourse. The choice of English-language journalistic texts as the object of the study is due to their prevalence and significance in the global information environment, the widespread use of phraseological units and idiomatic vocabulary in the media, as well as the significant pragmatic potential and multifunctionality of English-language phraseological units, which make up the arsenal of means for journalists to perform their key professional tasks. Based on the analysis of modern theoretical sources, the article investigates the issues of the functional and pragmatic nature of phraseological units, while specific empirical material of English-language media illustrates the selected functions of phraseolog- ical units, considered in their relation to the functions of media texts. The study also provides the functional analysis of the problems and features of the use of phraseological units. In addition, the author pays special attention to the connection of English-language phraseological units with the linguocultural worldview of native speakers, as well as the main characteristic features of the journalistic style of speech. The study confirms that most phraseological units are aimed at performing several tasks simultaneously within one text. Their use allows the producer of the mass-media discourse to bring the media text closer to the work of art in terms of style and language, providing it with emotional and evaluational information, to make the text more fascinating for the reader, to succinctly and convincingly express the thoughts and emotions of the journalist in relation to the subject described, as well as to convey various elements of a certain nation’s culture to the recipient.