Lingual Characteristics of Parental Communication in Family Film Texts

Abstract

The article focuses on the analysis of the lingui al characteristics of parental communication on the basis of English-language family film texts . The object of the study is family communication, and its subject is the specifics of the lingu al realization of the basic roles of family members, namely parents and children , represented in modern American family film texts, in which we can observe a shift of interest from sibling communication to parental communication. The paper examines parental communication, which is defined as one of t he main types of personality-oriented communication in the family sphere. As a result of the analysis of dictionary definitions, taken from seven dictionaries of the American version of the English language, the main components of the meaning of the word family were identified. Six of them contain the designation of paternity, t herefore we stated that relations between parents and children is a key component of family communication. The words to denote father predominate in number and that confirms that in Hollywood family films the main role is given to the relationship between children and their father. In recent years, due to the changing social role of women, although a figure of the father remains a key one in family films, modern films mostly focus on “the father-daughter story”. Quantitative analysis of fragments of communication between parents and children , taken from film texts intended for family viewing, shows that communication between them is represented mostly in the form of a dialogue. During the communication of parents and children , various communicative situations arise, in each of which communicators use certain strategies. The strategy of cooperation is implemented by maintaining constant communicative contact, both for informational and influential communication, and for meta-communicative communication (expressing a positive assessment of the partner) and is expressed in agreement and desire to avoid conflict. The strategy of confrontation is implemented by expressing a temporary negative attitude towards the partner, disagreement with a parent or a child. The strategy of neutrality is implemented by avoiding conflicting topics of conversation and ignoring them.