Linguistic Sphere Research Articles

Культурная революция в первые годы советской власти и ее отражение в языковом сознании

The article is devoted to various aspects of the culture of the post-revolutionary period. The authors analyze the significant transformations that occurred in the cultural tradition of that time and examine the facets of human life that were fundamentally shaped by the new culture of the post-revolutionary period. The relevance of this study is due to the importance of cultural policy in modern Russia. In this regard, the experiences of cultural construction during the early years of Soviet power hold considerable significance and merit thorough exami-nation. The scientific novelty of this research lies in the fact that, for the first time, the authors trace the connec-tion between the cultural policy of the Bolsheviks and the linguistic norms that emerged during the post-revolutionary period. Furthermore, they analyze the interrelation of language, culture, and the political events of that time. The authors identify the causes and origins of the formation of cultural policy while considering its essential features. They investigate its impact on the society of the historical period in question, as well as on the lifestyles of the broadest masses of the populace. In this regard, the authors scrutinize how the introduction of a new system of values and social orientations led to the dismantling of prior cultural traditions and the es-tablishment of new ones. This transformation was particularly evident in public consciousness and the linguistic sphere of societal existence.

A comparative analysis of Kazakh-English toponyms from linguistic and cultural perspectives is explored in this study.

Kazakh-english toponymic space has been stated many centuries in a rather complex historical, cultural and linguistic sphere. In general,toponymy is one of the most essential areas of Kazakh and English linguistics and onomastics, continues to attract the attention of scholars, as evidenced by the large number of publications dedicated to various aspects of its study. This article analyzes the lexico-semantic features and grouping of Kazakh and English toponyms. The facets of toponymic names in the Kazakh and English languages ​​are also discussed and it is shown that the lexical-semantic grouping plays an pivotal role in revealing the meaning of toponyms. The purpose of the study is to compare toponymic names in English and Kazakh languages ​​and group them according to lexical and semantic characteristics. As a result, it was determined that English place names are more figurative, while Kazakh place names represent real facts, persons, etc. In addition, it has been determined that both languages ​​have many similarities in the semantic area. In the course of the study were used , explanatory research, classification, structural word-formational analysis, and etymological analysis. .The study of Kazakh and English toponymic names do not only expands theoretical knowledge in this field, but also contributes to the deepening of knowledge about cultural exchange and development, national values of the two countries, as well as a comprehensive understanding of toponymic sphere.

A Review of Empirical Research on English Writing Instruction Based on Cognitive Linguistic Approach

The complexities of writing pose various difficulties for those learning a second language, making it a principal area of academic research in linguistics. Lately, breakthroughs in the field of cognitive linguistics have spurred the development of innovative techniques and approaches to studying English composition instruction. Studies that integrate a cognitive linguistic approach (CLA), particularly the principles of schema theory, have demonstrated a considerable uplift in the proficiency, productivity, and overall competence of learners when it comes to writing. The objective of this paper is to methodically compile and integrate these research insights, with the goal of providing a foundation for further exploration in the sphere of cognitive linguistics and educational strategies.

Emotional and psychological aspect of cross-cultural communication with the Japanese

This article is devoted to the problem of developing communicative competencies to create an emotional atmosphere of communication with the Japanese based on the understanding of mentality and socio-psychological intelligence corresponding to specific goals and situations. The purpose of the article is to systematize the intra-communicative features of communication in Japanese society, the consideration and study of which are important from the point of view of regulating inter-communication at the intercultural level. The novelty of the study lies in determining the influence of the emotional and psychological aspects of the extralinguistic component of communicative competence on the overall effectiveness of business communication with the Japanese. Changes in the socio-economic situation inside and outside Japan have a direct impact on the transformation of the system of relationships between the Japanese and representatives of other cultures, which is reflected in the linguistic sphere. The relevance of the material lies in the need to expand the knowledge base in the field of the Japanese language and culture (hard skill) through the ability to build adequate relationships in dialogue with a partner (soft skills), based on the understanding of the peculiarities of his mentality and allowing to increase the effectiveness of contacts with representatives of the Japanese side. When working on the article, general scientific methods were used − analysis and synthesis of scientific and educational literature, as well as media resources on this topic, synthesis and classification of the results obtained. The main objectives of the article were to highlight the emotional and psychological components of extralinguistic competence that influence positive communication with the Japanese; determine which factors may be regarded negatively and slow down the communication process; find out what the Japanese understand by communicative distancing and how important it is to observe it in Japanese society. As a result of working with the material, the main emotional and psychological fields of interaction during intra-communicative communication of the Japanese were identified and analyzed and conclusions were drawn about the spread of these fields in the conditions of a changing socio-economic situation to the inter-communicative sphere. The article concludes that for effective communication in Japanese, in addition to language skills, speech skills and knowledge of cultural traditions, it is necessary to take into account the features of emotional and psychological concepts that influence the creation of positive intentions for dialogue: 共感 stimulating communication, 違和感 making communication difficult, 距離感 amenable to regulation for communicative purposes. The results and conclusions of the article can be practically used in the educational process when developing situational exercises and conducting role-playing games based on textbooks and teaching aids on oral communication in Japanese.

On the question of fixing the national-language composition of the population in the All-Russian population census 2020–2021

The article carries out a critical analysis of the quality of the results of the questions of the 2020–2021 Russian population census on nationality, native language, knowledge of Russian and other languages, and language use. The study reveals the uneven distribution of “non-answers” by regions, between urban and rural areas, and age groups. The interpretation of the published census results is hampered by the quality of answers, lack of distinction between non-answers and negative answers to questions, and questionable grouping of nationalities and languages. Therefore, it is not possible to use the results of Russian language proficiency and knowledge of other languages in several of Russia’s federal subjects. The situation is aggravated by a sharp increase in the number of non-responses to the questions on nationality and language in the 2020–2021 census compared to the previous censuses. This hinders the analysis of these questions of the 2020–2021 census and the understanding of the dynamics of national and language processes in Russia using census statistics. The article reveals foreign experiences of conducting censuses and statistical survey of the national and linguistic sphere. Many countries resort to various methods (including the use of surveys as a source of census), ways of assessing national, cultural affiliation, knowledge and proficiency of languages, ensuring the efficiency of fieldwork, and evaluating the quality of census data. They pay more attention to the methodological support of the national and language block of the census. The authors call for a balanced use of the results of the national and language issues of the 2020– 2021 Russian population census in research work and in decision-making in the government national policy, since national and language relations in Russia are very sensitive for the country’s numerous ethnic communities.

Shifts in digital media usage before and after the pandemic by Rusyns in Ukraine

Abstract The COVID-19 pandemic touched every corner of the globe, even impacting the sphere of linguistics in terms of communication, lexis, and how linguists conduct their research. However, Rusyn, a minority language in Ukraine’s Transcarpathian region, took advantage of this period in a new attempt at revitalization. Rusyn is spoken in several European countries and has the privilege of being recognized and protected in most of them. Ukraine does not, however, consider Rusyn to be a language, and, therefore, does not protect it. There have been several movements for recognition and autonomy in the past, but all have been unsuccessful. The pandemic gave this small community of speakers a new chance to elevate their work towards boosting the language’s vitality and status through digital platforms such as YouTube and collective writing projects. This paper looks at the before-and-after of the pandemic in relation to Rusyn in Transcarpathia, focusing on the shift in digital approaches to protecting and promoting the language. It concludes that, in fact, a shift has occurred in terms of utilizing digital media in order to promote the language.

«…Мы отливаем нашу речь по определенным жанровым формам…»: размышления о прочитанном

The article provides an analytical review of the ideas set out in the book by L.V. Balashova and V.V. Dementiev “Russian speech genres” (Moscow: YASK Publishing House, 2022. 832 p.) in the context of the formation and development of speech definitions as a reflection of the language picture of the world. The concept of the theory of speech genres and its interpretation in the aspect of communicative and cognitive linguistics is revealed. It is said about the linguistic and cultural potential of the study of Russian speech phenomenon in this aspect. Related problems are considered: genre and creativity, genre and linguistic personality, etc. It is noted that much attention in the book is paid to the analysis of the value characteristics of speech communication — the study of genres such as heart-to-heart conversation, small talk, genres of the Runet, etc. A special place in the concept is occupied by the sphere of political linguistics and its verbal and genre organization. The role of the clerical speech, analytical review and friend-and-foe oppositions in the mass media is emphasized. It is indicated that the vector of evaluation meta-commentaries in the news pages of the media has changed. Attention is drawn to the applied importance of studying speech genres based on the use of the National Corpus of the Russian language, computer analysis of texts and digitalization of language material in the Russian Scientific Citation Index. The discussion of controversial issues related to the definition of the status of popular expressions as speech units of special organization is introduced. This circumstance makes it possible to include them in the system of speech genres. The rich historical and linguistic experience is used: from the classical ideas of M.M. Bakhtin, V.V. Vinogradov, G.O. Vinokur and other scientists who stood at the origins of this problem, to the concepts of modern domestic and foreign researchers. The reception of their views suggests possible vectors of the development of the theory of speech genres, the need to identify and analyze them in the conditions of centrifugal trends of communicative practice.

Prospects for Investigations of Political Discourse (Review of a Monograph by Prof A.A. Romanov and O.V. Novosiolova “Constructions of Threat in Pre-electoral Discourse. Linguocognitive Analysis of papers and programs of presidential campaign in 2018”. Moscow: URSS, 2021. — 440 p.)

This article presents a review of the monograph titled “Constructions of Threat in Pre-electoral Discourse. Linguocognitive Analysis of papers and programs of the 2018 presidential campaign” by A.A. Romanov and O.V. Novosyolova. The authors examined different factors related to pre-election communication, such as cognitive-discursive, psycholinguistic, and pragmalinguistic factors. They analyzed representative material and used topical linguistic analysis methods, including Diatone, an automated program for analyzing textual data in pre-election communication. They also examined the emotional-suggestive impact of pre-election programmes. Prof. A.A. Romanov and O.V. Novosyolova’s monograph is topical since it is grounded upon present-day trends of conducting linguistic analysis on the basis of one of the genres of political discourse in a comprehensive manner. The scientific novelty of the research lies in the fact that it is the first time such a massive investigation has been completed. The results of the book under study significantly contribute to further development of various linguistic theories, such as pragmalinguistics, speech act theory, functional semantics, communication theory as well as political discourse, cognitive semantics, and communicative-pragmatic constructivism. The practical value of this research is evident in the sphere of political linguistics as well as in teaching courses such as “Topical Issues of Present-day Linguistics”, “Methods of Linguistic Analysis”, “Modern Political Discourse”. It also contributes to integration of new courses into programmes that explore interaction between language and thinking, language and speech, and language and society from a political science perspective.

STATE LANGUAGE AS A FACTOR OF CONSOLIDATION OF THE UKRAINIAN NATION (to the anniversary of the adoption of the Law of Ukraine «On Ensuring the Functioning Ukrainian as the state language»)

At the current stage, the relevance of the topic is obvious, since the strengthening of the role of the state language is due to the complex processes of the armed struggle against the Russian aggressor, the struggle for the independence of the Ukrainian state. Language is not only a means of communication, but also the main factor of nation consolidation, as it ensures the unity, free and cultural development of the national community, stands guard over the preservation of national identity, spiritual and mental development, and therefore acts as a powerful means of strengthening national consciousness. In the state-building process, language, along with internal unifying factors, also performs an external function, which consists in distinguishing the state from other countries, in establishing the nation and the state among the multilingual community. The formation of the Ukrainian political nation requires solving the fundamental issues of the linguistic sphere, so that such a nation is based on the principles of Ukrainian national statehood. when Ukraine gained independence, the establishment of the Ukrainian language in society as the state language, as one of the main nation-building and state-building factors, became an extremely important and urgent problem, and its solution should be one of the priority tasks of the state. The modernization of Ukrainian society based on the national system of ideological coordinates is unthinkable without a state language policy, the priority of which should be the development of the Ukrainian language as a consolidating spiritual force of Ukrainian society. The Ukrainian language should provide all spheres of vital activities of the state body, it should be used by the intellectual and political strata of Ukraine. The war for sovereignty became a catalyst for a powerful wave of national, political, cultural, and civilizational self-determination for the Ukrainian people. Predominant functioning of the state language in all areas of modern Ukrainian society is a necessary condition for the preservation and strengthening of the Ukrainian state, the establishment of the Ukrainian political nation. Key words: language functions, state language, consolidation function of the state language, level of mastery of the state language, language policy.

ЛІНГВІСТИЧНІ ОСОБЛИВОСТІ ЯВИЩА COVID-19 У СОЦІАЛЬНИХ МЕРЕЖАХ

The paper focuses on neologisms and medical terms related to COVID-19, which affects almost all elements of life, including social and linguistic spheres. Evidently, the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the speech and communication behavior of people in society. This has resulted in the introduction of novel terminology, including specialized language and abbreviations, that allow individuals to articulate their emotions and ideas. These terms have gained significant popularity on social media platforms and are now commonplace in online communication, indicating that the community has embraced these new words and is actively incorporating them into their vocabulary in response to the pandemic. The emergence of new words during COVID-19 is one of the phenomena of language change. New words formed during COVID-19 have been presented in this article. Their meaning and the impact they have on a person's social life have been explored. Discourse analysis using the descriptive qualitative research approach has been applied in this research. The new English terms have been singled out from posts and news articles related to COVID on social networks Twitter and Facebook. It has been found that the semantic features of each term related to COVID-19 can provide a clear description of the general meaning of each word. In addition, semantic features have been used to find similar terms in meaning that have been grouped into one semantic field, while distinguishing the meaning of one term from another in the same semantic field.

URZHA A.V. FOREGROUND AND BACKGROUND IN A NARRATIVE: NARRATOLOGY, LINGUISTICS, COGNITIVE AND TRANSLATION STUDIES. MOSCOW, 2022. 267 P

The review presents the monograph by Anastasia V. Urzha, Doctor of Philology, Associate Professor at the Faculty of Philology, Lomonosov Moscow State University. The monograph is focused on the phenomenon of grounding in a narrative, on the means and devices affecting reader’s attention, on the principles of foregrounding and backgrounding the information in a text. For the first time Russian and foreign traditions of studying grounding in a narrative are presented and compared in detail. The classic and the newest works in the sphere of narratology, linguistics, cognitive and translation studies are taken into account. Also the monograph presents author’s view of salient structure of a narrative exploring various functions of egocentric units in it. The book accumulates the results of research carried out by A.V. Urzha on the material of numerous original texts in English and their Russian translations.

Filipp Fortunatov: An Underestimated Talent

This article marks the 175 anniversary of the famous Russian linguist Filipp Fortunatov and looks at his major findings. It is pointed out that in certain respects the scholar has contributed a lot to the linguistic science of his time. While working in the sphere of comparative linguistics, F. Fortunatov was actively involved in the studies of the Baltic-Slavic languages. In his contemplation of the sociological aspect of language, he forestalled the appearance of psycholinguistics. Concurrently, the scholar based his judgments on the then popular neogrammarian movement and the German psychological school. While analyzing the phonic aspect of the word, F. Fortunatov also used the provisions that would nowadays be deemed psycholinguistic. His contribution to the development of the theory of syntax and pedagogical ideas is undeniable, too. F. Fortunatov obviously deserves credit for having founded the Moscow linguistic school that fostered a constellation of talented scholars. Moreover, F. Fortunatov’s morphological classification of world languages is recognized as a most accurate one by modern typology. This classification was elaborated long before the linguists of the 20th century came to similar findings. The above mentioned achievements by F. Fortunatov seem to be misappreciated by Russian linguists let alone the Western ones. Russian textbooks of typology favor the morphological classification put forward by W. von Humboldt, although, as it is argued in the article, F. Fortunatov’s classification presents typological diversity of world languages more profoundly and precisely. If W. von Humboldt distinguished four language types, F. Fortunatov did five. His classification, except for minor terminological differences, overlaps with the five world language types singled out by scholars in the 20th century, in particular by V. Skalička. All this goes to say that the breakthrough in world language typology made by F. Fortunatov has really been misappreciated by modern linguistics and pedagogy.

Cognitive Science and the Study of Syntactic Speech Construction: Modern Issues

This article deals with the problem of applying the discourse approach to the analysis of different types of texts, which is of paramount importance for modern linguistics. The subject of the study is the syntactic structure of different types of contemporary media texts. The purpose of the research is to broaden the ways of the discourse analysis with the help of cognitive science. The relevance of the topic of the present paper is determined by the rapid development of studies in the sphere of cognitive linguistics and the need to apply the latest approaches to the analysis of the syntactic structure of speech. The scientific novelty lies in the fact that the authors single out modern trends in syntactic analysis of speech construction on the example of contemporary media texts and give an outlook on further significant developments in the sphere, discussing the issue of developing and optimizing telescopic texts for the purposes of modern science, management, education and other essential spheres of life. Within the framework of the present study, the authors used the methods of system analysis, analysis of statistical data, official documents and works of the consummate professionals in the sphere of the cognitive science. Based on the results of the research, it was revealed that modern technologies give marvellous opportunities to create a specific digital data format of various texts, associated development and display tools. The authors concluded that the “telescopic text” is now becoming a way for effective digital communication and information exchange.

Linguistic challenges at a turbulent time

Turbulent times generate numerous challenges and – sometimes somewhat paradoxically and even beneficially – unravel phenomena that have long remained unnoticed and/or not sufficiently taken into account. Such has been the case with language, which despite being taken for granted in the education of different subjects to various age groups around the world becomes a particularly significant issue and acquires a novel status in particular circumstances, ranging from posing a tool of communication and agreement between different groups and nations to constituting an obstacle inhibiting progress and disturbing achievements in learning and teaching of any given content. As we have been faced with a number of unusually tough challenges in recent times such as COVID-19, a war in Europe, migration, political unrest, etc., educators reflect on the toll which these challenges have taken on the world of education. Apart from the – unequivocally most crucial – tragic “face” of the phenomena in question, there are arise questions which may yield a significant educational fruit such as what effects the recent challenges have had on the linguistic sphere of education, what theories and practices have been applied when dealing with the recent challenges, to what extent schooling has become more linked to other educational contexts, or what our joint experience gained throughout these challenging times implies for the future.

ЕТНОКОМУНІКАЦІЯ В МУЛЬТИКУЛЬТУРНОМУ РЕГІОНІ: ВИКЛИКИ ДЛЯ СИСТЕМИ НАЦІОНАЛЬНОЇ БЕЗПЕКИ

The cross-border status of Transcarpathia, its multiethnicity is reflected in various spheres of life, including mass communication activities. The article actualizes the issue of the functioning of online media of the ethnic communities in the westernmost region of Ukraine in the context of the development of multicultural information space in the structure of the Ukrainian national media field. The role of ethnic media in informing and supporting traditions and customs, preservation of ethnic consciousness and cultural diversity is emphasized. Special attention is paid to the ethno-national aspect of communication and the important role of Transcarpathian media in the development of native-language communication, which is represented by a wide range of ethnic media (Hungarian, Slovak, Romanian, Roma, German, Jewish, etc.). The model of multicultural communication developed in Transcarpathia contributes to the development, including civic identity, a sense of social responsibility for everything that happens in the country, and encourages the local journalistic community to cultivate tolerance, prevent interethnic conflicts, and counter information threats. Taking into account the complete implementation of the functions of Transcarpathian intercultural communication, the degree of effectiveness of their activities, the article also notes crisis processes in the modern media sphere of Transcarpathia. Some of them are caused by foreign policy circumstances, the war with Russia and informational aggression, problems of intergovernmental interaction, and therefore require special attention, correctness, and competence of journalists. Moreover, the issues of interethnic relations (especially in the educational and linguistic spheres) are strategic, related to national security, harmonious relations between Ukraine and neighboring Western states. Meanwhile, the online media of Transcarpathian ethnic groups are actively integrated into the intercultural communication system, occupying and maintaining their own segment in it.

Междисциплинарный подход к изучению этногенеза: геногеография и филогеография тувинских родовых групп

Introduction. The territory of South Siberia has historically been a crossroads of ancient migration routes. So, the complex process of ethnogenesis across the region requires multidisciplinary insights of historians, ethnographers, anthropologists, linguists, and geneticists. Goals. The work aims to substantiate the possibility of a comprehensive study of Tuvan tribal groups on the basis of the latter’s gene pools and structures. Materials and methods. The most efficient tool thereto is the Y chromosome since it is inherited — like the clan/tribal name proper — paternally, has a high variety, makes it possible to reconstruct migration waves, and may yield genetic dates. These properties of the Y chromosome make it an additional historical source within comprehensive ethnographic, historical, linguistic, anthropological, and genetic studies of ancestral groups among peoples to have retained the memory of clan/tribal structures. Results. The early 21st century has witnessed an intensive research of the Tuvan Y-chromosomal gene pool — with no sufficient data on corresponding tribal groups mentioned. The analysis of Tuvan tribal structures is complicated by a number of factors, such as the administrative/territorial system of the Qing Empire in Tuva (1757–1912), introduction of a passport system in Tuva (1945–1947) when not clan/tribal names but rather personal ones were registered as surnames, and an increase in unmarried cohabitation that violates the patrilineal system. Y-chromosomal analyses of the largest Tuvan tribal groups Mongush and Oorzhak show that the bulk of their gene pool are North Eurasian haplogroups (N*, N1a2, N3a, Q) associated with the autochthonous population of the area nowadays inhabited by Tuvans. At the same time, Central Asian haplogroups (C2, O2) make up less than a fifth (17 %) of the gene pool. A targeted analysis of the most frequent branch (C2a1a2a2a2-SK1066) of the Central Asian haplogroup C2 shows it had originated about 900 years ago in the territory of Northeast Mongolia, and thus could not have reached Tuva before the 11th–12th centuries AD. Anthropological data also attest to the late admixture of the Central Asian cluster into the Tuvans and their tribal groups. The North Eurasian haplogroups completely dominate within the gene pool of tribal groups Kol, Oyun, and Khertek, which results in that the share of Central Asian lineages drops to 3%. Conclusions. In general, the paper shows the Mongolian expansion had no essential genetic impacts on the Y-chromosomal gene pool of Tuvan tribal groups, but — in contrast — did overwhelmingly influence ethnocultural, economic, and linguistic spheres.

Indicating ideology: Variation in Montenegrin orthography

This contribution discusses variation in orthography on a standard language level as a semiotic practice of extra-lingual exclusion and intra-lingual stylistic differentiation in a South Slavic language, Montenegrin. I will address recent orthography reforms and their use following the emancipation of Serbo-Croatian. Orthographic variants, I argue, function as semiotic means of exclusion from the former common language concept and as an emphasized differentiation to other standard varieties emerging from Serbo-Croatian, and therefore hold sociocultural indexicality. Such variation needs to be examined in its ideological embedding. Consequently, I will discuss how competing orthography reforms and variants following from these are connected to ideological disputes in the post-Serbo-Croatian linguistic sphere and how the use of either one orthography or another is constructed as stylistic representations of ideological perspectives.

Three Pillars of Communicative Competence

The main point of view demonstrated in the present paper is to express criticism to those program of foreign language studies which still rely on the traditional approach to language education and favor the development of linguistic competence in students. Harmonious functioning of the contemporary world depends, to much extent, on human coexistence and communication both on the micro and macro scale. In the case of the macro scale contacts, the English language has been sanctioned an international means of communication. The examination of the Internet resources with reference to higher education language programs of studies as well as programs offered by some language schools, shows that the teaching/learning process is mainly concentrated on developing students’ linguistic competence. The Polish reality of practical English application in a variety of situations shows that the language user’s knowledge, when limited to the linguistic sphere only, is not sufficient. Therefore, the aim of the present paper is to turn the reader’s attention to the need of verification of educational policy, adopted by many higher education institutions, and expand the offered programs of studies by courses directing the teaching/learning process at the functional approach. Hence, the suggested in the present discussion approach would rely on giving priority to the development of communicative competence, instead of linguistic. Therefore, in the course of the discussion there appears a suggestion of designing an optimal program of studies in the form of “trivium” based on three pillars: comparative studies, discourse analysis, and translation studies.

Topic Theory in Soviet Musicology

AbstractAnglophone topic theory scholarship evinces only peripheral awareness of rich traditions of topical analysis that have existed outside its linguistic sphere. Many of the elements defining Anglophone topic theory today were present in the writings of Soviet musicologists, some dating back to the 1930s. Soviet “topic theory”—to use the term anachronistically—grew out of the method of holistic analysis (tselostnïy analiz) developed by Leo (Lev) Mazel’ and Viktor Zuckermann (Tsukkerman). Even the earliest scholarship of these theorists is peppered with references to topics, with the topical explorations embedded within broader considerations of style, history, and musical structure and discourse. By the early 1960s, a culture of topical analysis, one that emphasized topics' expressive and formal functions, was in place, and over the next decade it began to transform into a theory. The core of this essay is devoted to Mazel's and, especially, Zuckermann's understanding of topics and what they make possible in music analysis. Mazel's and Zuckermann's work stimulated the next generation of theorists—including Viktor Bobrovsky, Yevgeny Nazaykinsky, and Vyacheslav Medushevsky—to systematize and consolidate their ideas and take them in new directions. This study—part conspectus, part interpretation, and part critique—surveys the evolution of topic theory by holistic analysts and their disciples between 1930 and 1990.

ЯЗЫКОВАЯ СФЕРА В КАБАРДИНО-БАЛКАРСКОЙ РЕСПУБЛИКЕ В МАССОВОМ ОБЩЕСТВЕННОМ МНЕНИИ: СОСТОЯНИЕ И ПОТЕНЦИАЛЬНЫЕ ПРОБЛЕМЫ ВО ВЗАИМОДЕЙСТВИЯХ

Objective of the study is to identify the main trends in the public opinion of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic residents regarding the functioning of state and native languages in the republic in order to assess the potential problematization of language issues in the context of interethnic relations. The methodological basis of the research is a synthesized approach to the study of ethnicity, combining elements of constructivism and an instrumental approach. Within the framework of this approach, the author considers the ethnic language as a construct of nationalism, one of the markers of ethnic borders that become less flexible in case of conflict interaction, and as a possible tool for achieving certain goals of the elites. Methodically, the study is based on a combination of quantitative and qualitative strategies, that is, the results of a representative study for the republic are supplemented by data from expert interviews and focused group interviews.   Research results. The study revealed that in the republic for the most numerous ethnic categories (Kabardians, Balkars, ethnic Russians), the importance of language in ethnicity prevails against the background of other ethnointegrating features, which is confirmed by the all-Russian background. The understanding of the native language as an ethnic one prevails ("the language of my people"), however, there is also a plurality in the understanding of the native language, when significant proportions of Kabardians and Balkars call not only ethnic languages, but also Russian as their native language. The study revealed a fairly high proportion of those satisfied with the functioning of their native languages in different spheres of life, however, it is noticeable that Balkars note such satisfaction less often than Kabardians. The concern of cultural elites about the state and prospects of ethnic languages is clearly expressed, including in the context of transformations of the educational field in recent years. At the same time, the results allow us to conclude that language problems are unlikely to become complicating factors in interethnic interactions in the republic in the near future.   Prospects of the study. Measurements and analysis of public attitudes and expert discourses on the functioning of ethnic languages in the republics of the Russian Federation are an important element of research on interethnic relations in our country. The monitoring of discourses will continue, as well as a comparative analysis of the data and conclusions obtained with the results of other studies of the perception of the linguistic sphere in the regions.