Stylistic analysis in teaching stylistics at higher educational institutions

In Longman D�c��onary of Lang�age Teach�ng and Appl�ed L�ng�����c� stylistics is defined as the study of that variation in language which is dependent on the situation in which the language is used and also on the effect the writer or speaker wishes to create on the reader or hearer [1, 523]. According to David Crystal, linguistics is the academic discipline which studies language scientifically and stylistics as a part of this discipline studies certain aspects of language variation [2, 9]. These definitions vividly indicate and prove that stylistics is a very important branch of linguistic knowledge since linguistic variation, which is in the focus of stylistic studies, is practiced and functions in all kinds of human interaction; it is an intrinsic and indispensable ingredient of communicative interaction. Anybody who tries to interact in a certain situation by expressing their opinion, assumptions, hopes or fears, and so on, must do this by making their choice from the repertoire of means at their disposal [3, 585].

Stylistics is often called linguostylistics and it deals with two independent tasks: one of them is connected with the investigation of the inventory of special language media which by their ontological features secure the desirable effect of the utterance; as for the second task, it is connected with certain types of texts (discourse) which due to the choice and arrangement of language means are distinguished by the pragmatic aspect of communication [4, 9]. Thus, stylistics is traditionally referred to as the study of various texts with the help of linguistic tools. Stylistics as a branch of general linguistics closely interacts almost with all philological disciplines such as phonetics, lexicology, semasiology, onomasiology, grammar (morphology and syntax), literature, literary criticism, translation studies, etc.

Teaching stylistics in higher educational institutions pursues both theoretical and practical objectives. On the one hand, the course gives theoretical knowledge on the stylistic resources of the language, different functional styles, criteria of defining and classifying functional styles, notions of norm, literary language, on the other hand, it is directed to teach students to apply the obtained knowledge for solving practical tasks. It contributes to developing students’ ability to critically analyze information given in different types of texts and determine the functional style to which a particular text belongs and to argument their points of view on the basis of presenting criteria of differentiating functional styles, specifying expressive means and stylistic devices used in the text. The objectives of the course are realized through the authenticity of textual information belonging to different functional styles and genres, culturally-oriented materials, contributing to the development and enrichment of students’ linguistic and stylistic thesaurus.

It is quite obvious that the main practical task of stylistics as an academic discipline is to develop skills of understanding, interpreting and analyzing the information given in diversified texts belonging to different styles and genres, i.e. to carry out a stylistic analysis of the selected authentic materials. It is mostly connected with analyzing literary texts. Stylistic analysis enables to adequately evaluate a particular work of fiction and reach indeep understanding of its content and sense. Mick Short points out that stylistic analysis, «unlike more traditional forms of practical criticism, is not interested primarily in coming up with new and startling interpretations of the texts it examines. Rather, its main aim is to explicate how our understanding of a text is achieved, by examining in detail the linguistic organization of the text and how a reader needs to interact with that linguistic organization to make sense of it» [5].

The main task of stylistic analysis is to define the structure of the textual material and its semantic loading. In the process of the analysis students are recommended to fully answer the questions of how the given text is created and what it is composed of. It is important to draw attention to the levels of the textual analysis defined by scholars: phonetic, phonological, graphological, morphemic, lexical and syntactical.

Stylistic analysis contributes to better acquisition of the theoretical material and at the same time it is an effective form of control of students’ knowledge on a particular topic.

The problems of stylistic analysis are thoroughly considered in the works of such scholars as David Crystaland Derek Davy, I.R. Galperin, N.A. Nikolina,

V.V. Odintsov, G.Ya. Solganik [6]. Stylistic analysis is traditionally regarded as commenting on the text from the functional point of view. The purpose of this comment is the establishment of genre and stylistic characteristics of the literary text and peculiarities of its linguistic organization. The analysis usually begins with reading and understanding of the text, so the first point is the so called commenting,

i.e. interpretation of some difficult or unfamiliar words, outdated or archaic grammatical forms and structures. However, the requirement to the analysis is that the textual material should be authentic, implying that authenticity lays in the genuine nature of the texts selected [7, 68].

Thus, while reading a particular text (at least three times), first of all, students should understand the plot of a selected piece of writing. During the second read students are recommended to pay special attention to unknown words, structures and phrases. Different reference books (monolingual, explanatory, bilingual, dialectal, encyclopedic, linguocultural, thematic or conceptual dictionaries, glossaries and dictionaries of synonyms and antonyms, idioms and collocations, technical terms, neologisms, proper names, slang, foreign, obsolete and archaic words) present an important tool contributing to successfully implementing stylistic analysis of a selected work of fiction. With the help of monolingual dictionaries, for example, students will be able to determine linguistic and stylistic characteristics of individual words and set expressions; linguocultural dictionaries contain information about the symbolic, cultural and national values of the components of lexical units. During subsequent readings, they are advised to methodically begin to pay attention to how characters interact with one another, how the writer uses words to convey meaning, how the characters speak, who is telling (or narrating) the story, the kinds of images the writer uses, or any other aspect of the text that seems important [8]. Brief information about the author of the text, his biography, profession, social position, range of interests, motifs of creative activity can assist in determining the problem stated in the text, in clarifying the author’s outlook and views.

Scholars suggest various schemes for stylistic analysis of the authentic textual material. I.R. Galperin, for example, introduces some procedures which facilitate this process. The first procedure is called the taxomonic stage of analysis which aims at determining a definite model of a text in the given style. The second procedure which is called the content-grasping stage is connected with approximate understanding of the content of the text. The third procedure (semantic analysis) has as its purpose the close observation of the meanings of separate words and word combinations, the significations of various sentences and supra-phrasal units. The fourth procedure (the stylistic stage) aims at finding out what additional information might be imparted by the author’s use of various stylistic devices. The final procedure (the functional stage) consists in assembling the previously acquired data and synthesizing all the procedures [4].

While analyzing authentic textual material students are traditionally given the following assignments:

1. Read the given text. Write out the words which should be interpreted and analyzed taking into account linguistic, etymological, historical, culturological aspects. Give your comments on the selected words referring to monolingual and explanatory dictionaries, encyclopedias and reference books if necessary.
2. Find information about the author of the text (his/her biography, education, profession, literary, political, cultural, philosophical and social views, outlook, interests, and peculiarities of his/her creative activity).
3. Explain the title of the text (it is well known that heading could be meaningful and contain information which helps its better understanding and interpreting).
4. Define the theme of the text and state the main problem raised by the author.
5. Determine the main idea of the text and the author’s intentions.
6. Dwell on the peculiarities of the composition of the text.
7. Make a plan of the text. Divide the text into logically connected parts and entitle each of the part, taking into consideration that traditionally the plot accordingly consists of exposition, body of the story, climax and denouement. Explain and justify your division.
8. Give a short summary of a gist of the plot of the selected text presenting the events described in the text in their development.
9. Define the genre (e.g., fiction, essay, poetry, science fiction, documentary, fairy tale, etc.) and functional style of the text (belles-lettres, publicist, scientific, newspaper). Give characteristics typical for a particular functional style to which a selected text belongs.
10. Give character portrayal of the personages defining them as complicated, imaginary, realistic, flat or round. When describing the characters of a work of fiction pay attention to the so called physical settings. Their role in establishing the identities of the characters is relevant. The homes of characters correspond to their social status and characteristics; the seasons serve as a backdrop to a life-story of characters. It is often in the descriptive passages that the writer tries to create a mood [9].

10. Find expressive means and stylistic devices used by the author of the text, define and specify them paying attention to their traditional classification (phonetic, lexical and syntactical language media). Explain the role of the most interesting and vivid expressive means and stylistic devices in the selected textual material correlating their use with the intention of the author. If the selected text belongs to the belles-lettres style it is very important to find its stylistic dominant and relevant oppositions, stating their role in the artistic system of the work of fiction. It is very brief information concerning the problem of peculiarities and the role and of stylistic analysis in teaching different branches of stylistics to students of specialized departments at higher educational institutions. In view of the above-said, the deep investigation of these problems could be of great interest and importance.

Литература

1. Richards J.C., Schmidt R. Longman Dictionary of Language Teaching and Applied Linguistics. – Pearson Education Limited, 2002.
2. Crystal D., Davy D. Investigating English Styles. – Longman Group Limited, 1988.
3. Sorning K. Stylistic variation // Routledge Encylopedia of Language Teaching and Learning. – London and New York: Routledge, 2004.
4. Galperin I.R. Stylistics. – M., 1981.
5. Short M. Understanding Conversational Undercurrents in ‘The Ebony Tower’ by John Fowles // Twen��e�h-Cen��ry F�c��on: From Tex� �o Con�ex�, edited by Peter Verdonk and Jean Jacques Weber. – Routledge, 1995 (retrieved from http://grammar.about.com/od/rs/g/Stylistics-term.htm).
6. Crystal D., Davy D. Investigating English Styles; Galperin, I.R. Stylistics; николина Н.А. Филологический анализ текста: Учеб. пособие для студ. высш. пед. учеб. заведений — 2-е изд., испр. и доп. — М., 2007..; Одинцов В.В. Стилистика текста. – Изд. 2-е. — М., 2006; Солганик Г.Я. Стилистика текста. — М., 2005.
7. See: Rixon, Shelagh. Authenticity // Routledge Encylopedia of Language Teaching and Learning.
8. Sharon James McGee. Analyzing Literature: A Guide for Students Kansas State University-Salina (retrieved from http:// wps.ablongman.com/wps/media/objects/327/335558/AnalyzingLit.pdf)
9. Новикова И.А., Петрова Н.Ю., Давиденко Т.Г. Практикум к курсу английского языка. – М.: ВЛАДОС, 2002.