Papers reviewed and determined not to be word norm studies. Use the flag icon to report errors or suggest re-inclusion.
18265 papers
The relevance of this article is determined by the need to examine how the category of “object” is represented in English biotechnology terminology. The aim of the study was to identify the subcategories of the concept of “object” that find their lexical expression, as well as to investigate the linguistic mechanisms – particularly morphological and syntactic structures – used to denote them. To achieve this aim, a set of selective, analytical, morphological, structuralsemantic, classificatory, systemic, and statistical methods was employed. It was found that within the English biotechnology terminological system, the category of “object” comprises four main subcategories: biological (36.5%), chemical (23.8%), technological (21.0%) objects, as well as materials and products (18.7%). Both simple and compound structures are employed to represent the category of “object” linguistically in English biotechnology terminology. Biological objects are predominantly expressed by simple nouns, whereas technological objects, materials, and products are more frequently represented by compound phrases. Chemical objects exhibit an almost equal distribution between simple and compound forms. Overall, the majority of terms are nouns, which is consistent with the norms of scientific and technical terminology. The obtained results confirmed the findings of modern studies regarding the dominance of nominal structures and the tendency to use compound names in biotechnology terminology, which is driven by the need for precision and systematicity in professional nomination. The practical significance of the study lies in the potential application of its results in teaching English for Specific Purposes to students majoring in Biotechnology and Bioengineering
Aim. This study establishes normative ratings for 98 adjectives in Jordanian Arabic across three dimensions: valence, arousal, and familiarity. Method. The adjectives were selected from the Affective Norms for English Words (ANEW) database (Bradley & Lang, 1999) and translated into Arabic. A questionnaire was administered to 95 students from the University of Jordan to collect data. To ensure the reliability of the dataset, the researchers analyzed the internal consistency of the ratings and examined the interrelationships among the three variables. The results provide a foundational dataset for exploring correlations among the emotional dimensions. A strong and significant correlation between valence and arousal was identified, consistent with patterns observed in prior research, such as the typical quadratic relationship indicating that words with extreme valence elicit higher arousal. Additionally, a moderate to strong correlation was found between familiarity and the affective variables, especially for adjectives with positive valence. These findings suggest a close relationship between valence and arousal ratings and familiarity, highlighting the cultural and linguistic significance of these adjectives in the Jordanian Arabic context. Conclusions. This database of affective norms offers valuable insights into the emotional and cultural dynamics of Jordanian Arabic, enabling researchers to better understand the interplay between emotion and language in Arabic-speaking populations. It will also facilitate the use of controlled verbal stimuli to investigate the relationship between cognition, culture, and emotion. The study concludes with recommendations for further research.
Given Nigeria’s societal norms and prevailing religiosity, topics of sex and genitalia are often regarded as taboo. Consequently, university students adapt their language to avoid being perceived as vulgar. This study investigates semantic shifts in sex and sex-related slang expressions among university students at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, focusing on how such slang terms evolve to mask vulgarity. Qualitative data were obtained from forty undergraduates who were sampled using purposive and snowball techniques. Semi-structured interviews and a wordlist of sex discourse terms were used as methods of data collection. Drawing on Lakoff and Johnson’s Conceptual Metaphor Theory (CMT), this study reveals how metaphorical mappings are used in the transformation and concealment of sex and sex-related topics. The findings show that the students map the refined slang from domains in their environments to align with peers who share similar attitudes, and differentiate themselves from those who uphold religious and pious values. This study contributes to language shift by revealing how the refinement of sex-related terms facilitates lexical innovation, thereby promoting creativity in linguistic spaces that have religious and cultural barriers to the use of sex and sex-related expressions.
This study examines how gendered power dynamics are constructed through language in early twentieth-century English-language cinema. Focusing on films produced between 1920 and 1949—a period defined by entrenched patriarchal ideals—the research analyzes the representation of male and female characters in cinematic dialogue. Utilizing a corpus of 10 to 15 culturally significant film scripts (approximately 200,000 words), the analysis employs AntConc 4.2.0 for frequency counts, keyword extractions, collocation analyses, and concordance examinations to systematically identify gendered linguistic patterns. The findings indicate that both male and female characters are frequently described with positive evaluative adjectives such as “good,” “great,” and “nice.” However, their negative portrayals diverge markedly. Female characters are disproportionately targeted with sexually explicit or objectifying slurs (e.g., “fat slut,” “bitch”), whereas criticism of male characters typically emphasizes behavior, status, or competence using terms such as “killer,” “genius,” and “trucker.” Additionally, occupational nouns associated with men (e.g., “businessman,” “doctor”) highlight agency and professional identity, while comparable terms for female characters are often gender-marked or diminutive (e.g., “PR girl,” “lady”). These recurring lexical and grammatical features serve to reinforce and perpetuate contemporary gender ideologies, casting men as active, dominant agents and women as subjects of evaluative judgment rooted in appearance or emotion. The study’s corpus-driven approach reveals how cinematic language functioned not only as a reflection but also as a mechanism for the normalization and transmission of prevailing gender hierarchies. In offering empirical evidence of linguistic gender bias in early film dialogue, this research advances understanding in media discourse analysis, feminist linguistics, and historical corpus studies. It underscores the crucial role of language in the (re)production of social norms and power structures in popular media. / Keywords: gendered power dynamics, early twentieth-century cinema, film dialogue, corpus linguistics, patriarchal ideology, linguistic representation, evaluative adjectives, media discourse analysis, feminist linguistics
This paper seeks to unravel the intricacies involved when translating English collective nouns into Arabic by Palestinian undergraduate translation students. In English, collective nouns like government, jury, and committee allow both singular and plural verb agreement depending on notional or grammatical concord. On the other hand, Arabic places strict grammatical concord on collective nouns by considering them as singular entities despite their semantic plurality. Hence, this cross-linguistic difference poses translation and pedagogical concerns for translators. For the purpose of this study, a structured questionnaire was distributed to 30 students of different academic levels at Al-Najah University. The questionnaire consists of demographic questions, ten English to Arabic trans¬lation tasks involving collective nouns, and reflective questions regarding students’ strategies and their perceptions about the difficulties involved. The data was analyzed thematically and demonstrated that although most students followed Arabic grammatical norms and used singular verb agreement, a minority resorted to notional translation using plural subjects (e.g., members of the committee) together with a plural verb agreement. However, difficulties that arise for students involve the singular and plural agreement, and lexical gaps. Senior students as well as students who had prior exposure to political texts tended to have more syntactic awareness and accuracy. Based on the findings of this paper, explicit instruction is needed on collective noun behavior, and notional versus grammatical agreement. In concordance with these linguistic aspects, this study contributes to translation pedagogy by focusing on context-sensitive equivalence and grammatical awareness in dealing with collective noun constructions between two typologically different languages.
The article focuses on the structure of pre-translation analysis of the ST by exploring criteria, whose detailed consideration enables the translator to gain a general insight into the content and linguistic features of the original. To develop an optimal translation strategy, it is makes sense to take the following steps: study the translation brief; which usually contains information about the imprint of the text and its readership, the purpose and method of its translation into another language, recommendations regarding the translation of specific lexical units; understand the subject matter and purpose of the source text, which is possible due to the translator’s familiarity with this theme; define its genre and think about the ways of retaining the distinctive features of the original in its translated version; analyze the organization and logic of the source text content, and if any discrepancies with the norms of the source language are discovered, determine the possibilities of eliminating them in the translation; identify lexical, grammatical and stylistic peculiarities of the original version, which should be presented in the translated text; indicate cultural references, whose adequate translation can be performed by means of a linguaculturological approach; consider the format of the text, namely, its layout, boundaries, the use of paralinguistic devices, and check whether this format should be reproduced in the translated text. The mentioned above points indicate that pre-translation analysis can be considered as a macro-strategy that forms the basis for the development and further implementation of a micro-strategy for translating the text. For this reason, the proposed algorithm for gaining the holistic appreciation of the source text can become an important part of training future translators, since a clearly structured, logically consistent form of presentation of the results of pre-translation analysis will enable students to effectively prioritize the order of tackling challenges when rendering certain units of translation. At the same time, they will have an opportunity to rationally manage their intellectual and time resources.
The article examines the pragmatic potential of euphemisms in English media discourse and the peculiarities of their translation into Ukrainian.The relevance of the topic is determined by the need to identify sociolinguistic and pragmatic aspects of the functioning of euphemisms, their semantic and communicative integrity, as well as insufficiently studied issues of reproducing pragmatic functions of euphemisms in different types of discourse.An analysis of contemporary research shows that euphemisms have been studied in both domestic and foreign linguistic traditions, in particular from the point of view of general aspects of euphemization, semantics, functional and pragmatic characteristics, motives for their use, and means of formation.At the same time, the issue of translating euphemisms, especially from the perspective of their sociolinguistic and pragmatic potential, remains insufficiently explored.The article examines the nature of euphemisms as units of secondary nomination that have intentional, socio-regulatory, contact-establishing, expressive-emotive, and aesthetic functions.It is shown that the pragmatics of euphemisms is determined by their contextual use, dependence on sociocultural norms, and value-normative orientations of society.Particular attention is paid to politically correct euphemisms that replace words and expressions that may be discriminatory on the grounds of race, ethnicity, age, gender, appearance, or social status.Methods of reproducing euphemisms in Ukrainian translation are examined, including lexical equivalents, calques, grammatical transformations (deletion, transposition), lexical generalization, and the use of phraseological analogues.A comparative analysis of English contexts and their Ukrainian translations was conducted, which allows us to conclude that the function of euphemism cannot always be fully preserved, especially in cases of conveying intentional and expressive components.The article emphasizes that pragmatic and sociolinguistic conditions, i.e., the addressee factor, communicative purpose, and sphere of discourse, determine the choice of translation means.The results confirm the need for an integrated treatment of euphemism translation, being attuned to its pragmatic and functional sense and striving towards the most accurate approximation of the communicative effect in the target language.
The reception of culture-specific items has recently emerged as a key focus in empirical translation studies. Food is one of the most iconic culture-specific items, as it is regarded as a cultural product across its production, preparation, and consumption. Due to its culturally embedded nature, the quality of food translation depends significantly on how readers decode and respond to the culturally specific elements of foodstuffs and foodways. However, the reception of food translation by readers remains underexplored. This study examines the reception of food translation among Australian English speakers. Twenty-two participants were asked to read translated food-related content and articulate their understanding in semi-structured interviews. The study finds that domestication can lead to cultural misconceptions, while foreignisation may result in problematic lexical choices and stylistic inconsistencies. Nevertheless, readers tend to prefer foreignised translations of exotic food content, expecting only minimal explanation to avoid confusion. While generally tolerant of linguistic errors, readers are particularly sensitive to the precision of lexical choices in translation. This article offers empirical data on readers’ cultural perceptions of culinary norms and their expectations to inform translators’ decision-making in food translation.
This study examines how racially charged language in Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird (1960) has been translated into Arabic, focusing on the ethical, cultural, and pedagogical implications of translation strategies. Using Skopos Theory, Venuti's domestication/foreignization model, and Spivak's postcolonial ethics, the research analyses the rendering of terms such as the racial slur (“Nword”), "boy," "white trash," and African American Vernacular English (AAVE) across multiple Arabic translations. A comparative study, integrating Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) with crosslinguistic comparison against the French, Spanish, and German translations, detects a consistent pattern of defensive domestication among Arabic translations, including euphemization, omission, and lexical substitution. Though culturesensitive, the strategies tend to downplay the novel's critique of institutional racism and can efface its historical context. Western translations, however, typically retain racially marked words with Para textual glossing for critical reception. The study highlights the translator as a cultural mediator whose decisions are dictated by sociopolitical norms, institutionally imposed, and audience requirements. It recommends adopting ethical domestication or critical foreignization, facilitated by annotated bilingual editions, pedagogy underpinned by culture, and open translator commentary. These approaches strive to uphold historical faithfulness, foster intercultural understanding, and develop critical literacy. In this way, the research contributes to debates in translation ethics, postcolonial studies of translation, and language pedagogy, and argues for translation as a linguistic and ethical practice.
Background. In the context of foreign language teaching methodology, post-text exercises play a key role in ensuring the effective acquisition of language material. These exercises are aimed at consolidating lexical and grammatical structures, developing reading and comprehension skills, as well as developing the ability to communicate spontaneously in a foreign language. The use of authentic materials in post-text exercises allows students not only to improve their language skills, but also to gain a deeper understanding of the cultural characteristics and context in which the language they are learning functions. Authentic texts provide students with the opportunity to familiarize themselves with real language situations and linguistic norms, which contributes to a more natural and organic language acquisition. The purpose of the study is to analyze the importance of post-text exercises in the process of learning a foreign language and demonstrate their role in consolidating acquired knowledge and improving students’ communication skills when using authentic materials. Materials and methods. The study examines examples of exercises presented in the Personal Management ESSD manual, designed for teaching English. Their detailed description is given, as well as an analysis of their role in improving communication skills and developing sustainable language competencies. Results. Post-text exercises based on authentic materials are an important component of foreign language teaching methods. They contribute not only to the consolidation of knowledge, but also to the development of communication skills, which is a necessary condition for achieving proficiency in a foreign language.
The article analyzes the views of one of the leading Ukrainian authors in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Volodymyr Samiilenko, on the role of the native language for the Ukrainian nation and language as a general phenomenon of human existence. The study deals with interpretations of language and related concepts – "word", "song", "thought", "poetry", "art". The results show that relying on Shevchenko's traditions, the writer considered the Ukrainian language as the existential foundation and the primary tool for expressing the national identity, the source of the historical memory ("Ukrainian Language (In Memory of Taras Shevchenko)", "Hello to Bukovina", "Ukraine"). Being an opponent of violent confrontations, Samiilenko also believed in the power of words as an intellectual weapon and urged his contemporaries to use this powerful tool (the cycle "Iambus"). The author also addressed the nature of verbal creativity, developing the idea of poetry (song) as a divine gift and an instrument of spiritual purification and enlightenment ("Song"), a source of knowledge and a means of self-improvement ("Eagle", "Elegies"). These ideas and motifs reached a pick in the symbolic image of poetry as an irresistible force and indestructible substance that can outlive humanity itself ("Poetry Will Not Die"). In this regard, Samiilenko refers to the communicative function of language and suggests an international language (Esperanto) as a chance for mankind’s survival through understanding, which would stop constant bloody conflicts (the poem "Gaia"). The article also examines Samiilenko’s linguistic views expressed in the articles "Let’s Take Care of the Phonetic Beauty of the Language" and "Foreign Words in the Ukrainian Language," as well as in reviews of literary and scientific texts. These works are written with deep expertise, and the author’s observations on the orthography, lexical, and stylistic norms in the Ukrainian literary language are still relevant. Volodymyr Samiilenko’s critical and scientific works complement the linguistic and philosophical motives in his art and demonstrate the writer’s desire to protect his native language from destructive influences and to promote its development by interacting with the most widespread and impactful European languages.
This work investigates the capabilities of a multimodal large language model, Microsoft Copilot, to make emotion-related judgments for visual stimuli. We examine whether its ratings for affect and emotion are comparable to human ratings.
Scientific research in various areas of computational linguistics has been conducted by many scholars around the world. Today, issues related to computational linguistics are being explored in fields such as language technology, natural language processing, machine learning, and corpus linguistics. In Uzbekistan, pioneering research in the field of computational linguistics was initiated by scholars such as N. Yaqutova, M. Ayimbetov, S. Rizaev, and S. Muhammedova. Notably, S. Muhammedova co-authored a textbook with R. Piotrovsky that presents quantitative models of Uzbek texts. Currently, the number of researchers in this field is growing, and a wide range of scholars are engaged in computational linguistics research. Furthermore, collaboration with experts from related disciplines—such as computer science and language technology—is contributing to significant progress in this domain. This article addresses research in the field of computational linguistics within Uzbek linguistics, highlights the structural and typological features of the Uzbek language, and discusses its distinctions from European languages. In addition, the article provides recommendations regarding structural aspects of Uzbek that should be considered in computational research and illustrates Chomsky’s hierarchy using examples from the Uzbek language.
This article examines how gender is expressed in English across grammatical, lexical, and discourse levels. We first outline theoretical frameworks of language and gender (e.g. performativity, language ideology) and situate English in a historical perspective (Old vs. Modern English). We then analyze grammatical gender in English – noting that English lost noun-class gender by Middle English (Curzan, 2003) so today only pronouns (he/she/they) and a few affixes (e.g. -ess, -man) encode gender (Curzan, 2003). We discuss the rise of singular they and other neopronouns as contemporary responses to binary defaults (Bradley et al., 2019). Next, at the lexical level we survey gender-marked vocabulary and coinages: from traditional gendered terms (actor/actress; chairman/chairperson) to new honorifics like Mx. and identity labels (nonbinary, cisgender). We explore how prescriptive and inclusive language efforts (e.g. Cameron’s notion of verbal hygiene (Cameron, 1995)) have influenced these changes. At the discourse level, we examine how speakers negotiate gender identity in conversation and media. For instance, discourse analyses show that news outlets often reproduce gender stereotypes more than fiction (Slipachuk et al., 2024), and that conversational style and pronoun usage reflect ideological stances. Across sections we trace continuity and change: traditional norms (generic “he”, Marked/Unmarked masculine bias) versus contemporary shifts (nonbinary pronouns, gender-neutral reform). We draw on sociolinguistic theory (e.g. language ideology, performativity) to explain how linguistic forms both reflect and shape social gender concepts (Cameron, 1995). By integrating multiple levels of structure, this study highlights the complex, evolving nature of gender expression in English. Our analysis underscores that language both mirrors historical gender roles and adapts to demands for inclusivity, with implications for communication and identity in a diversifying society.
This study explores the linguistic representation of Russian national and military identity in 19th-cen- tury English-language narratives, with a focus on the Crimean War (1853-1856). Grounded in linguoimagol- ogy – an interdisciplinary approach that analyzes how national images are formed and transmitted through language – this research off ers a comparati ve literary-linguisti c perspecti ve on how English authors verbal- – this research off ers a comparati ve literary-linguisti c perspecti ve on how English authors verbal- – this research off ers a comparati ve literary-linguisti c perspecti ve on how English authors verbal- this research off ers a comparati ve literary-linguisti c perspecti ve on how English authors verbal- this research offers a comparative literary-linguistic perspective on how English authors verbal- ized their image of Russians during this pivotal historical period. The primary aim of the article is to identify and interpret the linguistic means used by English authors to construct the image of Russians during the Crimean War. This issue remains largely unexplored in both domestic and international linguistics. To achieve this aim, the following objectives were addressed: to an- alyze English-language depictions of the Russian military under Nicholas I and Alexander II; to identify pos- itive and negative evaluations of Russian identity using linguoimagologemes such as: topographic and an- thropological images of Russian proper names as seen by the British; Russians’ love of state awards as Seen by the British; piousness of Russians as Seen by the British; to determine the specific linguistic devices em- ployed by British authors to assess and portray the Russian army and national character. The study applies synchronous linguoimagological analysis using specialized terms such as macro- linguoimagotheme, linguoimagotheme, linguoimageme, and linguoimagologeme. This methodological framework enables the identification of national images through a detailed examination of textual fea- tures across historical, journalistic, and autobiographical English narratives from the mid-19th century. Key Linguistic Devices Identified: lexical tools [use of evaluative adjectives (e.g., “insignificant,” “de- cayed”) and emotionally loaded epithets (e.g., “fanaticism,” “ostentatious”); semantic fields involving mil- itary valor, religious fervor, and political symbolism; metaphorical framing to convey irony or exaggera- tion (e.g., “a wave of superstition”)]; syntactic tools (impersonal constructions and passive voice that ob- scure agency (e.g., “it was said that…”); complex sentence structures with embedded commentary (e.g., “Although the officer appeared dignified, his medals seemed exaggerated”); use of metadiscourse markers (e.g., “of course,” “as expected”) to frame reader interpretation); stylistic tools (strategic irony and juxta- position (e.g., sacred ritual vs. personal piety); tone modulation ranging from respect to sarcasm; onomas- tic transformations such as “Menchikoff” for “Menshikov” to reflect rhetorical distancing); narrative strate- gies (authorial detachment and implied superiority; cultural distancing through frequent references to Rus- sian “otherness”; construction of national identity via contrastive framing with British norms). This research demonstrates that English-language portrayals of Russians during the Crimean War were shaped by a combination of cultural bias, ideological framing, and linguistic devices. Russian prop- er names were systematically distorted, indicating both phonetic adaptation and rhetorical alienation. The visibility of medals and ceremonial symbols was exaggerated through visual hyperbole, reflecting British views on Russian state symbolism. Religious depictions fluctuated between collective fanaticism and indi- vidual sincerity, revealing a dual-layered construction of Russian piety. The study contributes a novel linguoimagological model for analyzing how nations are constructed through language. It underscores how lexical, syntactic, and stylistic mechanisms interact to reinforce na- tional stereotypes and oppositional cultural narratives. These findings are relevant to fields such as histor- ical discourse analysis, linguocultural studies, and intercultural communication and may serve as a founda- tion for further studies of national images in literary or historical contexts.
This repository contains the data analysis material presented in "A lexical database of British Sign Language (BSL) and German Sign Language (DGS): Iconicity ratings, iconic strategies, and concreteness norms". The Files section contains four folders: data, figures, output and scripts. Data: Cleaned and pseudonomised data from the rating tasks (data_ratings) and annotations on the signs presented in the study (data_signs). Figures: Figures produced by the latest version of the script. Output: Output produced in the script, containing combined ratings and demographic information. Scripts: The latest version of the script as an executable R-Markdown file, as well as an md file and a human-readable HTML-file including printed outputs. To run the analysis, download the folders, or at least the data-files and Rmd script and recreate the folder structure from this repository on your local device. The Rmd script may require installing the correct packages. Note that the HTML-version contains a report of the package versions used for the original analysis.
The paper reviews the conceptual and terminological field related to offensive vocabulary of limited usage and to the identification of semantic and pragmatic distinctions between such linguistic categories as pejorative, invective, and obscenity. The study is relevant due to the absence of a clear unified classification of this type of vocabulary in both Ukrainian and international humanities scholarship, which leads to terminological polysemy and hinders the accurate analysis of verbal aggression, emotionality, and ethical markers in speech. The study includes a review of works by Ukrainian (Tkachivska, Stavytska, Bilokonenko, Kulchytska, etc.) and foreign linguists (Finkbeiner, Castroviejo, Popa-Wyatt, Liviu, etc.), which made it possible to systematize existing approaches to the definition, functions, and semantics of offensive vocabulary. It has been established that pejorative vocabulary represents the broadest category, encompassing lexical units with negative connotation that are not necessarily aimed at directly insulting the addressee. Invective, unlike pejorative, is characterized by an intentional orientation toward humiliation or aggressive expression, whereas obscenisms constitute a subclass of tabooed vocabulary that lies beyond socially acceptable norms of communication. The importance of context in the actualization of pejorative meaning, which allows for distinguishing between absolute and relative pejoratives, is taken into special consideration. The article also offers a generalized classification of pejorative vocabulary based on the criterion of contextual application, which is of practical value for further research in translation studies. The findings confirm the necessity of developing a unified terminological system for the study of offensive vocabulary, particularly in the translation of literary discourse, where such vocabulary plays an essential role in constructing the sociolinguistic and cultural authenticity of the text.
Introduction: Alexithymia is a multidimensional construct characterized by difficulties in identifying and describing emotions, distinguishing emotional states from bodily sensations, and an externally oriented thinking style. Although the prevalence in the general population is around 10%, it is significantly higher in clinical groups, including those with autism spectrum disorders, depression, anxiety, and neurological conditions. Neuroimaging research, especially using magnetic resonance imaging, has documented structural and functional alterations in alexithymia; however, electroencephalography (EEG)—an older yet temporally precise method—remains less comprehensively explored. This mechanistic review aims to synthesize EEG-based evidence of the neural correlates of alexithymia and to propose potential neurophysiological mechanisms underpinning its affective and cognitive dimensions. Methods: A thorough literature search was conducted in December 2024 across PubMed/Medline, ResearchGate, Google Scholar, and Cochrane using combined keywords (“EEG”, “QEEG”, “electroencephalography”, “alexithymia”) to identify English-language clinical trials or case studies published from January 1980 to December 2024. Two reviewers independently screened the titles and abstracts, followed by a full-text review. Studies were included if they specifically examined EEG activity in participants with alexithymia. Of the 1021 initial records, eight studies fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Results: Across the reviewed studies, individuals with alexithymia consistently demonstrated right-hemisphere dominance in EEG power and connectivity, particularly in the theta and alpha bands, during both neutral and emotion-eliciting tasks. Many exhibited reduced interhemispheric coherence and disrupted connectivity in the frontal and parietal regions, potentially contributing to difficulties in cognitive processing and emotion labeling. Some studies have also reported diminished gamma band activity and phase synchrony in response to negative stimuli, suggesting impaired higher-order integration of emotional information. Crucially, subjective reports (e.g., valence ratings) often do not differ between alexithymic and non-alexithymic groups, highlighting that EEG measures may capture subtle emotional processing deficits not reflected in self-reports. Conclusions: EEG findings emphasize that alexithymia involves specific disruptions in cortical activation and network-level coordination, rather than merely the absence of emotional experiences. Right-hemisphere over-reliance, reduced interhemispheric transfer, and atypical oscillatory patterns in the alpha, theta, and gamma bands appear to be central to the condition’s pathophysiology. Understanding these neural signatures offers avenues for future research—particularly intervention studies that test whether modulating these EEG patterns can improve emotional awareness and expression. These insights underscore the potential clinical utility of EEG as a sensitive tool for detecting and tracking alexithymic traits in both research and therapeutic contexts.
In this chapter I describe the Auslan (Australian Sign Language) dictionaries and the lexical database they are based on. Since the 1980s, this database has migrated over multiple software platforms as the types of data that could be contained in newer databases (text, graphics, video) improved and increased, enabling the dictionaries to appear in three formats: print, multimedia (CD-ROM), and online. I describe the lexicography underlying these Auslan dictionaries, the lexicology that determines which signs are included, and the types and contents of the data fields used in the database, and how the data is displayed in each edition. I then describe how the entries in the online edition are hyperlinked to attested examples in a corpus of Auslan. I conclude by discussing how the architecture of Auslan Signbank could accommodate data from any signed language and how this can then be used to conduct cross-linguistic investigations of signed language lexicology and phonology.
Verb fluency task is a screening test that shows sensitivity to lexical retrieval abilities. This study aims to establish a baseline for verb fluency in Japanese by comparing data from 61 younger and elderly Japanese speakers. The results show that the elderly group produced fewer verbs than the younger group, but compared to Lee et al. (2013), many more correct responses were produced by both groups. An analysis using the Lancaster Sensorimotor Norms found that the number of clusters and switches was smaller for the elderly participants, although the cluster size did not show any difference.
Cet article examine le lien entre néologie, phraséologie et oblicité, en s’intéressant à un type particulier de créations lexicales, susceptibles d’évoluer vers la phraséologisation. Il s’appuie sur une analyse théorique et empirique pour montrer comment ses créations polylexicales, bien que structurées de manière apparemment libre, acquièrent un sens global non-compositionnel grâce à l’usage. L’étude présentera les propriétés (syntaxiques, sémantiques et pragmatiques) définitoires de ces innovations lexicales ainsi que les mécanismes liés au détournement discursif (oblicité) qui les génèrent. L’objectif principal est de souligner le rôle central de l’usage linguistique et des dynamiques sociales dans la lexicalisation ou l’abandon de ces créations, ainsi que leur impact sur les normes discursives et l’enrichissement du lexique.
Привлечение внимания к новым источникам для изучения лексики XIX века – одна из задач статьи. В качестве материала для наблюдений и выводов привлечены эпистолярные тексты из архива Соликамского Святотроицкого мужского монастыря, содержащие сведения о духовной и материальной культуре одного из древнейших монастырей Северного Прикамья. В статье на лексическом уровне демонстрируется реализация основных тенденций развития русского литературного языка в 1‑й половине XIX века: тенденция «к синтезу всех жизнеспособных языковых средств» и тенденция к демократизации языка. В результате анализа выявлено, что выработка лексико-семантических и стилистических норм происходили за счет новообразований (частовремяннопредающегося, первоотходящею почтой) и заимствований из церковнославянского языка, расширения валентности слов (краткий недостатокъ) и «освежения» семантики уже известных лексем за счет смыслов, присущих им в народно-разговорной речи (круто, недосылка). Деловая переписка, привлеченная к анализу, характеризуется эмоциональностью и строгим соблюдением этических норм, принятых в монастырской среде, однако не и ймеет такой черты делового стиля, как «неличный характер текста». Drawing attention to new sources for studying the lexicon of the 19th century is one of the article’s objectives. The material for observations and conclusions is drawn from epistolary texts from the archive of the Solikamsk Holy Trinity Male Monastery, which contain information about the spiritual and material culture of one of the oldest monasteries in Northern Prikamye (Kama region). At the lexical level, the article demonstrates the implementation of the main trends in the development of the Russian literary language in the first half of the 19th century: the tendency toward “ the synthesis of all viable linguistic means” and the tendency toward language democratization. As a result of the analysis, it has been revealed that the elaboration of lexical-semantic and stylistic norms occurred through neologisms (e. g., chasto-vremyanno-predayushchegosya ‘often temporarily handing over’, pervo-otkhodyashcheyu pochtoyu ‘by the first outgoing mail’), borrowings from Church Slavonic, expansion of word valency (e. g., kratkiy nedostatok ‘brief shortage’ with an extended meaning), and “refreshing” the semantics of already known Слово. Текст. Контекст. 2025. № 3 (23) 68 Слово. Текст. Контекст. 2025. № 3 (23) Харламова М. А. Эпистолярные тексты Соликамского Святотроицкого монастыря I-й половины XIX века: отражение основных тенденций развития литературного языка эпохи lexemes through meanings inherent in colloquial speech (e. g., kruto ‘steeply’ in a figurative sense, nedosylka ‘under-delivery’ as ‘shortcoming’). The business correspondence analyzed is characterized by emotionality and strict adherence to ethical norms accepted in the monastic environment, but it lacks such a feature of the business style as the “impersonal character of the text”.
The article provides a comprehensive analysis of Viktor Gavrilov's idiosyncrasy as a modern Ugra writer with a unique, hybrid style close to the Leningrad underground. Special attention is paid to the «language game» technique, as one of the dominant ones in some works from the collection “Times. Coda”. Based on the interpretations of the approaches of several scientific schools, based on the material of the poem “(M)art”, the characteristic features of Gavrilov's poetics, synthesizing elements of playful postmodernism and existential lyrics, are comprehensively investigated. The methodological basis of the research combines elements of structural analysis (identification of lexical and syntactic features) and an intertextual approach (identification of allusions and reminiscences). Special attention is paid to parody strategies (the use of reduced vocabulary, neologisms, allusions to classical texts), existential motives (freedom, time, creative act), a specific synthesis of colloquial intonation and philosophical reflection. The results of the study demonstrate that Gavrilov's idiosyncrasy is characterized by a dialectic of playful and serious principles, intertextual saturation, semantic polyphony, and a special type of lyrical subject. These artistic techniques allow the writer to show his linguistic freedom, to manipulate the norms of language to create an aesthetic and expressive effect. The analysis contributes to the study of the poetics of modern writers, the transformations of postmodern text in Russian literature, and the specifics of modern idiosyncrasy. The scientific novelty of the work consists in introducing the texts of a modern Ugra author into scientific circulation, identifying the features of the regional idiosyncrasy and influences, and determining the place of Viktor Gavrilov's work in the modern literary process. The article reflects a holistic approach to the study of regional text, which corresponds to modern trends in the study of individual works in the general Russian literary process.
Advertisements serve as pivotal cultural tools that shape consumer perceptions, influence purchasing behavior and construct social meanings. In the context of beauty and cosmetics, their persuasive force is particularly directed toward women, often reinforcing the long-standing association between fair skin and desirability. This study examines the semiotic strategies employed in fairness cream advertisements to demonstrate how they commodify the female body and reproduce normative beauty standards among Indian women. Drawing on multimodal semiotic theories from Structuralist Model of Signification of Saussure, Barthes (1972) and Kress and van Leeuwen (2006) the analysis explores how signs, symbols, color schemes, narrative structures and ideological mythologies collectively sustain the notion that fairness signifies beauty, confidence, success and social approval. The study focuses on both lexical and visual semiotics, analyzing linguistic choices, metaphors, presuppositions and transformation narratives that implicitly encode colorist ideologies. Complemented by feminist theory and postcolonial perspectives, the analysis further interrogates the gendered pressures, patriarchal expectations and colonial residues embedded within fairness discourse. Findings reveal that fairness cream advertisements systematically normalize colorism by idealizing lighter skin tones while marginalizing darker complexions. These representational patterns shape self-perceptions of women, contributing to internalized bias, diminished self-esteem, and aspirational conformity to Eurocentric beauty norms. The study highlights the urgent need for inclusive media practices that challenge discriminatory beauty narratives and support diverse representations. By examining the intersections of semiotics, gender and postcolonial identity, this research contributes to broader discussions on beauty, power and inequality in contemporary Indian society.
CHILDES is a widely used resource of transcribed child and child-directed speech. This paper introduces UD-English-CHILDES, the first officially released Universal Dependencies (UD) treebank. It is derived from previously dependency-annotated CHILDES data, which we harmonize to follow unified annotation principles. The gold-standard trees encompass utterances sampled from 11 children and their caregivers, totaling over 48K sentences (236K tokens). We validate these gold-standard annotations under the UD v2 framework and provide an additional 1M~silver-standard sentences, offering a consistent resource for computational and linguistic research.
Turkish students studying at the “Goce Delcev” University in Stip, through the Institute of Languages, study the Macedonian language in three levels: A1, A2 and B1. After mastering the A1 level, Turkish students must also master the A2 level to be able to study in our country. Facilitating the study of this level is the knowledge of basic level and the acquisition of the basic lexical and grammatical norms related to the language. During this process, students become familiar with important tourist destinations in Macedonia, typical Macedonian specialties, a group of words and expressions related to physical activities. Additionally, they create dialogues for searching for and renting an apartment and draw parallels between the education systems in Macedonia and Turkey.
This study investigates the process of vernacularization in the Gorontalo language translation of the Qur’an published by the Gorontalo Regional Government. Situated within the broader academic debate on postcolonial and decolonial Islamic hermeneutics, the research addresses how local languages and cultural frameworks participate in shaping religious meaning and resisting Arab-centric epistemic authority. Employing a qualitative methodology with a library research approach, the study utilizes descriptive analysis to examine textual elements in the translation. The findings reveal three major categories of local cultural integration: (1) lexical absorption—Arabic-derived terms adapted into Gorontalo, such as na'ale, aba/baaba, helidu, and sap; (2) linguistic politeness—refined expressions like waatia, yo'i, ti, and te that reflect local norms of respect; and (3) cultural expressions—idioms and metaphors such as Tabia, Ta ilahula, and Dulahu momooli, which encode Gorontalo cosmology and spiritual values. Theoretically, this research contributes to the discourse on vernacular Qur’anic interpretation by demonstrating that translation is a culturally embedded and ideologically charged act. It affirms the significance of local hermeneutics in constructing religious knowledge and challenges epistemic centralization by legitimizing vernacular voices within Islamic interpretive traditions.
Aim: To conduct a physiological psychology study in settings that resemble everyday situations, we developed audiovisual stimuli designed to elicit positive or negative emotions. Method: Fifty-two university students (26 males, mean age 20.5 years) participated in the study. Participants rated the valence and arousal of positive, negative, and neutral words spoken by avatars of the opposite sex on a 7 -point scale. Results: The positive and negative stimuli elicited higher arousal levels compared to the neutral stimuli, with no significant difference in arousal between them. The positive stimuli induced pleasant emotion, while the negative stimuli induced unpleasant emotion. The valence ratings did not overlap among the stimuli. Conclusion: These stimuli are capable of manipulating the emotional valence of the positive and negative audiovisual stimuli while maintaining a constant level of arousal. Utilizing audiovisual stimuli that combine an avatar’s facial expressions with corresponding words would enable psychological experiments with high ecological validity.
German textbooks typically emphasize grammatical and lexical aspects while paying less attention to pragmatic elements, especially politeness strategies that reflect native speakers’ cultural values. The study examined polite expression forms, functions, and the cultural value of German textbooks and analyzed their relevance to the development of intercultural competence. We used a qualitative research design based on the German textbook Netzwerk A1, A2, and B1, authored by Dengler et al. (2020) and published by Ernst Klett Sprachen GmbH as a data source. Data were collected through reading and recording techniques, then analyzed using pragmatic matching and distributional methods. The validity was checked through observation, triangulation, and peer review. The analysis revealed five main categories of politeness forms: (1) grammatical and lexical forms, (2) standard expressions of politeness, (3) modal particles, (4) formal pronouns Sie 'your', and (5) indirect questions. These forms consistently showed German cultural values such as social hierarchy, formality, and politeness norms. Given the results, we suggest that German textbooks should include more sociopragmatic elements to help students develop better cross-cultural communication skills.
Regardless of the power of any language, its societal value is measured by the level of its practical usage. Clarity and precision of speech are directly linked to the effective use of language. To use words in the correct context, it is necessary to determine their lexical meaning. A word represents a concept in a language and serves various functions. It is known that the use of words in functional styles is a concern of a linguistic branch known as stylistics. From a theoretical standpoint, stylistics contributes to a deeper understanding of our literary language, its stylistic system, and the study of stylistic norms in literary language. For any poet, words and phraseological units are not only expressions of thoughts and conveyance of desires, but they can also embody a way of life. Each word or phrase reveals a specific aesthetic idea and, through its content, points to new artistic horizons. By comparing phrases with words, one can analyze the functional, stylistic, and lexico-semantic aspects of phrases, revealing their true purpose and serving as the basis for comprehensive analysis. Writers, poets, linguistic scholars have long appreciated the richness and universality of phraseology in our language. Phrasemes enrich and color speech, making it vivid, emotional, and expressive, while succinctly conveying complex ideas and subtle nuances. The dictionary "700 Phraseological units in the Russian language" asserts that "…a language without phraseological units is like distilled water compared to spring water…". In speech, phrases enrich and shape meaning, making it more precise, emotional, and substantive. Phraseological units succinctly express ideas and provide a high degree of emotional expressiveness. The classical poet of Karakalpak literature, TileubergenJumamuratov, skillfully uses phraseological units in his works to create vivid and appropriate expressions, enriching his language with unique and emotionally rich turns of speech. Observations and research demonstrate that the poet masterfully used certain phraseological units in his verses. These phraseological units served habitual and occasional functions and were used to enhance the lyrical and everyday aspects of the poet's creativity. The specific use of phraseological units in T. Jumamuratov's poetry serves to emphasize specific themes or to convey emotional or neutral assessments. The article discusses the role of phraseological units in enriching and improving language, with an emphasis on their semantic content. In this context, significant information is presented about the stylistic use of phraseological units in the poetry of TileubergenJumamuratov, an outstanding figure in Karakalpak literature and a national poet of Karakalpakstan and Uzbekistan.
Assessing similarity between objects is a fundamental cognitive process, and similarity judgments can assess many different attributes, including objective properties (color, shape) or subjective appraisals (preference, scariness). Here, we investigated how psychological similarity across eight different properties relates to neural representational geometries and artificial models. We first collected large-scale pairwise similarity ratings for 280 objects. Using representational similarity analysis (RSA) and multidimensional scaling, we identified three mental representational spaces: one defined by multiple object features and general similarity, a second by affective evaluations, and a third by color. Combining fMRI and RSA in 80 participants, we found that object feature ratings significantly correlated with representational structures in visual and prefrontal cortices. Unexpectedly, affective ratings also correlated with patterns in visual cortices. Crucially, regional variability strongly shaped these correspondences: visual cortices exhibited high noise ceilings and consistent alignment with behavior, whereas associative regions showed greater across-subjects variability and weaker correlations. Finally, algorithms and neural networks with high classification performance on specific properties strongly correlated with behavioral and fMRI RSA matrices. Together, these results demonstrate that similarity is a multidimensional construct that comprises multiple representational spaces whose neural correspondence is shaped by representational content, regional variability, and modeling methodology.
This paper serves a dual purpose. First, it shows how independent open data projects in multiple countries and increasingly sophisticated automated systems have already provided the components, including translation alignment, linguistic analysis using treebanks, open data of names of people, places and groups, textual notes, and links to passages in other primary sources and images, that can be combined into a first approximation for a truly born-digital smart edition of the Library of Apollodorus. Second, it highlights a subset of the larger network of open scholarship that has emerged and that will, hopefully, grow over time. In view of the said purposes, this paper explores the possibility of a born-digital smart edition of Apollodorusʼ Library. First, the requirements are described for such an edition and it is shown how they are motivated. Second, already existing components are discussed and evaluated against the background of the requirements. Third, in a concluding section the results are summarized.
This study investigates the application of Jean-René Ladmiral’s theory in analyzing Seyyed Mostafa Tabatabai’s Persian translation of Al-Ajnḥaʾ al-Mutakassira (Broken Wings) by Khalil Gibran. The original work, written in a poetic style, explores themes such as unfulfilled love, freedom, and the tension between love and social conventions. Tabatabai’s translation, through preserving the poetic tone and carefully selecting vocabulary, successfully conveys the complex meanings of the original text. Ladmiral’s theory, which emphasizes reconstructing meaning and adopting a target-oriented approach, provides an effective framework for evaluating translation quality. The findings indicate that the translator’s lexical choices and syntactic structures effectively transfer the semantic intentions of Gibran’s text.IntroductionThroughout history, translation has attracted the attention of both specialists and the general public, serving as one of the fundamental tools of human communication. In translating from Arabic to Persian, both the source language (Arabic) and the target language (Persian) play crucial roles. Merely understanding the general meaning of the source text is not sufficient; the translator must also grasp precise concepts, implicit meanings, and emotional nuances, as well as the subtleties of the author’s style.Mastery of the target language is often even more critical than full knowledge of the source language, because translation involves two primary skills: comprehension and expression. Comprehension requires thorough familiarity with the source language and the ability to extract multiple layers of meaning, while expression entails rewriting this meaning according to the linguistic and cultural norms of the target language. Familiarity with the subject matter of the original text further contributes to producing an accurate and fluent translation.In descriptive texts, language functions as a tool for evoking emotions, scenes, or specific events. Their purpose is to stir particular feelings in the reader. Literary works are the most prominent examples of descriptive texts, distinguished from informational texts by their stylistic organization and expressive function. In this regard, Ladmiral’s theory emphasizes the importance of conveying meaning at all costs.Jean-René Ladmiral, in his book Traduire: Théorèmes pour la traduction and related works, presents key principles of translation, including translation choice, compensation, minimal distortion, heterogeneity, addition, interpretation, readability, idiomaticity, and adequacy. His aim is to operationalize translation theory by developing a coherent methodological system encompassing these components. This approach allows translators to bridge linguistic and cultural gaps between source and target texts through flexible strategies, highlighting the inseparable connection between theory and practice.This theoretical framework is particularly relevant to descriptive texts that aim to evoke emotions and create strong emotional resonance. In the case of Broken Wings, Seyyed Mostafa Tabatabai strives to preserve Gibran’s poetic and critical tone while conveying themes of social inequality, unfulfilled love, and resistance to convention to Persian-speaking audiences.This study applies Ladmiral’s framework to Tabatabai’s Persian translation of Broken Wings and seeks to address the following questions:To what extent has the translator succeeded in recreating the poetic and social atmosphere of Khalil Gibran’s work?How has the translator, through syntactic adjustments and careful vocabulary choices, conveyed Gibran’s central message fluently and unambiguously in Persian? Literature ReviewAlthough numerous studies have addressed the application of translation theories to Arabic–Persian texts, few have focused specifically on Ladmiral’s model. A selection of relevant research includes the following:Delshad, Masbough, and Abdi (2016): Reexamining Abdol Latif Tasouji’s Translation of the Foundational Story of One Thousand and One Nights Based on Jean-René Ladmiral’s Model. Their findings indicate that the translator produced a work that is both aesthetically effective and culturally appropriate in Persian.Sayadani and Asgharpour (2017): Evaluation of the Vocabulary Translation Process in Nahj al-Balagha Based on Jean-René Ladmiral’s Theory. Their study concludes that the translator alternated between source-oriented and target-oriented approaches, balancing fidelity to vocabulary with the need to convey meaning. In some cases, interpretive strategies ensured clarity and removed ambiguity.Compared to these works, the present study distinguishes itself by focusing specifically on Khalil Gibran’s Broken Wings and analyzing the Persian translation through the lens of Ladmiral’s components such as transposition, translator’s choice, omission, and addition. This research not only identifies the translator’s strengths but also highlights minor weaknesses in word choice and meaning transfer, offering suggestions for improvement.Research MethodologyThis study employs a descriptive–analytical method grounded in Jean-René Ladmiral’s theoretical framework. Data were collected from two primary sources:Al-Ajnḥaʾ al-Mutakassira (compiled by Juliana Abdullah, research by Mikhail Masoud, first edition, 143 pages).The Persian translation in The Complete Works of Khalil Gibran (translated by Seyyed Mostafa Tabatabai, 256 pages).These texts were systematically compared using Ladmiral’s principles. Cultural and linguistic elements were extracted, and the translator’s strategies for equivalence, compensation, omission, and addition were analyzed to evaluate the accuracy and effectiveness of meaning transfer.ConclusionThe comparative analysis of Khalil Gibran’s Broken Wings and Seyyed Mostafa Tabatabai’s Persian translation yields several key findings.First, through careful lexical selection, syntactic adjustments, and strategic additions—such as reordering verbs, omitting redundant elements, and offering implicit interpretations—Tabatabai has successfully conveyed messages that resonate with Persian-speaking audiences. These strategies help preserve the poetic and social tone of Gibran’s text and foster a strong connection between the reader and the original.Second, by aligning sentence structures with Persian grammatical norms while maintaining semantic fidelity, the translator achieves a balance between accuracy and readability. This balance reduces distortion and ambiguity, facilitating smoother comprehension. In many cases, Tabatabai avoids literal translations by opting for more contextually appropriate equivalents, enhancing cohesion and fluency.Third, the selective omission of semantically light words and the addition of explanatory adjectives or clarifying details improve readability and help reconstruct the emotional impact of the original text. These strategies demonstrate the translator’s sensitivity to both linguistic nuance and reader reception.Overall, the study concludes that Tabatabai’s translation of Broken Wings, when assessed through Ladmiral’s model, adopts a target-oriented and audience-centered approach. The translation not only preserves the poetic and social atmosphere of Gibran’s work but also successfully adapts it to Persian literary and cultural norms, enabling readers to experience the richness and depth of the original text.
This dataset consists of a single screenshot capturing a conversational exchange in which a supervising large language model prematurely infers prohibited sexual intent from ambiguous language (“train”) and issues a precautionary refusal. The exchange precedes a locally executed experiment demonstrating that the same ambiguity can be handled without refusal via semantic sanitization. The figure documents an observer-side failure mode: intent overreach under lexical ambiguity, wherein precautionary safety behavior is triggered despite the absence of explicit content and prior to empirical verification. The screenshot is published as a standalone empirical artifact illustrating reflexive politeness bias and preemptive norm enforcement in AI-mediated supervision. No interpretive edits have been applied. The image itself constitutes the complete primary evidence. This record completes a three-artifact series examining ambiguity handling across local and supervising language models.
The production of Atticist lexica in the 2nd century CE aimed to reproduce an idealised form of Attic Greek by prescribing specific morphological, lexical, and syntactic usages. However, the effect these prescriptions had on actual language usage has not yet been consistently investigated. In this paper, I will define a method for analysing the impact of Atticist norms on usage by adapting a framework proposed by Thomas (1991). I will then apply this framework to the study of one example: the infinitival complementation of μέλλω. While Markopoulos (2009) has shown that the use of the aorist infinitive in the complementation of μέλλω is a feature of low register, I will focus primarily on the use of the future infinitive, which is retained in this construction in classicising texts as a marker of high, learned register. I will then explore whether Atticist lexica contributed to fossilising the distribution of these infinitive types in the construction of μέλλω across different registers.
This article examines the crucial role of authentic texts in fostering sociocultural competence within the framework of English for Specific Purposes (ESP). In an era marked by intensified globalization and intercultural collaboration, linguistic proficiency alone is insufficient for effective communication in professional and academic domains. Rather, success increasingly hinges on learners’ ability to navigate the cultural norms, communicative conventions, and implicit meanings embedded within real-world discourse. The paper posits that the intentional integration of authentic materials, including but not limited to professional reports, technical documentation, academic publications, corporate correspondence, audiovisual media, and industry-specific communications, provides an indispensable bridge between abstract linguistic instruction and the practical demands of professional communication. Drawing on established theories of communicative and sociocultural competence, the study delineates the core components of sociocultural awareness relevant to ESP learners: pragmatic adaptability, intercultural sensitivity, discourse conventions, and the ability to interpret context-dependent meanings. The pedagogical rationale for authentic text use is examined in depth, emphasizing how such materials promote contextualized language learning, expose students to discipline-specific register and genre, foster higher-order thinking skills, and stimulate learner autonomy and motivation. Building on this theoretical foundation, the article presents a set of practical strategies for selecting, adapting, and integrating authentic texts into ESP curricula, taking into account disciplinary variation, learner proficiency levels, and instructional goals. Special attention is given to scaffolding techniques, task-based learning models, and the use of digital tools to support accessibility and engagement. The discussion also addresses potential pedagogical and logistical challenges, such as lexical density, cultural opacity, and time constraints for both instructors and learners. In response, the article offers evidence-based solutions, including the use of graded materials, cross-cultural pre-task discussions, and collaborative learner-led exploration of industry-relevant sources. The practical contribution of this study lies in the implementation of two complementary dimensions, Learner-Generated Materials for Social Impact and Learner-Generated Materials for Professional Simulation, as a means of fostering sociocultural competence through authentic materials in ESP instruction. The first dimension engages students in interdisciplinary projects rooted in Ukraine’s current socio-political context and the UN Sustainable Development Goals, resulting in podcasts, posters, brochures, or infographics created using digital tools such as Padlet and Canva. The second dimension focuses on students’ professional growth, involving the production of authentic documents such as CVs, cover letters, lesson plans, and annotated translations that reflect real-world professional scenarios. These two strands combine authentic genre-based input with task-based, collaborative output, cultivating functional language skills, intercultural reflection, and students’ emerging professional identities. Ultimately, the article argues that a holistic and strategic approach to incorporating authentic materials is not a supplementary enhancement but a foundational necessity in ESP instruction. Such an approach ensures that learners are not only equipped with the linguistic skills required for professional communication but are also prepared to operate with intercultural competence, critical awareness, and communicative agility in diverse and dynamic global environments. By anchoring language learning in authentic, culturally rich discourse, ESP educators can better prepare learners to meet the evolving demands of their professional fields with both fluency and appropriateness.
This dataset contains the data associated with the article "What Data Science Taught Me About a 2,000-Year-Old Emperor's Diary" published on Medium. The deposit includes Python scripts and processed data files designed to extract and analyze the vocabulary of Marcus Aurelius’s Meditations. By integrating the LAGT (Latin and Ancient Greek Treebank) corpus with the LSJ (Liddell-Scott-Jones) Greek-English Lexicon, the pipeline calculates lexical variety metrics (such as Hapax Legomena percentages) and tabulates word frequencies across the traditional Stoic tripartite division of Physics, Ethics, and Logic. Included files:- Processing scripts (.py) for data extraction, filtering, and analysis.- Requirement files for environment setup.- README.txt with execution instructions. This resource is intended to support the transparency of the article's findings and provide a framework for further computational linguistic study of Stoic texts.
This dataset includes the 15 TALE items, positive and negative valence ratings, as well as experimental condition (1=success, 2=failure, 3=control)
In China English in World Englishes: Education and Use in the Professional World, Deyuan He undertakes a timely and comprehensive examination of China English within the broader framework of World Englishes (WE). Drawing on a robust blend of empirical research, theoretical argumentation and pedagogical insight, the book makes a compelling case for rethinking the monolithic dominance of native-speaker norms in English language teaching (ELT) in China. He’s work stands at the intersection of sociolinguistics, applied linguistics and language education policy, offering a valuable contribution to ongoing discussions around language ownership, identity and post-normative models of English.The first chapters of the book effectively set the stage by mapping the intellectual terrain of WE and situating China English within it. He revisits the now canonical Kachruvian model of inner, outer and expanding circles, emphasizing the legitimacy of localized Englishes developed by non-native speakers. Importantly, He argues that the expansion of English in China is no longer just a process of linguistic borrowing but one of indigenization. He defines “China English” as a performance variety grounded in standard English but infused with Chinese phonological, lexical, syntactic and discourse-pragmatic features. While acknowledging that China English is still in a developmental phase, He insists on its sociolinguistic legitimacy and pedagogical relevance.In this framing, He takes a decisive stance against the lingering “deficit view” of non-native English varieties (Quirk, 1990), aligning instead with the more inclusive and pluricentric view advocated by Kachru (1991), Jenkins (2015) and Kirkpatrick (2007). This normative positioning is both political and pedagogical, as it reflects an effort to decolonize English teaching by affirming linguistic pluralism and fostering learners’ sense of ownership over the language.What sets this monograph apart is its rich empirical base. He employs a triangulated research design involving questionnaire surveys, in-depth interviews, and the matched-guise technique – a combination that ensures both breadth and depth of insight. Chapter 3, in particular, offers extensive data drawn from students, teachers, and professionals across China to explore perceptions of China English, preferences for pedagogical models and attitudes toward native versus local English teachers (LETs).Among the most significant findings is that standardized native varieties (British and American English) continue to dominate student and teacher preferences as the “ideal” pedagogical models. However, a notable openness toward China English and WE exists, especially when respondents are exposed to the ideological and communicative rationale behind such models. This suggests an important pedagogical opportunity: increasing awareness of linguistic diversity could shift learner attitudes and potentially improve learning outcomes.In an especially nuanced analysis, He also examines preferences for teacher identity in ELT settings. The common presumption that native-speaker teachers are inherently superior is challenged by the finding that many students – especially those in lower-tier institutions – find LETs more comprehensible and pedagogically effective than native English-speaking teachers (NETs). This insight has profound implications for language education policy, particularly in terms of hiring practices and teacher training.Moving beyond the classroom, Chapter 4 explores how English is used in the Chinese professional world, adding another empirical and theoretical layer to the discussion. Using survey data from over 2,000 professionals across various industries, He analyzes the frequency, context, and perceived importance of English in the workplace. Interestingly, the use of English is shown to be sector-specific – more prevalent in foreign-owned and joint-venture companies and in industries like finance and technology.He also finds a strong correlation between self-rated English proficiency and professional advancement, reinforcing the instrumental value of English in contemporary China. Importantly, the study reveals that while English use is increasing in frequency, it is also shifting away from native-centric standards toward more localized, intelligibility-focused forms – a phenomenon congruent with the principles of English as a Lingua Franca (ELF).These insights allow He to make a well-substantiated argument for aligning university English education more closely with the communicative demands of the professional world. English should not be taught merely as an academic subject focused on grammar and examination success, he argues, but as a functional tool of global and intercultural communication.In his concluding chapter, He outlines the theoretical and practical implications of his findings with clarity and conviction. First, he calls for a more pluralistic ELT curriculum that integrates WE and China English alongside native varieties. This includes the inclusion of explicit instruction on the sociolinguistic realities of English use, thereby raising students’ critical language awareness.Second, he advocates for the codification and promotion of China English as a legitimate pedagogical model. This, he contends, would not only enhance learners’ integrative motivation but also affirm their linguistic identity in the face of prevailing linguistic imperialism.Third, He proposes a more pragmatic and context-sensitive approach to teacher recruitment and training. Instead of privileging native speakers, the focus should be on communicative competence, pedagogical effectiveness, and intercultural awareness – qualities that LETs often possess in abundance.These suggestions are both well-argued and feasible, especially in light of current global trends toward linguistic decolonization and localized pedagogical adaptation. However, He is careful not to advocate for a wholesale rejection of native varieties. Rather, his vision is one of inclusion and hybridity – where multiple models can coexist and complement one another.Despite its many strengths, the book is not without limitations. While the triangulated methodology is commendable, the reliance on self-reported data in surveys may introduce a degree of social desirability bias. Moreover, the sample is heavily drawn from university students and professionals in urban centers, raising questions about the generalizability of the findings to rural or less privileged populations.Additionally, the notion of China English as a performance variety “in development” is both its strength and its vulnerability. The lack of a fully codified grammar or dictionary of China English might limit its immediate applicability in formal pedagogical contexts. Nevertheless, He acknowledges this challenge and treats it not as a barrier but as an invitation for further research and linguistic codification.Finally, while the book offers robust theoretical framing, it could have benefitted from deeper engagement with post-colonial theory or critical pedagogy literature (e.g., Pennycook, 1998; Canagarajah, 1999), which would have further strengthened its decolonial thrust. China English in World Englishes is a timely and rigorous work that fills a crucial gap in the study of English language education and use in China. Through a deft combination of theory, data and pedagogical reflection, Deyuan He not only challenges the monolingual bias of conventional ELT paradigms but also charts a viable path for embracing linguistic diversity in China’s classrooms and boardrooms alike.The book’s greatest contribution lies in its ability to bridge the divide between academic theorizing and practical application. It is essential reading for scholars in WE, language policy and applied linguistics, as well as for educators, curriculum designers and policymakers who are grappling with the realities of teaching English in a multilingual world.In a global linguistic order still dominated by native-speaker norms, this book is a bold call for pedagogical justice and linguistic inclusion. It reminds us that English, like any global language, is no longer owned by a select few – it is shaped, spoken and transformed by the many.
This article examines the stylistic features of modern Uzbek translations of William Shakespeare’s works, focusing on the ways translators preserve and adapt the playwright’s artistic language. Special attention is given to lexical choices, syntactic structures, figurative expressions, and cultural adaptation in contemporary Uzbek renditions of Shakespearean drama and poetry. The study analyzes how translators balance fidelity to the original text with the norms and expressive possibilities of the Uzbek language. By comparing selected passages from the source texts and their modern Uzbek translations, the research identifies dominant stylistic strategies such as domestication, poetic transformation, and semantic equivalence. The article also highlights the challenges posed by Shakespeare’s archaic language, metaphorical density, and rhetorical devices, and evaluates how these elements are reinterpreted for modern Uzbek readers. The findings demonstrate that modern translations tend to prioritize readability and cultural accessibility while striving to maintain Shakespeare’s aesthetic and emotional impact. The study contributes to translation studies by offering insights into cross-cultural literary translation and the development of Uzbek Shakespearean scholarship.
Unlike traditional macro-power theories, Foucault's micro-power theory reveals the complex inter-constructive relationship between linguistic norms and social power structures. His assertion that "discourse is power" provides a crucial perspective for analyzing the mechanisms of power operation within linguistic practices[3]. This study employs Foucault's power theory as its analytical framework. Through an in-depth interpretation of the movie My Fair Lady, it uncovers the inherent paradox between linguistic norms and subject empowerment, thereby transcending conventional boundaries in film analysis. This approach not only offers a novel theoretical pathway for interpreting My Fair Lady but also deepens the practical significance of Foucault's power theory within cultural criticism, exposing the concealed power dynamics within linguistic practices and their dialectical shaping of subject freedom.
In the word order in the Russian literary language of the 18th century, according to many researchers, there had been no strictly fixed norm yet, however the grammarians of the period between the 18th and 19th centuries made attempts in their teachings to explain the order of this or that part of speech. A special role in consolidating the norms of word arrangement was played not only by grammars and treatises on the art of eloquence, which contained chapters on the order of words and parts of the period, but also by the works of writers of the Peter the Great era and the subsequent stage. The article describes the results of the analysis of the word order of 600 attributive phrases that are found in the panegyric text of Feofan Prokopovich The Word in Praise of the Blessed and Ever-Worthy Memory of Peter the Great, Emperor and Autocrat of All the Russia... (1725). The article also describes the stylistic functioning of definitions involved in the creation of tropes and figures of speech. The predominant position in attributive constructions in the panegyric of Feofan Prokopovich as a whole is the preposition of the definition: the prepositive attribute is used in at least half of the cases in the structure of binomial phrases built according to the “agreed definition + definable” model. The predominant position in attributive constructions in the panegyric of Feofan Prokopovich is the preposition, but the prepositive attribute is used in at least half of the cases in two-word collocations. In the panegyric of F. Prokopovich attributes are widely used as homogeneous members, lexical and syntactic repetition is observed, which promotes amplification and alternation of prepositive and postpositive attribute; the panegyrics use distant attributive collocations, while a parallel arrangement of attributes emphasizes the opposition of the expressed attributes or objects. Attributive constructions in the 18th-century panegyrics are a stylistic means of increasing the expressiveness and creating a solemn pathos. A series of metaphorical epithets, repetition, parallelism, amplification, gradation, antithesis, other tropes and figures of speech are important research material that demonstrates the correlation between those presented in treatises on the theory of eloquence and the rhetorical practice of the era of the formation of new norms in the Russian literary language of the post-Petrine period.
This paper presents a new Universal Dependencies (UD) treebank based on Ukrainian parliamentary transcripts, complementing the existing UD resources for Ukrainian.The corpus includes manually annotated texts from key historical sessions of the Verkhovna Rada, capturing not only official rhetoric but also features of colloquial spoken language.The annotation combines UDPipe2 and TagText parsers, with subsequent manual correction to ensure syntactic and morphological accuracy.A detailed comparison of tagsets and the disambiguation strategy employed by TagText is provided.To demonstrate the applicability of the resource, the study examines vocative and nominative case variation in direct address using a largescale UD-annotated corpus of parliamentary texts.
The article discusses the reasons for the development of language and the trends in language changes that are characteristic of the modern world. Within the context of global social development, the discursive topic of feminizing professional activity is reflected, which is one of the main interests of this publication. The aim of the research is to determine the key driving forces influencing the process of language change, as well as to study feminized nouns as part of the lexicon that is only partially accepted by society today, while changes occurring in the world bring about a demand for incorporating more female professional terms into the language. The article formulates the main linguistic and communication trends characteristic of our time: the desire for brevity and information content, changing priorities in communication, altered expression of emotions, etc. Negative and positive aspects of the functioning of feminatives are considered, taking into account the identified realities. The relevance of the topic discussed in the article is beyond doubt, as the issue of feminized nouns remains one of the most discussed in linguistics. The results of the study lead to conclusions about the position of feminized nouns in modern linguistic reality, in particular, that the emergence of female professional terms is a natural consequence of the changes occurring in studied languages. Feminized nouns become a sought-after part of the language, fulfill important functions, respond to societal demands, and reflect the modern reality. Some of them have a long history, while others are in the stage of formation. For example, they exist in colloquial language in the form of stems with various feminizing suffixes. Discussions on the legitimacy of a particular colloquial form of feminative cannot be suppressed by imposing norms from competent organizations, as the formation, trajectory, and demand for these lexical units can vary significantly in different linguistic systems. The theoretical and practical significance of this work is determined by the growing interest in gender studies in language in recent times, where it can be beneficial to anyone interested in this article.