Liguistic picture of the World. The sphere of the concept in the Lingua-Cultural Studies

1.

LECTURE 5
LIGUISTIC PICTURE OF THE WORLD
The sphere of the concept
in the Lingua-Cultural Studies

2.

A “Linguistic picture of the world” common for a specific language
community as a way for conceptualization of the surrounding world of human
activities reveals itself in pragmatics, i.e. in the use of language by a language
user

3.

Linguistic Picture/View of the World
• phenomena culturally important for a given group will be reflected
and retained in the group’s language (Bartmiński 2006).
• a “certain set of beliefs more or less fixed in the language, contained
the of words or implied by these meanings, which states the traits and
moods of existence of objects from the non-linguistic world”
(Anusiewicz et al. 2000).

4.

Give your understanding of a Linguistic Picture of the World. What is the
difference between a Conceptual and Linguistic Picture of the World?
Language picture of the world, originating as a metaphor, is now one of the basic concepts of
linguistics. Language picture of the world is the way of worldview people through the prism
language. Man perceives the world and himself with their language, which reflects the whole
socio-historical experience. This experience applies not only national and universal, and the
national experience, which brings specific features in each separate language. Through their
own language, media adopt a specific linguistic picture of the world, which generates a
person a certain attitude to the world around him. Also language picture of the world sets
human standards of behavior which define man's relation to the world and an integral system
of views of native speakers.

5.

As human knowledge of the world is
not free of mistakes and errors, its
conceptual view of the world changes
over time
- The conceptual picture of the world is
broader and richer than the linguistic
one.
- The conceptual one-according to the
laws of the physical world.
- The constants of consciousness are
the units of the conceptual picture of
the world
- The conceptual picture of the world
contains information presented in
concepts
Whereas linguistic picture of the world,
according to V.A. Maslova, bears traces
of mistakes and error for a long time.
- The linguistic picture of the world is
organized according to the laws of
language.
- The semantic field is the defining
element of the linguistic picture of the
world
-The linguistic picture of the world is
based on knowledge fixed in semantic
categories and semantic fields.

6.

Thus, we can say that language not only conveys information, it saves, but
creates an internal organization that is subject to transfer. Faced with the
linguistic picture of the world of foreign language, we are thus confronted with
its culture, national mentality, specific way of thinking of native speakers. So
the question arises, which bears primary: language picture of the world and
national mentality and character of the speakers of the language picture of the
world?
Cultural and community traditions, historical events, external
conditions of existence (geography, climate, natural) community and originated
form the basis of the national character and mentality. In the future, these
specific features of the nation and national mentality get in their national
language in their linguistic picture of the world, secured and fixing there forever.

7.

All of these habitats can vary, but the national character as embodied in the language world
picture of the nation, will continue to be passed from one generation to the next, presenting
new generations of already established and formed mental specifics of world perception.
When the child masters its language, he perceives the world around him on the language level,
thereby mastering the language picture of the world inherent in directly only to speakers of
his language.
What factors create a national picture of the world?
• What language best fits your language personality
• Does bilingualism and multilingualism trigger a changed personality?
• Do you think that English is on the way to being the global language?

8.

O. A. Kornilov states that "the national language picture of the world is the
result of the reflection of the collective consciousness of the ethnos of the
external world in the process of its historical development, including the
knowledge of this world. The external world and consciousness are two factors
that give rise to the language picture of the world of any national language».
The environment and consciousness are two factors that generate a linguistic
picture of the world of any national language.
The objective world is different for each ethnic group. It gets its own verbal
embodiment, unique for each nation.
The greatest attention to the formation of national mentality is given
by natural conditions.

9.

Bicultural people may unconsciously change their personality when they
switch languages, according to a US study on bilingual Hispanic women.
It found that women who were actively involved in both English and Spanish
speaking cultures interpreted the same events differently, depending on which
language they were using at the time.
It is known that people in general can switch between different ways of
interpreting events and feelings – a phenomenon known as frame shifting. But
the researchers say their work shows that bilingual people that are active in two
different cultures do it more readily, and that language is the trigger
(to cause someone to do or say something, to make something happen = spark)

10.

2. How does language influence our perception of the world? How do new languages emerge?
How do children learn to use language appropriately?
Evidence of the language impact on human thinking is the language of space. In English, we
have the expressions of “left” and “right” to describe the orientation of the world around us.
However, in some languages, geographical directions are used. During a research expedition
to Australia, Professor Lera Boroditsky hit upon the tribe Pormpuraawans. Their language
does not refer to objects as right or left, but more as the “north-east” and “south-western”.
Boroditsky noticed, that these people, thanks to that kind of language training, have a high
sense of orientation and instinctively know where to go without getting lost even in a totally
unfamiliar place.

11.

What is the role of lexis and grammar in forming of the language
personality?
It is obvious that the main cultural load is carried by the lexis: words and phrases. They
form the language picture of the world, which determines the perception of the world by
native speakers of this language. Especially clearly and vividly this aspect is represented by
stable expressions, phraseological units, idioms, proverbs, sayings — that is, the layer
of language in which the folk wisdom or, rather, the results of the cultural experience of
the people are directly concentrated.
The number and quality of idioms that reflect a positive or negative assessment of
certain human qualities can be considered an indicator of ethical norms, rules of social life
and behavior in society, the relationship of a nation through its culture and language to the
world, other peoples and cultures.

12.

Сulture forms an individual collective cognitive picture of the world,
the basic element of which is a concept.
The study of language concepts gives a complete picture of the mentality of a particular
ethnic group, the main forms of its socio-cultural existence, which were formed in the
course of its historical existence.
To a large extent, the concept can be considered not only a linguocultural, but also a mental
unit that reflects idealotypic social representations, guidelines of mass consciousness, and the
value system of a particular ethnic group. With the help of the concept, they acquire
linguistic expression and are further determined by the synthesis of cognitive and behavioral
attitudes that reflect the social existence of both an individual, a representative of a
particular ethnic group, and entire groups and communities that exist within it.

13.

The concept itself contains important information not only about the structure of the language
and the main language forms, but also about the culture of the people, the nature and
specifics of its historical development, and the mental characteristics of consciousness.
A concept is a unit of mentality; it synthesizes knowledge about a particular object and
expresses this knowledge with the help of palemiological, phraseological, lexical means of
language culture.
In the Humanities, there are many definitions of the concept of "concept". The concept can
be defined as a culture cell in the individual's mentality, the foundation of the linguistic
picture of the world, the main semantic unit of this socio-cultural reality.
Indeed, the study of key concepts in the corresponding world pictures allows us to shed
light on a number of problems related to the mentality and culture of different peoples.
From this point of view, concepts that are specific to a particular language model of the
world are of particular interest. For example, for the American model of the world, one
of the key concepts is “freedom", the significance of which is determined by the special
nature of the world perception of this people.

14.

The concept of good apart from God is an illusion. God is the absolute
concept of good . People can not categorize God's deeds into "good" and "bad'‘
but unambiguously (clear, and with only one possible meaning)
what God does is good.
Thus God is the initial and absolute concept of good. The good is light,
love, life, heaven and positivness.
``Good" might represent a hope that natural love can be continuous,
expansive, and all inclusive. "Good" produces the best consequences upon
the people lives, and their states of well being.

15.

Dichotomy [daikatэmi] – a difference between two opposite things or ideas
Axiological – a statement that is generally believed to be obvious or true

16.

THE CONCEPT of “GOOD’’
the basic
concepts of any
culture
great axiological
(philosophical
study) value
associated with life,
continuity, happiness,
prosperity and truth
the right quality and moral
excellence (Britannica 2008)
GOOD
may represent
judgments, norms,
claims of absolute value
related to human nature
or to various standards
dichotomy of
good and evil are
inseparable
Three main components
of "good" conceptual,
significant and
figurative.

17.

18.

1. Independence. The American is trained to
see himself as a person capable of taking
responsibility for his life. At the same time,
Americans believe that people around the
world perceive themselves the same way.
- The ideal of Americans is a free man, to
whom no one can dictate what to do.
For the American consciousness, the concept
of Privacy is extremely important - it is
independence, inviolability of the inner
world, a certain distance from another
individual as a desirable state of personality.
Among the words-realities that reflect the
features of the natural geographical
environment of Great Britain, expressing its
national identity, we can note heath, dale
(valley), fen (wet flat land) country, loch
(Scottish a lake, sea surrounded by land),
etc.
- Sometimes the names of widely distributed
animals and plants in a given territory are
perceived with a number of stereotypical
associations, fixed in the background
knowledge of the people-the bearer of
linguistic culture and become namessymbols: Rose, Lion, Unicorn- emblems of
England.
Unicorn – an imaginary creature like a horse with a
single long horn on its head

19.

2. Individualism. American society is
individualistic by nature. The interests of
the individual prevail over the interests of
the collective, the friendly circle, and even
the family.
American individualism manifests itself in
the use of personal pronouns; Americans
say "my family", "my College", " my
country".
3.Diligence (the attitude or behavior who
works very hard, very carefully) and
integrity. An important value for
American society is activity. A person
should be noticeable for his intense
activity, it is she who will lead him to
success.
- National egocentrism. For the British
characteristically closed on their own
interests. They are not interested in other
countries or regions.
The British person sees his country as the
center of the Earth and sincerely believes
that all residents of other countries dream
of moving to them, they are very strict
with people and require them to perfect
British English using their national
concepts