Metapragmatics and genre: Connecting the strands

Genre analysis involves at least a foray into the social/contextual dimension framing genre-exemplars. One way to explore this dimension is drawing on the concept of metapragmatics, which is primarily associated with (American) linguistic anthropology. However, with a few exceptions, genre studies have not consistently operationalized metapragmatics, either theoretically or practically. The purpose of this article is, therefore, to explore one possible angle of such operationalization by means of studying discourse fragments reflecting on fragments of (these very or other) discourses (so-called metapragmatic discourses) vis--vis any generic properties of the reflected discourse. Specifically, we analyzed comments sections for a number of YouTube videos exemplifying several lifestyle genres. The results indicate that generic references can range from simply using a generic label to refer to the discourse in question (as a token of a certain type/genre) to actually discussing the generic characteristics of the genre it instantiates, as well as projecting certain (generic) metapragmatic stances. Another observation is that different wordings used by the discourse community to refer to generic models can be, as it were, proper generic labels, but they can also be words and phrases that would hardly qualify as proper names of genres from an analysts point of view. Both these proper and other - genre-like - labels are also often used in conjunction with or are replaced by other ways of metapragmatically referring to what the speaker does or even what they are in/by dint of using the discourse in question. This suggests that any generic labels or cues are just part of a large pool of other possible metapragmatic meanings, knowledge, and ideologies circulating in discourse communities. More broadly, the results may indicate that genre studies should see genre as an even less stabilized entity because what a genre is depends on what people who actually use it make of it, as well as augment their standard toolkits with methods aimed at exploring metapragmatic discourse.

Modern tendencies of development of norms of Ukrainian language

The article contains an overview of new trends in Ukrainian literary and colloquial language development in historical retrospect and dynamics. In particular, changes in the lexical structure of language, new phenomena in word formation, morphology and syntax, innovative shifts in styles, etc., in the context of communicative strategies and tactics, rhetorical, stylistic, and linguistic norms and techniques adopted in various spheres of communication are considered. The article is aimed at forming ideas and gaining knowledge in the field of the theory of the modern Ukrainian language in those sections that are distinguished by the greatest significance of the theoretical approach (grammar, syntax), as well as skills and abilities in those parts that require an applied application (culture of oral and written communication, stylistics, rhetoric, genre studies, the principles of spelling). With the dominant idea of the pluralism of norms and an orientation towards their non-rigid codification, there is also an idea of the loosening of the norms of the literary language, of the grave and even dangerous condition experienced by the modern Ukrainian literary language.

System Modeling of Author’s Image in Texts of One Speech Genre

The question of the method of describing of Author’s Image in Texts in modern linguistics is discussed in the article. It is argued that this technique requires the development of principles focused on systems engineering. The authors of the article note that one of the problems of modern genre studies is that a large amount of research in this area in aggregate reflects various approaches to the description of the “image of the author” in texts of the genre. The novelty of the research is seen in the fact that for an objective description of the author’s image, the hypothesis of “Functional modeling of the author of the genre” is put forward: the model of the genre system in the epistemological description has a complex level structure. The authors of the article put forward their own development of the technology for describing the image of the author of the genre, defining this technology as effective and consistent with the principles of a systematic approach to genre phenomena. In order to solve the problem of the attributive aspect of describing a genre, that is, to determine its units, it seems productive to analyze the genre according to the so-called communicative-semiotic model. The article proposes ways of solving emerging problems concerning the principles of objectivist description of the author’s model of the genre.

Structural and pragmatic aspects of the speech genre “treating to a meal”

The article deals with the colloquial speech genre of “home” communication “treating to a meal”. The relevance of this research is determined by the general interest of modern linguistics to colloquial speech and genre studies. The research is based on the analysis of spoken discourse fragments recorded in natural conditions (most of the fragments were collected by the method of participant observation). The author makes the following conclusions about the genre “treating to a meal”: the genre is used during the meals while receiving guests (the addressor is a host, the addressee – a guest, or guests) and during the meal of people living together (the addresser is often the one who does the cooking, the addressee – other household members); the genre has some gender peculiarities; “treating to a meal” is partially an etiquette genre, since its super-goal is to maintain contact and it is prompted by the role of the host or hostess in the house and by the situation of “eating together”. The author also focuses on the use of syntactic constructions. The basis of the sentences used in this genre are event propositions of physical action in the form of a structural scheme N4Vf.

Genre mixing on WeChat: evidence from a movie review subscription account

Genre mixing and hybrid genre have been vital concepts in genre studies. With the increasing popularity of WeChat, a social media platform in China, a new type of hybrid genre comprised of media content and advertisements is emerging on WeChat subscription accounts. The present study collects 28 hybrid texts from a movie review subscription account in order to closely examine their communicative purposes and generic structure. It is found that instead of being fused into a monocentric entity, these hybrid texts are divided into movie review and advertisement parts, both functionally and structurally dichotomous. This expands and complements the existing understanding of concepts like hybrid genre and genre mixing. It also brings into focus the anti-monocentric nature of these concepts and questions the logocentric framework advocated in genre mixing studies.

Structure of Research Article Abstracts in Political Science: A Genre-Based Study

The research article (RA) abstract is the first section researchers read to determine its relevance to their interests. Researchers need to possess an implicit knowledge of the rhetorical move structure and organization of this section. Unlike most scientific disciplines, political science RA abstracts are unstructured, that is, with no headings (or moves), which makes it more challenging. To the best of our knowledge, the rhetorical move structure in high readership political science RA abstracts has not been researched. This study investigated (a) the rhetorical move structure in 120 political science RA abstracts from six high-impact journals, (b) the most common move patterns, and (c) the move(s) occupying most textual space. The findings indicated the lack of obligatory moves. A move structure model for writing a political science RA abstract is proposed, comprising four conventional moves (Introduction [I]–Purpose [P]–Methods [M]–Results [R]) and two optional step/move, namely, Research Gap step and Discussion [D] move. The results also showed that the first most frequent move pattern is I-P-M-R-D, followed by I-P-M-R and the I-P-R-D. The fact that an RA abstract summarizes the whole RA results in move embedding, particularly in the four moves, I-P-M-R. The findings revealed the importance of the Results move as it occupied nearly one third of text space. The results may contribute to the fields of discourse and genre studies. They may provide invaluable insights for novice political science researchers attempting to publish their work in high-ranking journals. The proposed move structure model can act as a guide for English for Academic Purposes (EAP)/English for Specific Purposes (ESP) tutors and political science authors.

Virginie Despentes’ queer crime fiction

Virginie Despentes has become one of France’s most commercially successful and celebrated novelists. However, while the French press has often labelled Despentes’ novels as crime fiction (‘polars’), there has been little in-depth scholarly discussion of how her work engages and transforms the conventions of the genre. Studies of Despentes’ queer/feminist themes and rhetoric would benefit from a more sustained attention to her ambivalent appropriations of the masculinist tropes of brutal crime fiction, and studies of French crime fiction would benefit from considering Despentes as key figure in the development of French queer/feminist crime fiction. Examining novels ranging from Baise-moi to Apocalypse bébé, this article argues for the interest in reading them as crime fiction, and notably as works that underline the risks that accompany efforts to rewire masculinist genres from within and orient them towards feminist and queer concerns.

Texts of Natural Written Speech as an Object of Genre Analysis: The Problem of Method

The article defines the methodological problems of constructing a model of the speech genre and suggests the way of solving them. The existing models of Text – Text components – Genre type are recognized as the main tool for the study and description of speech genres. It is argued that the speech genre description methodology in modern linguistics should be focused on the ideas of systematic construction. The principles of text analysis in the aspect of speech genre studies are determined and some errors of scientifically employed approaches are identified. The elimination of these errors will allow genre studies to shift to a new methodological principle of constructing a genre model that has a diagnostic potential. The current problematic issues of genre studies are formulated. As a productive technology for describing a speech genre, we propose a universal method of functional modelling, which will enable designing genres and their modules on the basis of regularity, obligation, and oppositional character. In order to solve the problem of genre description in the attributive aspect, that is, to determine its units, it is productive to analyze the genre applying the so-called communicative semiotic model, as well as the method of transformational-and-oppositional analysis. The proposed principle of genre description is postulated as a method of objective modelling. Thus, within the framework of this study, the analysis of the theoretical problems of modern genre studies is carried out, the objectives of speech genres investigation are formulated and the approaches to their achieving are presented in an overview.

Pragma-linguistic and stylistic features of the English online movie review

The paper deals with linguo-pragmatic and semantic-stylistic characteristics of the English-online movie review. Internet communication provides a fertile ground for the development of the modern genre studies due to the emergence and development of digital genres, or Internet genres. The amateur online movie review is one of the most widespread Internet genres due to its high degree of the audience-oriented intention, focus on the wide range of readers, as well as the dialogical nature of communication. The aim of this paper is to reveal and systematize pragmatic and stylistic parameters of the English amateur online movie review. The empirical study is based upon the movie reviews taken from the IMDb website. The analysis of online movie reviews has revealed that their pragmatic function is determined by the use of the wide range of linguistic and stylistic evaluative means. In most cases the ascription of explicit evaluative characteristics to the film and its components in the text of the amateur online movie review is done with the help of the evaluative language. The important finding is that the creation of perlocutionary effect and the attribution of dialogization and intimization to the speech act are created by the use of personal pronouns of the first and second person singular, imperatives, appeals, question-and-answer structure. We have come to the conclusion that various lexical and syntactic means of expressiveness belong to stylistic markers of online movie review carrying evaluative, emotional and emphatic connotations. All the analysis conducted allows us to conclude that online movie review beside the initial function of informing also performs perlocutionary force.