Детские проекты
презентация к уроку по теме

Городская научно-социальная программа

«Шаг в будущее, Электросталь»

МОУ «Гимназия №17»

РЕФЕРАТ

Тема: «Names and nicknames of places and things in the aspect of culture-oriented linguistics»

Номинация: Лингвострановедение

Автор:

ученица 8 «Б» класса

Симакина Полина

Константиновна

Руководитель:

Веселова Наталья

Владимировна

учитель английского языка

Электросталь

2008

АННОТАЦИЯ

Аннотация на научно-исследовательскую работу по теме «Названия и прозвища мест и предметов в лингвострановедческом аспекте».

Несомненно, что учащимся, увлекающимся английским языком, следует больше изучать язык, культуру и страноведение англо-говорящих стран. Однако школьная программа по английскому языку незначительно затрагивает данный вопрос. Поэтому актуальность выбранной темы заключается в ее более детальном исследовании.

Объектом исследования являются американские названия и прозвища, так как в настоящее время именно американский английский широко распространяется во всем мире.

Цель работы – изучить американские названия и прозвища. Полученные знания помогут развить кругозор учащихся.

Для достижения поставленной цели был решен ряд задач: проанализирована образовательная и научная литература, определены главный термин «прозвище» и место прозвищ в повседневной жизни общества, изучены виды прозвищ, рассмотрены примеры, подтверждающие важность прозвищ, проанализирован лингвострановедческий словарь и американский словарь названий и прозвищ.

В работе использовались различные методы научного исследования: метод работы с документами, использование Интернет и проведение интервью.

Результаты интервью и анализа лингвострановедческого словаря побудили автора работы составить задания с целью увеличения знаний по исследуемому вопросу.

Анализ американского словаря названий и прозвищ дал основание убедиться в важности исследуемого вопроса и необходимости его более детального изучения.

Работа составлена и оформлена в соответствии с предъявляемыми требованиями.

CONTENTS

p.

ITRODUCTION        

PART 1. THEORETICAL FOOTING        

1.1 The place of nicknames in everyday life of society.        

1.2 Subdivisions of nicknames.        

1.3 Importance of nicknames.        

PART 2. PRACTICAL WORK        

2.1 Interview.        

2.2 Analysis of a Linguistic and Cultural Guide.        

2.3 Analysis of a dictionary of names and nicknames.        

CONCLUSION        

BIBLIOGRAPHY        

ITRODUCTION

The nicknames are of great interest from many different points of view. People of various professions are interested in them. For example, the linguist studies them because he is concerned with all kinds of word creation. The dictionary-maker collects them and defines them because they have a legitimate referential meaning. The sociologist is concerned with reasons for nicknaming; the psychologist with personal reactions to them. As for the journalist, he finds nicknames interesting because of the anecdotes that are often associated with them. The lexicographer’s criteria are to include or exclude an entry of nicknames in a dictionary^[1].

No doubt the students who are fond of English should get more knowledge about the language, the culture and the regional geography of English-speaking countries.

But unfortunately the problem is that the programme of learning of English language for Russian secondary schools does not touch upon this subject in greater detail.

In this respect, the actuality of the research work determines the necessity of examination of names and nicknames of places and things in the aspect of culture-oriented linguistics. It will have a positive influence on the knowledge of the progress of language, contemporary speech, literature and culture of English-speaking countries. More than that, we hope this knowledge will be useful for students in future because of their intention to enter academies.

Thus, the object of the research work is American names and nicknames of places and things for the purpose of culture-oriented linguistics. American English was chosen because nowadays it is considered to be widespread in the world.

The purpose of the research is to examine American names and nicknames of places and things as it can help to become a broad-minded person.

To achieve the purpose we will have to cope with some tasks:

1. to analyze educational and scientific literature on the research problem;
2. to determine the main term of the work “nickname”;
3. to examine the place of nicknames in everyday life of society;
4. to study subdivisions of nicknames;
5. to view the examples that prove the importance of nicknames;
6. to analyze Linguistic and Cultural Guide (LCG) (Student’s book, author V. P. Kuzovlyov, 2004) and the dictionary of names and nicknames;
7. to conclude the results of an interview;
8. to systematize findings.

Methods of research that are intended to use:

9. the method of study of documents (educational and scientific literature, dictionaries);
10. the usage of Internet;
11. taking an interview.

PART 1. THEORETICAL FOOTING

1.1 The place of nicknames in everyday life of society.

Speaking about nicknames a definition of this term should be given first. Nickname - a familiar, invented given name for a person or thing used instead of the actual name of the person or thing; - a kind of byname that describes a person by a characteristic of that person.^[2]

In Middle English it was still written as “an eke name,” later “a neke name” in which eke meant, simply, “also.” The term fails to comment on either the extent of usage a name enjoys, or the underlying attitude that caused it to come into being.

The nicknames take a really important part of everyday life of society. The vast majority of nicknames are known and used in highly restricted contexts^[3]. Pupils at most schools, for instance, can refer to classmates and teachers among themselves by using nicknames that would be meaningless to an outsider. Any social group that meets regularly may have its own internal naming system; indeed, knowledge of that system may become a sign of inclusion in the group, a kind of verbal member-ship badge. Nicknames, along with certain slang expressions, often help to create a private language that excludes strangers.

The most extreme example of such a private language is that used between lovers. The partners are likely to have nicknames for each other that are uttered only in moments of intimacy, and that otherwise remain a closely guarded secret. In recent years we have been able to get some hints as to the form these nicknames take from the Valentine’s Day messages published in various newspapers. On February 14, 1979, for instance, the British newspaper The Guardian carried announcements to the effect that Crunchy Body loved Smokey Bear, Wimbo loved Widget, and so forth. Several hundred such coded nicknames, or love names, appeared on the same page, all of them testifying to the importance of a shared language as an indication of a special relationship.

What is also revealed by the nicknaming that occurs between lovers is an insistence that possession carries with it the right to bestow a name. At this level, naming is a God-like act, demonstrating dominance over the person being named. As the social group widens, so the significance of a nickname and the reason for it become less intense. The nickname may merely be a shared joke, or a reflection of what H.L. Mencken once called “linguistic exuberance, an excess of word-making energy.” As it happens, Mencken was referring to slang, not nicknames, but by the time we come to expressions like Big Apple for New York City, or Blue Flu, for the police strike that occurred there in 1960, we are in any case on the borderline between slang and nicknames. “Slangnames” would be a highly appropriate description of such terms.

1.2 Subdivisions of nicknames.

There is certainly a need to break up the general concept of “nickname” into various subdivisions. Nicknames can be:

1. friendly^[4];
2. hostile;
3. neutral.

They can also be classed as individual or generic^[5].

There also exists a special kind of nickname that is a genuinely needed substitute name. This is because the real name of the person concerned is unknown. A typical example occurs when a criminal’s deeds attract the attention of the public although his identity remains hidden. Some criminals, like London’s Jack the Ripper, retain the nickname as their only certain identification. Others may later be known by their real names, yet the nickname may well remain better known. There are many people, for instance, to whom the name Albert DeSalvo would mean nothing, though they would know of his activities as The Boston Strangler.

When Elvis Presley became The Pelvis, the nickname was apt in a highly individual way, blending elements of his real name in a way that drew attention to a characteristic bodily movement. Also the nickname can be a very best kind of verbal caricature. Such a name almost justifies the comment made by a nineteenth century writer, Harry Long, that a nickname is “a biography crowded into a word.” But countless nicknames are far less personal, being inherited by certain categories of people. A man with red hair automatically becomes Red; someone from Indiana is a Hoosier; someone who is bald – by the common process of naming after opposites – is Curly. The passing on of these traditional nicknames – “inseparables” as Eric Partridge called them – is clearly not a recognition of uniqueness, but the conferring of such names is usually a friendly act, a sign of social acceptance.

1.3 Importance of nicknames.

For some kinds of people it is very important to have nicknames. For example, politicians.

That fact is generally recognized, of course, and people such as politicians who depend on public support often encourage the media to use nicknames when referring to them, always provided that those nicknames are friendly or flattering. The wrong nickname could easily ruin a public reputation, just as it can cause great problems in private life^[6].

Those interested in such aspects of the subject could usefully turn to Nicknames: Their Origins and Social Consequences (1979), by Morgan, O`Neill and Harre. The message relayed by all such psychological and sociological studies is fairly consistent – that nicknames given with friendly intentions, even when they appear to be unflattering in themselves, show that the person concerned is thoroughly in harmony with the social group. Acceptance of a nickname by an individual shows personal stability and adjustment. In that respect, nicknames are no different from more formal personal names, since psychiatrists have long interpreted a patient’s  dislike of his own name as a distinct danger signal.

Conclusion of Part 1:

65535. Nickname - a familiar, invented given name for a person or thing used instead of the actual name of the person or thing; - a kind of byname that describes a person by a characteristic of that person.
65536. The nicknames take a really important part of everyday life of society. The vast majority of nicknames are known and used in highly restricted contexts (pupils, lovers).
65537. Nicknames can be friendly, hostile, neutral. They can also be classed as individual or generic.
65538. For some kinds of people it is very important to have nicknames (politicians).

PART 2. PRACTICAL WORK

2.1 Interview.

At the beginning it should be reminded that the problem of our work is that the programme of learning of English language for Russian secondary schools does not touch upon the subject “Names and nicknames of English-speaking countries” in greater detail. To make sure that the problem exists, we conducted an interview. Pupils of 8Б class of Gymnasium №17 were asked the following questions:

1. What/Who is called “Dog Star”?
2. “Egypt is a nickname of…?
3. How can Paris be sometimes called?
4. How was Chicago called after the recovery from the fire?
5. A world-known nickname of New York is..?
6. How do the French call the Channel which connects Great Britain and France?
7. What is a former nickname for the Turkish Empire, bestowed by Nicholas 2nd, Czar of Russia?
8. A nickname given to the Planet Mars is..?
9. Have you ever heard about the City of Lilies? What is it?
10. Do you know what nickname was given to London, when it was the world’s leading port?
11. Have you ever heard about “Great white way”?
12. Do you know what state was called “Mother of Presidents”, because eight of her native sons became presidents of the USA?
13. What country is sometimes called “Six Countries”?

The following answers were suggested:

a) I have never heard about it;

b) I have heard a little about it;

c) I know this nickname really well.

Table 1

Results of an interview

From this table we can see that the percentage of pupils who know the meaning of the nicknames is 5%, the percentage of pupils who heard a little about American and British names and nicknames is 24% and the percentage of pupils who have never heard about the following nicknames is the highest – 71%.

Diagram 1

The results of this interview confirm the existence of the problem and necessity of learning names and nicknames at school.

2.2 Analysis of a Linguistic and Cultural Guide.

To become a broad-minded person and have no problems with communicating in English-speaking countries students should study linguistics and foreign culture. There is a question: “Is it possible to learn about American names and nicknames at school?” With this purpose we analyzed Linguistic and Cultural Guide (LCG) of Student’s Book^[7]. As a result we found out the following information:

Table 2

Percentage of nicknames in Linguistic and Cultural Guide

From the table we can see that the number of all items included in LCG is 247 and the number of nicknames is 2. Consequently percentage of using nicknames is 0,8%. This fact reports that percentage of nicknames in Russian Student’s Books is very little. It means that Russian students have got less opportunities to know more about names and nicknames of English-speaking countries at English lessons.

Diagram 2

Trying to solve this problem we made some tasks. These tasks can be very useful for learning nicknames.

Task 1

Match two parts of the sentences:

Task 2

Choose the appropriate answer.

1. What is City of Firsts?

a) A nickname of Kokomo, Indiana;

b) A nickname of Greece;

c) A nickname of Brooklyn.

2. What is The City of the Seven Hills?

a) A nickname of Syracuse;

b) A nickname for Rome;

c) A nickname of Broadway.

3. What is Dog Star?

a) A nickname of area in London;

b) A name for the star Sirius;

c) A nickname for the steam engines.

4. What is Black Diamond?

a) A nickname of petroleum;

b) Jewel;

c) A nickname for coal.

Task 3

Guess the meaning of the nicknames.

1) Big Apple

(New York)

2) Red Planet

(Mars)

3) The City of Masts

(London)

4) Black Diamond

(Coal)

5) Great White Way

(Broadway)

2.3 Analysis of a dictionary of names and nicknames.

To get good knowledge of the progress of language, contemporary speech, literature and culture of English-speaking countries we examined a dictionary of names and nicknames^[8].

Table 3

Percentage of names and nicknames in the dictionary

From the table we can see that the percentage of the usage of geographic objects in this dictionary is the highest (78, 3%). The usage of nicknames of theatres is 4,5%; nicknames of time periods, ports and roads - 3,6%; nicknames of palaces, parks, clubs, sky objects and epidemics is the lowest (about 1%). To see the results in details diagram 3 below can help.

Diagram 3

We found out that English and American people use geographic nicknames in their vocabulary more than other nicknames. It means that for Russian people there are a lot of misunderstandings in English language. And if a Russian man goes to a foreign country he can face with communicating problems. Consequently it confirms the idea of inclusion the subject “Names and nicknames” in student’s books. More than that, it will be helpful for students who want to become linguists, translators, diplomats, ambassadors etc. And this information will be very useful and necessary for broad-minded persons. In fact studying this item can be interesting and important for everybody.

Conclusion of Part 2:

65535. The results of the interview confirm the existence of the problem and necessity of learning names and nicknames at school.

65535. Analysis of LCG says that Russian students have got less opportunities to know more about names and nicknames of English-speaking countries at English lessons.
65536. English and American people use geographic nicknames in their vocabulary more than other nicknames.
65537. For Russian people there are a lot of misunderstandings in English language.

CONCLUSION

The nicknames are of great interest from many different points of view. People of various professions are interested in them.

The necessity of examination of names and nicknames of places and things in the aspect of culture-oriented linguistics will have a positive influence on the knowledge of the progress of language, contemporary speech, literature and culture of English-speaking countries. More than that, this knowledge will be useful for students in future because of their intention to enter academies.

Having analyzed educational and scientific literature on the research problem, used Internet and conducted an interview we succeeded in systematizing findings.

During our work we: determined the main term of the work “nickname”; examined the place of nicknames in everyday life of society; studied subdivisions of nicknames; viewed the examples that prove the importance of nicknames.

In practical part we: conducted an interview, analyzed Linguistic and Cultural Guide and the dictionary of names and nicknames.

The results are:

65539. Nickname - a familiar, invented given name for a person or thing used instead of the actual name of the person or thing; - a kind of byname that describes a person by a characteristic of that person.
65540. The nicknames take a really important part of everyday life of society. The vast majority of nicknames are known and used in highly restricted contexts (pupils, lovers).
65541. Nicknames can be friendly, hostile, neutral. They can also be classed as individual or generic.
65542. For some kinds of people it is very important to have nicknames (politicians).

65536. The results of the interview confirm the existence of the problem and necessity of learning names and nicknames at school.

65538. Analysis of LCG says that Russian students have got less opportunities to know more about names and nicknames of English-speaking countries at English lessons.
65539. English and American people use geographic nicknames in their vocabulary more than other nicknames.
65540. For Russian people there are a lot of misunderstandings in English language.

In this respect we worked out some tasks that can be very useful for learning nicknames.

We consider that the problems put in our work are solved on the whole, the purpose of the work is achieved.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

1. Laurence Urolange. Twentieth century American nicknames [text]. – New York: The H.W. Wilson Company, 1979. – 345 p.
2.  Laurence Urolange. Names and nicknames of places and things [text]. – New York: New American library, 1988. – 390 p.
3. Laurence Urolange. A dictionary of names and nicknames [text]. – Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. – 427 p.
4. Английский язык [Текст]: учеб. для 7 кл. общеобразов. учреждений / В.П. Кузовлев, Н.М. Лапа, Э.Ш. Перегудова и др. – Изд. 4-е – М. : Просвещение, 2004. – 319 с.
5. Определения [Электронный ресурс]. – Режим доступа: http://allwords.com Загл. с экрана. – Яз.англ.
6. Примерная программа по иностранным языкам. Английский язык.