Modern Linguistic Problems
The problems of Systemic Linguistics and Practical Language Teaching are comprehensively presented in the course of lectures given by the outstanding linguist professor Mark Blokh to the English teachers of Lyceum No. 1525.
In his lectures, Prof. M. Blokh proceeds from the thesis that language essentially includes two main functional spheres. The first is the sphere of nominalization, i.e. of names of things and phenomena; the second is the sphere of combining these names into speech, i.e. of the regularities of forming messages out of these names. To penetrate into the nature of both spheres, and together with it into the process of linguistic communication, one must carefully observe the level structure of language.
Elements, or units, of language are organized into a hierarchy of levels. The functions of the units are either purely formal, non-meaningful, though constructional (for example, the functions of the phoneme), or constructional in combination with semantic (for example, the functions of the word). Thus, each level of the hierarchy is characterized from the point of view of the relation between the form and function of its units. The hierarchy as such is governed by the fundamental law that each unit of any higher level is analyzed into one or several units of the immediately lower level; in other words, one or several units of each lower level form one unit of the subsequent higher level.
Consequently, language as a whole, being a speech generating aggregate, distinguishes the six constitutive levels plus the seventh level of created speech (text or discourse). First comes the level of phonemes (purely constructional function); second, the level of morphemes (the function of primary signification); third, the level of words (the function of general nomination); fourth, the level of sentence parts (the function of denotation, i.e. contextual nomination); fifth, the level of sentences (the function of predication); sixth, the level of utterances (the function of primary topical expression); and seventh, the level of the whole text (the function of integral topical expression).
It is this theoretical presentation of the essential structure of language that gives further insight into the status of language in society as a means of forming and exchanging ideas in the process of communication. Moreover, it is this theoretical presentation that gives further insight into the formation of our concepts of all things and phenomena that make up the reality of the world. The concepts are named by words and are stored in the human mind as pieces of knowledge. Collected together with mental effort they give us a picture of the world that develops from generation to generation in the course of social history.
The theory of the level structure of language has an immediate practical application. Of especial importance in this respect is the idea of the uppermost unit of language, and the corresponding uppermost level of language, introduced into linguistics by Prof. Mark Blokh. The unit in question has been called the “dicteme” by its demonstrator and describer. A dicteme is identified as an elementary topical unit of text formed by one or several sentences and expressing the four essential informational functions: nomination, predication, topicalization, and stylistic adaptation. By nomination and predication the substantial content of the indicated situation or event are presented; by topicalization this content is integrated in the essential message of the developing text (discourse); and by stylistic adaptation the mode of expression is chosen pragmatically appropriate to the social significance of the actual communication.
This significance is determined by such communicative factors as the purpose of speech address, the informational content of the address, the personal characteristics of the speaker, the personal characteristics of the listener, the material and moral environment of the communication, etc. Compare, for example, the various wordings of the speaker’s appeal to the listener for some sort of help, depending on different factors: “Help!”, “Oh, help!”, “Pray, help!”, “Do help me, will you?, “”Can you help me?”, “Will you help me, please!”, “Can you be so kind as to help me, Sir!”, etc.
The course of lectures presented by Prof. Mark Blokh, being of tremendous practical value, has aroused great interest and enthusiasm in his responsive audience. It would be really fortunate for us all, both teachers and students, to have this course published and popularized.