ABSTRACT Doctoral Thesis
“Discursive description of Intonation
(on the materials of Kazakh and English languages)”
Zhalalova Akshay Maksutovna PhD student of “6D020500 - Philology”
Abai Kazakh National Pedagogical University General description of the research
The views and opinions on “discourse” concept and “text” issue which have been distinguished at the end of the 1970s and beginning of the 1980s still have
been crucial even at the present time. From the beginning of the XXI century discourse has been considered in the context of a language communication process
and a text formed as a result of this process.
If a text is defined as a speech act in written form in linguistics, a discourse provides changeable and recurrent link among communicants as a sounded related significative of used speaking and speech. Nowadays it is noticed that there have been appeared a tradition of considering a dialogue language communication as form of the discourse. Communicants` cognitive knowledge sphere, role in a society, acts of speaking and discourse in the dialogue, enclose of essential, implicit and explicit meanings of the dialogue text leads to study of human factor in the context of anthropocentric paradigm in a communicative, extralinguistic, semantic, cognitive and linguistic aspect.
The issue of studying a discourse as a dynamic process in the certain time sphere and structural object was a base for the research works of many scholars and as a result different patterns of discourse analyzing were offered. Most researchers especially paid their attention to the rhetorical structure theory among these patterns.
In 1980s of the XX century a model-pattern of the rhetorical structure theory introduced into language due to offer of American scholars W.Mann and S.Thompson is now well-known as a universal theory which describes interrelation of discourse macrostructure and microstructure at global/local levels. To study features of intonation use in defining discourse structure in the context of rhetorical structure theory is one of the new searches in the field of linguistics.
As a main issue of our given research is to compare discursive feature of the intonation on the basis of materials in Kazakh and English languages, therefore intonation and discourse are considered in a close relationship.
Kazakh intonation which has origin in the works of A.Baitursynuly was separated from the functional grammar, before becoming a separate language level it closely related to syntax and was regarded as an additional tool at the grammatical level of language. There was a systematization of data related to function and importance of the intonation in language and speech act in many research works. The formation of Intonology as a separate field from phonetics at the end of the XX century led to achieve great results in studying the intonation.
Relevance of the research
For the first time professor Z.M.Bazarbayeva founded Kazakh Intonology due to the research works done in the Kazakh linguistics. Kazakh intonation was studied systematically and in complex in her researches, its theoretical principles and methods, language units – Kazakh intonemes were defined. Moreover, there have been identified functions of prosodic methods (melody, pause, tempo, intensity) at sentence, text/discourse level. Theory of Kazakh intonation was made on the basis of experimental analysis. For the first time in general Turkology the Intonology was recognized as a separate field in the Kazakh linguistics. Intonation which is an object of Intonology was known as a suprasegmental structural level of a language.
Nowadays intonation is a complicated tool which connects meaningful significance of oral language use with all level of a language. The interests in studying intonation increased due to the development of Intonology in linguistics, as well as instrumental and phonetic experiments were made in a wide range.
These experiments gave opportunity to define interrelation and system of intonemes, intonation constructions, intonation functions and intonation components considered as intonation units of a particular language, their role in language usage. Results of conducting experimental-phonetic analysis contributed to study of interrelation of intonation components such as melody, intensity, tempo, pause, tonal range and interval, tone level, rhythm and timbre.
Theoretical and methodical basis of studying intonation in our research is based on the research works of native and foreign scholars.
It goes without saying that to study concept of intonation serving as a colourful tool of discourse during communicative context in expressing colour of word meaning in a structural-functional, semantic, communicative-pragmatic contexts at a suprasegmental level shows that intonation is a complicated phenomenon.
It is known that intonation components are really defined with their specific features as a special marker in a communicative context. Therefore, for the first time to use experimental-phonetic analysis method in a special comparative study of discursive description of intonation in two different languages in a rhetorical structure theory, to analyze their differences and similarities through instrumental- acoustic experiment in a suprasegmental phonetics view, to show systematization of dictemes in defining communicative essence, semantic and syntactic structure of the discourse levels, to fully regard the function of prosodic means in division of dictemes into meaningful parts, to identify division of dictemes into elementary discourse units (clause), to analyze hierarchical rhetorical links presented with elementary discourse units and relation of core with satellite, to view intonation as a core of language structure and prosodic methods in a communicative context, their close relationship with pragmatic course and all of the above mentioned shows the relevance of the research work.
To analyze structural-organizational, meaning differentiating functions in information exchange of discourse intonation studied in our research work is
proposed as a continuation of research works devoted to investigate such essential issues.
Object of the research is sounded (divided) discourse in Kazakh and English languages.
Subject of the research is functions of intonation components in sounded discourse in Kazakh and English languages.
Purpose of the research
The purpose of the research work is to investigate functions of intonation components and units reflected in discourse voiced in Kazakh and English languages, their interrelation, semantic-syntactic and pragmatic rhetorical structure theory using experimental phonetic research methods.
Tasks of the research:
- to review formation and development of the discourse analysis problem, discourse theory, anthropocentric paradigm of other language fields;
- to study global and local levels of discourse macrostructure and
microstructure in Kazakh and English languages on the basis of rhetorical structure theory in the suprasegmental phonetics view;
- to identify importance of prosodic means in classification of discourse
macrostructure into dictemes in Kazakh and English languages (melody, pause, intensity, timbre, tonal interval, tonal range);
- to justify rhetorical relations (core / satellite) with prosodic methods in systematic description discourse in Kazakh and English languages;
- to determine the role of intonation components in division of discourse
macrostructure and microstructure into segments, clauses (elementary discourse unit) in rhetorical structure theory in Kazakh and English languages;
- to justify cohesion in discourse dictemes (syntactic and grammatical
relation) and coherent (semantic relation), special signs (markers) in Kazakh and English languages through a logical sequence of levels of discourse by using experimental and phonetic methods.
Source of the research
Extract of discourse and dialogue from novel “Aбай жолы” written by M.O.Auezov in the Kazakh and English languages was taken as material for research (Book One. Abai. Almaty, 1989; M.О. Auezov «Abai» (Book One.
Moscow, 1957).
Methods of research
The following methods have been used in accordance with the goals and objectives of the research: typological (comparative) method of study, analysis methods of rhetorical structure theory, methodology of semantic and prosodic division of discourse into dictemes, experimental methods of suprasegmental phonetics due to PRAAT program (intonologycal and auditory, instrumental and acoustic).
Theoretical and methodological bases of the research
The followings have been taken into consideration in the research: context of intonology (A.Baitursynuly, K.Zhubanov, S.Amanzholov, N.Sauranbayev, S.Kenesbaev, M.Balakaev L.V.Scherba V.A.Artemov, H.E Palmer, I.Ward, D.
Bolindger, K.Pike, M.I.Matusevich, A.M. Antipova, V.A.Vasiliyev, D. Jones, D.O'Connor, A.Cruttenden, V.N.Vsevolodskiy-Gerngross, A.M. Peshkovskiy
G.P.Torsuev Zh.Aralbaev, N.T.Turkbenbaev, A.N.Nurmaxanova, N.G.Svetozarova, I.G.Torsueva, T.M.Nikolaeva, R.Syzdik, A.Junisbek, Z.M.Bazarbaeva, M.K.Isaev, Sh.Atenov, T.Kenshinbaev, B.K.Murzalina, J.M.Utesbaeva, K.N. Kemelova, A.M.Fazilzhanova, J.M.Kenshinbaeva, A.J.Amanbaeva, S.Baymuratova, S.M.Alpatina, A.Berikbolova, D.A.Karagoishieva etc.); rhetorical structure theory (W.Mann, S.Thompson, A.L.
Litvinenko, A.A. Kibrik, A.A. Susov, etc.); context of the discourse structure theory (B.J.Grosz, C.L.Sidner); dictemes structure theory of discourse (text) (M.Y.Blokh, E. Velikaya, etc.); discourse relations (M. Halliday, R. Hasan, etc.);
theoretical points on text linguistics and discourse analysis theory (T.van Dake, D.Crystal, N.D.Arutyunova, V.V.Krasnykh, M.L. Makarov, E.S.Kubryakova, G.G.
Burkitbayeva, K.K .Sadirova, etc.).
Scientific novelty of the research
For the first time discourse and dialogue structure taken in one theme and genre in Kazakh and English languages due to rhetorical structure theory have been reviewed from point of suprasegmental phonetics, comparative and experiment-acoustic (auditory, instrumental) analysis on discourse description in two languages have been done; discourse and dialogue replica was grouped according to semantic, syntactic microtopics, their semantic layers was defined by prosodic approaches and dictemes was recognized as a prosodic unit; dictemes were classified into elementary discourse units (clause), rhetorical relations were defined, core and the satellite connection was justified on the basis of experimental phonetic analysis; together with extralinguistic factors in dialogue communicative situation in Kazakh and English languages, the nature of discourse intonation was considered through language personality, problem of cultural code in the content of discourse was assumed; pragmalinguistic function of intonation through rhetorical relations in elementary discourse units in Kazakh and English languages was determined, discourse was described as painting, drawing and presented as a model-sample; universal and the specific features of intonation components in the word in Kazakh and English languages was defined.
Theoretical value of the research
The results achieved in the study of experimental phonetic in Kazakh linguistics contribute to the development of intonology, discourse theory, pragmalinguistics, especially in recognition a nature of intonation while studying language.
Practical significance of the research
Results of the research will contribute to conduct special practical courses on philology and linguistics specialities such as “Intonology”, “Suprasegmental phonetics”, “Theoretical phonetics”, “Comparative phonetics”, “Discourse analysis theory”, “Applied Linguistics”, “Pragmalinguistics”, “Text linguistics”, textbooks and teaching manual have been written, as well as to radio and television, art of scene, rhetoric.
The main conclusions:
- interrelation of discourse - dialogue macrostructure and microstructure in Kazakh and English languages in the rhetorical structure theory was justified through complex of prosodic means;
- dicteme determined in the process microtopics division in accordance with the content of the discourse information in Kazakh and English languages provides relationship of that topic with a general content of the discourse; beginning and ending border of dicteme were differentiated through prosodic means;
- grouping / classification into semantic and syntactic dictemes function of prosodic means fully regarded, dicteme is reflected as a prosodic unit;
- from a rhetorical structure theory classification methods of discourse- dialogue into elementary discourse units in Kazakh and English languages was defined, which is reflected in the form of clause; hierarchy rhetorical relations in clauses are determined, differentiated by core and satellite communications;
Intonation components contribute to pragmatic purpose of communication between the addresser and the addressee in a communication context, perception of speaking as a main tool of understanding each other;
- special features-markers and intonation components are justified in accordance with similarities and differences of discourse, language peculiarities in Kazakh and English languages;
- the importance of the intonation components in realizing pragmatic principles between the addresser and the addressee in communicative situation in Kazakh and English languages is confirmed through experimental phonetic analysis.
Approval and publication of the research
The main content of the research work and findings have been published in 11 articles. 3 articles have been published in the magazines recommended by the Committee for the Control in sphere of education and science of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Kazakhstan. They are the following:
- Intonation as an research object of Intonology. Herald of Abai Kazakh National Pedagogical University. №4 (54). (Almaty, 2015);
- Areas of study English Intonation. International popular-science journal
“Science and Life of Kazakhstan”, № 3 (38). (Astana, 2016);
- The rhetorical structure theory: semantic and intonational feature of discourse units. International popular-science journal “Science and Life of Kazakhstan”. №5 (40). (Astana, 2016);
5 articles have been published in national and international scientific and practical conferences:
- Discursive description of gender linguistics. The Annual International Conference on Cognitive - Social, and Behavioural Sciences. (Turkey, Mersin, 2014);
- Study of Intonation in Kazakh linguistics. International Scientific and Practical Conference “Actual Issues of Multilingual Education development at Modern Stage” devoted to the 70th Anniversary of the Kazakh State Women’s Teacher Training University. (Almaty, 2014);
- The Intonation in gender analysis of linguistics. Materials of VIII International Scientific and Practical Conference, “Science and Education” journal.
(Munich, Germany, 2015);
- Intonation – indicator in determining linguistic value of discourse.
Materials of International Scientific-theoretical Conference “Academician O.Aytbayuli and issues of state language”. (Almaty, 2016);
- Pragmalinguistic feature of discourse intonation. Materials of International Scientific-theoretical Conference “Language as a soft power”. (Almaty, 2016);
1 article:
- Features of communicative tone of youth discourse. “Innovations in the secondary, vocational and higher education in RK: Experience of foreign states”
workshop. (Almty, 2016);
2 articles published in scientific journals which are registered in Scopus:
- Intonational Division of a Speech Flow in the Kazakh Language.
“International Journal of Environmental and Science Education” (Turkey, 2016);
- Universal properties of Intonation Components. “Review of European Studies” (Canada, 2015).
Structure of the dissertation
Dissertation consists of definitions, meanings and abbreviations, introduction, three chapters, conclusion and list of used bibliography, A, B, C appendices used during the research.
