This study delves into the realm of Russian English, a variety that has gained recognition with the rise of global communication. Focusing on a small set of YouTube videos, the research examines a specific linguistic feature: the irregular use of articles. Considering the historical context of Russian-English language contact, the study explores the current state of English in Russia and the linguistic features that make Russian English unique. The analysis includes a comparison of article use in Standard English and Russian English, aiming to identify tendencies and differences among speakers in Russia and Russian emigrants in the US. By utilizing YouTube as a platform for real data collection, the study contributes to the growing understanding of Russian English as a distinct and evolving variety in the world of World Englishes.
Contents
1. Introduction
2. Russian English
2.1 The History of Russian-English Language Contact
2.2 The current situation of English in Russia
2.3 Russian English as a Variety of English
2.4 Russian English Language Features
3. The Use of Articles
3.1 The Use of Articles in Standard English
3.2 The Use of Articles in Different Varieties of English
4. The Current Study
4.1 YouTube
4.2 YouTube Channels
4.3 The Data
5. Results
6. Discussion
6.1 General Observations
6.2 Russian Channels
6.3 US Channels
7. Conclusion
Objectives and Research Focus
The primary objective of this study is to analyze the usage of the definite article "the" and the indefinite article "a/an" within the informal, mesolectal speech of Russian-speaking individuals in a digital environment. Specifically, the paper investigates whether the linguistic feature of irregular article usage in Russian English manifests in selected YouTube videos, while also determining if variations in these patterns exist between speakers residing in Russia and Russian immigrants living in the United States.
- The historical context and current status of English in the Russian federation.
- Theoretical identification of Russian English as a distinct variety within the World Englishes framework.
- A comparative analysis of article usage in Standard English versus the observed patterns in Russian English.
- The methodology of utilizing YouTube as a "cultural archive" for spontaneous, non-standardized linguistic data collection.
- The impact of geographical location and cultural immersion on the frequency of article-related linguistic deviations.
Excerpt from the Book
3.1 The Use of Articles in Standard English
Articles belong to the group of determiners like every, many or this (Christophersen and Sandved 1969: 69). What distinguishes articles from all other determiners is the fact that they cannot be used on their own as could be the case with this, e.g I don’t like this. Articles always precede nouns and do not occur in other ways fulfilling other functions (Christophersen and Sandved 1969: 70, Frank 1972: 125).
The English language uses the definite article the and the indefinite article a (Siemund 2013: 87-88) . Some linguists also speak of a zero article, which describes all instances where a noun is not preceded by an article (Quirk and Greenbaum 1973: 73, Proshina 2008: 90). The definite article changes pronunciation when used before words beginning with a vowel sound and thus changes from [ðә] or [ð] to [ðɪ] (Lamprecht 1999: 95). The indefinite changes to an alternate form before vowel sounds and is realized as an [әn] (Frank 1972: 134, Lamprecht 1999: 104). Both articles are not inflectable and usually unstressed except for special cases where situational stress may be used. Their semantic function is to mark the definiteness of a noun (Frank 1972: 125).
A/an is generally used before singular countable nouns, while the is more versatile and can be used with plural and singular nouns as well as countables and non-countables (Christophersen and Sandved 1969: 69-70). Zero article is generally used with plurals, non countables and proper names (Frank 1972: 126). In the following the different uses of all articles are going to be described as they can be found in well-established grammar books on the English language.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: This chapter introduces the theoretical context of World Englishes and frames Russian English as an emerging, under-researched variety within the Expanding Circle.
2. Russian English: The chapter explores the history of language contact between Russian and English, the role of English in modern Russia, and provides arguments for considering Russian English a distinct sociolinguistic variety.
3. The Use of Articles: This section details the functions of the definite, indefinite, and zero articles in Standard English and discusses previous scholarly findings regarding article usage in various New Englishes.
4. The Current Study: This chapter outlines the research methodology, justifies the choice of YouTube as a data source, and explains the criteria for selecting specific channels for analysis.
5. Results: The chapter presents the statistical data gathered from the analyzed videos, highlighting the percentage of incorrect article usage among different speaker groups.
6. Discussion: This part interprets the results, contrasting findings between Russia-based and US-based speakers while correlating deviations with the "continuum" model of Russian English.
7. Conclusion: The study concludes by confirming the existence of Russian English, noting that article deviations occur less frequently than anticipated, and suggesting avenues for further research.
Keywords
Russian English, World Englishes, Definite Article, Indefinite Article, YouTube, Language Contact, Expanding Circle, Mesolectal Speech, Linguistic Variation, Article Omission, Article Insertion, Cultural Identity, Sociolinguistics, Russian Emigration, Data Analysis
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this academic paper?
The paper examines the usage of English articles ("the" and "a/an") by Russian speakers, focusing on whether these speakers exhibit a distinct variety of English characterized by specific grammatical deviations.
Which linguistic feature is primarily analyzed?
The research specifically analyzes the irregular usage, omission, and accidental insertion of definite and indefinite articles, as these are common features of interest in the study of Russian English.
What is the primary indicator of Russian English in this context?
The primary research question asks to what extent Russian English speakers, both in Russia and abroad, produce article-related errors and whether geographical environment influences the degree of standardization in their speech.
What research methodology was employed?
The author conducted a corpus-based approach using six selected YouTube channels, categorized by the speakers' locations (Russia vs. the US), to analyze real-time, informal, mesolectal speech patterns.
What does the main body of the work cover?
The main part encompasses an extensive historical overview of Russian-English language contact, an analysis of how English is taught in Russia, and a detailed diagnostic examination of specific article usage examples from the video corpus.
Which keywords best describe this study?
The most characterizing keywords are Russian English, World Englishes, YouTube, linguistic variation, article usage, and language contact.
Why was YouTube chosen for this data collection?
YouTube was selected because it serves as a "cultural archive" that provides access to spontaneous, non-scripted instances of informal English speech from individuals who are not primarily professional language producers.
Did the study find significant differences between speakers in Russia and the US?
While the study found some tendencies for US-based immigrants to be closer to Standard American English, it ultimately suggests that as a variety, Russian English exists on a continuum, and individual performance can vary regardless of location.
- Citation du texte
- Stella Bremer (Auteur), 2020, Russian English as a Distinct Variety. An Analysis of Article Use in YouTube Videos, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/1440845
