CC BY
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Section 1. Linguistics
36. Hopper P. J. Transitivity in grammar and discourse./P. J. Hopper, S. A. Thompson//Language. 1980. -Vol. 56 -№ 2. - P. 251-299.
Muradova Aynur Valiaddin, Azerbaijan State University of Economics (ASUE),
Senior Lecturer of ASUE E-mail: aynurmuradova.1975@mail.ru
New stage in the study of the problem of thematic progression (TP)
Abstract: In the article the problems of originating of the texts in modern linguistics are esteemed. The writer has decided to show huge capabilities of theme progression in originating the text in English, using recent works of the modern scholars. The writer indicates that most relevant of these capabilities is the problem of attachment behaviour, which is the most important tag of the text.
Keywords: Text, thematic progression, cognitive linguistics, problem of affection, theme, transitions.
The issue of text creation is considered as one of the major problems in modern linguistics. Here the opportunities of thematic progression (TP) are so extended. The most important of these is the problem of affection. Affection is the main indication of the text, and the study and determination of its different types (semantic, syntactic, logical, linear and global affection) in the text syntax of TP in terms of place and position, provides ground to the overall research of the mentioned problems.
Low level of loading of thematic elements in terms of information allows using them in text creation as a “construction material”. According to many linguists, any text may be presented in the form of sequence of text themes (or text fragment). Also, the thematic structure of the text is characterized by a specific affection of its themes. This affection is the indication of the relations of separate parts or a whole text.
As seen, the next stage in the study of the problem of thematic progression (TP) is mostly associated with the inclusion of it into the text sphere. In this regard, recently some aspects — the meaning of the text, its structure (affection among the sentences, relation, attitude, communication issues) — of TP associated with the text have been reviewed in the works ofV. Mateizus, F. Danesh, J. Firbas, A. M. Peshkovsky, K. Abdullayev,
A. Mammadov, A. Abdullayev and other linguists. Namely modern development of the text theory leaning the ideas of these scholars allows principally new attitude toward the creation and understanding mechanism of the text.
As far as we are concerned, our researches regarding text creation of TP on the basis of English materials may be considered urgent in terms of some aspects:
• Firstly, TP enables to see the condition of the components of “known” and “new” which are necessary in the definite section and in the process of organising of the text;
• Secondly, TP enables to clarify other linguistic indications of the text which is a whole and dynamic phenomenon;
• Thirdly, TP is rhetoric and it specifies the opportunities of some language events such as the notion of lexical-semantic theme and genre, certainty and uncertainty in the theme, predication and TP, reference and cohesion.
It is clear that, language in linguistics has been studied as an abstract notion until recent years. Rapid development of ideas of structural linguistic school, which are satisfied with the principal of “language in itself and for itself”, is not so far away in terms of time. Until recent years, because much attention has not been paid on interaction and attitude problems of language and meaning and language and understanding process, this problem has almost remained unnoticed. Even the appearance of pragmatic tendency in linguistics in the 80s of the last century did not allow full implementation of these theoretical considerations occurred in this field. One of the main reasons is that, namely paradigm of scientific researches has changed. While before fundamental sciences nominated theoretical ideas which were periodically implemented by relevant technologies, now situation has slightly changed-any technological development process itself makes necessary the theoretical researches in one or another direction.
Such a rapid development in linguistics has resulted in application of new science fields into the linguistics. This should not seem unusual, because differentiation and inte-
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New stage in the study of the problem of thematic progression (TP)
gration ofsciences are an objective process that constitutes dialectical unity. As a result of such merging of sciences, a new field-cognitive linguistics has been founded. At first, learning knowledge during language communication was investigated as one of the main directions of the cognitive science. Beginning in the mid 70s, “cognitive science" began to be used in the sense ofprocesses ofcollection, use and adoption of information by people.
Though there are different characterized researches devoted to the investigation of cognitive language aspects, there still exist a number of problems to be solved. Among them, the most debated two main problems draw attention:
1. Issuance of different types of knowledge structures and the role of TP in understanding of this knowledge;
2. Means ofconceptual organisation ofknowledge in understanding process, the role of TP in dynamics of sense and organising language information.
Issuance of certain knowledge during language communication is so complex and controversial problem. Knowledge expressed in an explicit form is only a part of general knowledge base. In this knowledge base, storage of information is not in the stagnant state and it is such a self-motivating and self-regulating system that it is dynamically in motion, changes and improves.
In our opinion, at least the following components constitute the fundamental of knowledge base:
1) Knowledge on language: a) phonetics, phonology, lexicology, grammar, semantics; b) Knowledge on rules of use of language; с) Knowledge on principles of exchange of speech;
2) Language-exterior knowledge: a) context and situation, knowledge on addressee (aim and plans by addressee, his/her imagination on speaker and condition and etc.); b) information in general background (external world surroundding us, knowledge on event, situation, movement and processes occurred there).
A number of major problems forming the base of knowledge have been investigated sufficiently. But difficulty mainly occurs in the process of identifying proper structure of issuance of existing knowledge, that is, by developing in the following texts, in transformation of existing information to the new information and in revealing the role of TP in this process.
For decades, one of the major issues in cognitive training theory has been the idea of clarification of inseparable interactions of processes in human memory, as well as, of creation mechanism and understanding of language information. Indeed, understanding of any
new situation, above all, leads to find a situation close and a little similar to it in the memory. In order to analyse and perceive new information we have to address to the experience which has already been collected in our memory. This search is based on that, analyse and perception structure of new information is similar to the structure which is used for formation of the memory.
Thus, there is a need for investigation of dynamic aspect of understanding of associated text, studying strategic nature of understanding proves and investigation of opportunities of TP in this process. Not all know that, mostly strategies used in understanding of texts are not planed beforehand and they remain beyond the conscious control of language carriers.
As seen, because thematic progression is a semantic event, it is very different from the other parameters considered as an investigation object. One direction of semantic investigation is to classify reference sources of the theme on the basis of its abstract lexical-semantic categories, for instance, participants, events, concrete and abstract nouns and etc. [5, 62]. While other direction is the classification based upon the membership of special lexical groups of the theme determined in the text [4, 37].
The notions of Theme and Thematic progression are closely associated with each other. As seen from the name, the notion of thematic progression assumes the propriety of the notion of Theme. It becomes clear that, for the followers of Halliday version ofTheme, the existence of models ofthematic progression which is called a “development method” by Fries is the main evidence of the propriety notion of Theme, that is, it is not banal. As an example of propriety of the notion of Theme, it may be possible to show such fact that, the followers of SFG (Student Feedback Questionnaire) school regularly referred to Fries; more important fact is that, Halliday paid a special attention on this issue in his bibliography and article on application of thematic structure. So, for the sake of argument, if we accept that thematic progression does not exist in the text or thematic progression is completely occasional, in the true sense of the word, it is not a strict progression, we can shake the thought of existence of Theme as a notion. Otherwise, if concrete texts are shown for the regular display of strong thematic progression models, researchers will identify a significant feature of the discourse instead of identifying the Theme in the text.
Enkvist, the contemporary of Danesh, created the classification consisting of his four progression forms which he called “transitions”. As a term, the study by Enkvist is different from Danesh’s: Enkvist calls transition which was called progression by Danesh between two
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Section 1. Linguistics
sentences; while the Danesh’s progression is based upon the information that is contextually obvious, inversions of Enkvist are formed on the thematic relations. Thus, differences are characterised superficially; both scholars pay a special attention on direct and indirect abstract semantic-lexical relations like synonym, antonym and hyponym in order to identify inter-sentence relations. Where Enkvist uses the terms of Theme repetition and Theme progression, Danish uses the terms of Systematic TP and Rectilinear TP. As we see, Fries benefited from Halliday in the definition of condition of Theme, that is, Theme constantly comes before Rheme. He focuses on TP typology of Danesh, but accepted his sequentially arranged or condition-based definition by simplifying it.
Referring to the definition by Enkvist, Fries accepting the formula of the Theme, which is connected to the situation, claims that, various types of thematic progression create correlation with stylistic differences. Stories correspond to the same images, sequences or arrangements and thus, incline to Systematic Theme Progression.
On the other hand, there is such a complex provision in the scientific articles that, each next idea is a large
form of the idea in the previous sentence and directly depends on it. In such a paragraph, the Theme of one sentence plays the role of an idea receiver of the Rheme of the some former sentences [4, 9]. But academic writing increases the influence of Rectilinear and Derivative TP rather than Systematic Theme Progression.
As far as we are concerned, a change of this term is not of particular importance. Danesh accepted the adjoining of TP and idealized type of Simple and Systematic TP. There is one point in the dynamic sequence of the text that, here the Listeners have difficulty to remember mentioning of some repeated text units in the theme or rheme of the previous sentence for the last time. Gaps in TP allow for such a conclusion that, though TP is thematic or rhematic, it becomes gradually improper and may only be comprehensive through synoptic analytic. The advantage of combined themes, the combined material of previous theme and rheme especially stresses the dynamic nature of such type of the text and offers to eliminate the contextual necessity of previous references (thematic or rhematic) from where they are located.
References:
1. Abdullayev A. A. Text, Meaning, and Understanding: a communicative-cognitive approach. - Alpha Print, UMN Minneapolis, USA, 1999. - 235 p.
2. Enkvist N. E. Stylistics and text linguistics. In Dressler W. (ed.)//Current trends in text linguistic. - Berlin de Gruyter, 1978. - Р. 174-190.
3. Fries P. H. On the status ofTheme in English: arguments from discourse.//Forum Linguisticum, 1981/1983. -6/1, 1-38. (Reprinted in Petofi, J. S. and E. Sozer (eds.), Micro and macro connexity of texts. - Hamburg: Buske. -Р. 116-152.)
4. Ghadessy M. Thematic development and its relationship to register and genres. In: Ghadessy M. (ed.)//Thematic development in English texts. - London: Pinter, 1995.
5. Grabe W. and Kaplan R. Theory and practice of writing. - London: Longman, 1996.
6. Mahmudov M. A. Formal analyse system of the text. - Baku, Elm, 2002. - 242 p.
7. Гальперин И. Р. Текст как объект лингвистического исследования. - М.: Наука, 1981. - 138 с.
8. Дж. Лайонз. Лингвистическая семантика. Введение. - М., 2003. - 400 с.
Haxhiu Mariola, MSc in Linguistic, University of Arts of Tirana, MSc in Linguistic, the Faculty of Foreign Langue E-mail: mariola_haxhiu@hotmail.com
Evaluation as an important pedagogical tool in Learning and Teaching
Abstract: Evaluation means to give a certain value to something. Evaluating is an unsplited part of the work of a teacher, who evaluates on the basis of some criterias. Evaluation is an important pedagogical tool in learning and teaching. He is often specified as a judgment of the quality.
The hypothesis that we raise is that the evaluation is an important tool in motivating pupils.it gives them the needed information in order to orient the pupils and let them profit. Are the linguistic skills evaluated in the other
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