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4objects in mathematics, with other subjects and life situations; choose modes of work (individually, in small groups, round table, etc.).
After completion of the main educational program, a student possessing mathematical competence has to show basic mathematical knowledge and understanding of the main theorems, methods and algorithms; ability to distinguish problems arising in professional activity, which can be solved by means of mathematics; ability to apply mathematical knowledge in life situations.
Correctly constructed technique on formation of mathematical competency promotes development of professional competences thanks to intellectual tasks at lectures, tasks from future professional activity during practical training and independent work of students.
REFERENCES
1. Ermakov, D.S. (2011), "Competence-based approach to education", Pedagogics, № 4, pp. 8-15.
2. Aronov, A.M. and Znamenskaya, O.V. (2010), "About the concept 'mathematical competence'", News of Moscow University, series 'Pedagogical education', №4, pp. 31-43.
3. Safonov, K.V. and Shershneva, V.A. (2009), "Didactic aspects of formation of professional competence of mathematician", Pedagogics, №5, pp. 66-72.
4. Prikhodovsky, M.L. (2013), "Proofs in course of mathematics at school and higher educational institution", The higher education in Russia, №2, pp. 157-158.
5. Krasinsky, L.F. (2011), "Learn to teach in a new way or about unused opportunities of lecture", The higher education in Russia, №2, pp. 98-103.
6. Robotova, A.S. (2011), "University lecture: past, present, future", The higher education in Russia, №4, pp. 127-133.
RESONANCE COMMUNICATION AS A SPECIAL FORM OF INTERPERSONAL INTERACTION
Abstract
The paper deals with the scientific description of resonance communication as a special form of interpersonal interaction. The author reveals its specific characteristics, communicative and language means. Resonance information is described on the language, cognitive and pragmatic levels.
Keywords
resonance communication, resonance information, political discourse, economic discourse, mass media, printed media, rumors, speech strategies and tactics, regulative activity
AUTHOR
Irina Vatskovskaya
PhD in Philology Herzen State Pedagogical University of Russia Saint-Petersburg, Russia irinavable@gmail.com
The contemporary printed media are the most influential and authoritative kind of speech, a tool for the formation of the public opinion and attitudes. Dissemination of
information through the mass media "is intended to" generate ideas about the world by influencing the public consciousness. The mass media discourse is defined as a connected, oral or written text in conjunction with pragmatic, sociocultural, psychological and other factors, taken in an eventive aspect, objectifying sociocultural interaction of an addressant and addressee (Zheltuhina, 2001). The main properties of the mass media: being turned to a mass audience, publicity, accessibility, effectiveness, agonistic features, dialogueness, emotionality. The main functions of the mass media are informative, influential and regulative (Solganik, 1997; Volodina, 2007; Kirillova, 2005; Demyankov, 2000; Sheygal, 2004).
Communication through the mass media is a special form of the socially oriented communication, specific characteristics of which are related with particular properties of a recipient, and a special kind of the feedback. As a rule the mass media recipient is characterized by its anonymity, it is dispersed in space and (in the case of the mass media) in time. Communication through the mass media is characterized by the absence or minimization of the immediate feedback in the form of voice messages, emotional and psychological reactions (Zasurskiy, 2001; Kubryakova, 1987).
Generation of the mass media discourse starts with the birth of the addressant's idea and it is presented as its deployment. As regards content discourse is presented as a hierarchy of predicates of different levels (sub-themes), it is the recipient-oriented. Discourse suggests that the recipient has some knowledge common to both communicants. In the process of perception an instant cognitive processing of the incoming information is going on in the recipient's mind. It provides the discourse comprehension (Haideger, 1993; Arnold, 1995; Zalevskaya, 2001).
The most important aspect of the contemporary newspaper communication is, as is well-known, the impact on the recipient. Using different pragmatically oriented linguistic means (expression, emotional breadth, assessment etc.) as well as a variety of techniques and methods (persuasion, suggestion, manipulation, neurolinguistic programming and others) the mass media creates the image of events, parties and policies beneficial to certain government agencies, changes the value system of the recipient, thereby controlling their social and individual behavior and reality perception (Bandura, 1994; Bryant Thompson, 2004; Leontyev, 1999). In the process of communication, as noted by many researchers, different types of information (episodic, thematic, social-deictic, content-factual and others) are transmitted by statements (Levinson, 1983; Brown, 1983; Dijk, 1981).
One of the specific types of information is the resonance information, actualized in the process of the resonance communication. Resonance communication is a special form of interpersonal interaction, where the resonance information serves as its main constitutive feature. Actualization of resonance information is carried out by complex communicative units "macro-acts" such as rumors, doubtful stories, various personal and institutional myths, opinions and advice of authoritative persons presented in the printed media in the form of a multi-format text. Resonance information as a special kind of significantly social and personal information is characterized by specific properties: precedent (resonance information is "someone else's" point of view; it's originally interpreted and transmitted by the addressant, who acts as an intermediary in the absence of the communicative role of the author); anonymity; the truth of its nature is not verifiable; "self-motion" on the planned or random route; flexible variability of influence forms on the addressee audience and the ability to act as a basic prototype for the construction of consequent resonance communicative units; functional limitation (length) in time of the resonance communicative units and their erasibility or replaceability from the communicative space by new informative units of the resonance type; easy transposability and replacement of targets; and functional-semantic flexibility of its expression; symbolism and mythology; emotionality (Romanova, 1998).
The nomination "rumors" in this research paper is used as a general term for all above-mentioned complex communicative units ("macro-acts"), since they all share the above-mentioned features. In social psychology a rumor is defined as a message (coming from one or more persons) about some events, not officially confirmed and orally transmitted from one person to another, as "a specific kind of informal interpersonal communication", as a special technique of influence on the public consciousness, an effective means of informational and psychological influence (Grachev, 2002). Rumors -the phenomenon of speech and, broadly defined, communicative activities, a special phenomena of interpersonal communication. Currently, rumors have obtained a wide circulation in the mass media. The mass addressee's trust to the source of rumors, its willingness to be guided by it in its social behavior on the one hand, and, on the other hand, essential anonymity of such information, its unreliability and inaccuracy form the contradictory nature of rumors. The important characteristic of the rumors is its obligatory exposure to retransmitting. The listener / reader, as a rule, usually transfers a rumor to a new recipient. While transferred a rumor tends to become shorter, concise, it is assimilated, re-formed according to the needs, habits, interests and feelings of the recipient. In addition, the desire to "be the first" in conveying information to the audience greatly contributes to the actualization of rumors. That is, the rumors are spread if they render phenomena, facts that are interesting and important for the audience, and the available information is either insufficient or ambiguous. Among reasons of rumors' emergence and durability the most significant are: the ability to meet actual needs of people: the utilitarian needs (to acquire the information object, to form people's certain opinions, attitudes, encourage them to a particular choice, behavior, etc.), the need for prestige (to stay tuned earlier than others, or to have an exclusive information), emotive needs (rumors, as a rule, tend to generate strong positive or negative emotions). Some authors point out that the important reason for the rumors' emergence is a misrepresentation of information or its shortage. The prolonged shortage of information causes a hunger for information and people, figuratively speaking, start "swallowing the monstrous tall stories" (Grachev, 2002; Kitov, 1990). A wide variety of rumors are actualized in the communication process: by origin rumors can be either spontaneous or intentionally fabricated, purposefully distributed; by its informative base rumors can be divided into authentic and absolutely unauthentic rumors, false with elements of credibility, credible with elements of improbability; by its expressive base - desired rumors, frightening rumors, aggressive and divisive; by its circulation area rumors are divided into local, regional, national, international; by its content - political, environmental, economic, etc.; by its timeline - concerning the past, present, future; in relation to reality - rational, fantastic, etc. By the results of the influence on the consciousness and behavior of people - exciting public opinion, but staying within social behavior; causing anti-social behavior of some part of people, destroying social ties between people and thus causing riots (Kitov, 1990). All of these kinds of rumors are widely used by the efficient way in oral and written communication. Effectiveness of rumors' appliance and overlap depends on the comprehensive record of socio-psychological mechanisms of their functioning.
Thematic area of "macro-acts" that actualize resonance information in the contemporary English print media is mainly represented by multi-format texts / discourses that reflect political and economic events, various disasters, conflicts, natural disasters and events in show business. All they rerepresent reports on mysteries, they are characterized by various kinds of omissions and allusions, a vague coverage. In the political discourse the resonance information is frequently actualized during transition periods, when political events that important for a particular society take place: election campaigns, parliamentary elections, presidential elections, the formation of the cabinet accompanied by political discussions, political debates, agitations, rallies, protests, etc.
As an example, we consider the discussion in the print media the formation of a new government cabinet in the United States in 2008, when there were numerous media speculations about the possible designation of Hillary Clinton to the post of Secretary of State: «The rumour-mill was in overdrive after reports that Hillary Clinton was being offered the post of secretary of state by Barack Obama» [The Economist, Nov. 20, 2008, p.5]. «Speculation in recent days has focused on the possibility that Mr. Obama would ask Mrs. Clinton, a second term senator from New York, to be his secretary of state» [the NYT Nov. 14, 2008, p.3]. In the first news reports linguistic units such as rumor, speculation are used indicating the absence of any reliable information. However, the lack of information just stirs up the public interest. The reaction of the media is prompt. The number of rumors is growing at an exponential rate. Different points of view appear in various newspapers. Some newspapers, referring to some mythical "advisers", confirm that such an appointment is unlikely possible: «More than a dozen advisers to both sides said Sunday that although they did not have firm information, they considered it improbable that Mr. Obama would have opened the door to Mrs. Clinton's appointment» [the NYT, Nov. 14, 2008, p.3].Others report that according to some sources Obama and Clinton's meeting took place in Chicago, and details of the meeting were not disclosed. Obama's transitional administration and Clinton's apparatus keep silence: «The Clinton rumors flared late on Thursday, first after reports that she had been spotted boarding a flight for Chicago [The NYT, Nov. 14, 2008, p. 3]. «IN THE absence of fact, rumour will dominate: and the latest exciting rumour to emerge from Chicago, where Barack Obama's transition team is headquartered....» [The Economist, Nov. 18, 2008, p.4]. The third party, referring to some unknown source, takes responsibility to assert that Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama actually met in Chicago: «"Sources" claim this, though all that is known for sure is that Mrs Clinton visited her former adversary last week.» [The Economist, Nov. 18, 2008, p.4]. Reportedly Obama's advisers claim that he did not make any formal offers to Clinton at the meeting, and some representatives of the Democratic Party and Hillary Clinton's friends believe she hesitates, and she is to take her final decision: «Although advisers to Mr. Obama have said he has not made a formal offer, most Democrats believe the decision is hers to make, and friends said Thursday that she was wavering».There are also rumors with an obvious hint at their reliability. Some newspapers report the date of Hillary Clinton's nomination to the post of Secretary of State: Mr. Obama's advisers said that although no offer had been formally accepted, her nomination was "on track" and would probably be announced after the holiday [The NYT, Nov. 22, 2008, p. 1]. «.and Hillary Clinton is expected to be formally confirmed as Secretary of State following the Thanksgiving holiday on Thursday» [The Guardian, Nov. 21, 2008, p.7]. All the rumors that refer to the political sphere, as the investigated material shows, are based on the anonymity, the authorship's uncertainty, because the source of the disclosed information is either unknown to the addressant, or there is a need for one or another reason to conceal it, or, if in the report there are the addressant's forecasts, he is quite reluctant to report them as his own, at the same time the addressant has an irresistible wish to make them public.
Resonance information is widely represented in economic reports as the economy is the part of people's everyday life. The well-being and people's life activity depends on economic events. Crises and upheavals in the economy - inflation, currency fluctuations, devaluation, bankruptcy of enterprises, protests, uncertain economic forecasts, financial scandals, etc. promote active circulation of rumors. Energy and oil supplies are of great importance for all states. In this regard there is a great variety of fears and rumors that are important to the public and have an impact on the oil price. Thus, according to forecasts of respected analysts the oil price could level up to $ 200 a barrel: «In July, light sweet crude was trading above $147 a barrel and respected analysts were predicting that it was on the way to $200 a barrel» [The FT, Oct. 27, 2008, p.2]. Some people who
work in the oil market, due to reduced oil volumes in the world, have the same point of view: «Some people in the market expected oil to hit $200 a barrel on the basis that oil was close to running out» [The FT, Oct. 27, 2008, p.2].There is also a rumor that even if oil supplies are disrupted, it will still cause higher oil prices and traders will get huge profits: «In that tight market even a rumour of supply disruption can send prices soaring, yielding huge profits for traders» [BBC, Sept. 16, 2008]. At the same time in the mass media there are reports that, despite the forecasts of oil prices growth, the price falls due to the global decline in oil production, that in its turn will lead to lower oil demand: «Now, everybody is saying that the falling price is a result of the global downturn, which will reduce demand for oil» [The Economist, Nov.12, 2008, p.3]. In this regard some observers doubt the might of Opec, its ability to raise prices by reducing oil's sales:«...Observers said that the failure of oil prices to climb suggested that Opec was losing its power» [The Economist, Oct. 24, 2008, p.9]. Whereupon OPEC's oil producers responded that oil prices are set by so-called speculators: «The oil producers cartel Opec yells that there's plenty of the black stuff available and the price is being forced up by "speculators"» [The Economist, June 22, 2008, p.5].
As it follows from the investigated material various international economic institutions, organizations act as the addressant of economic rumors. They shape the recipient's definite opinion regarding the stable or unstable economic situation in the country\city\region, provide both positive and negative economic forecasts. The addressant of a rumor remains anonymous, determines a recipient's reaction, and gains his economic benefit from the current situation. In everyday life a man constantly has to overcome real or imaginary dangers that threaten his existence. At a time of disaster, cataclysms and conflicts the mass media creates a particularly strong effect on people's minds. Lack of information about what is happening contributes to the rumors circulation, any misinformation, especially when crisis situations (floods, fires, earthquakes, droughts), accidents (plane crash, train, car accident), conflicts (separatist clashes, terrorist attacks, military conflicts) take place. Strong wind roses caused the growth of extensive wildfires in southern California. Initial reports indicated that the wildfire spread quickly on the area of 1012 hectares:«The fire, fanned by high winds, had spread to 2,500 acres (1,012 hectares) by early Friday, officials said» [bBc, Nov. 14, 2008]. However, due to the lack of reliable information reports circulate as rumors, and vary in different newspapers. For example The Guardian reported that the fire covered the territory of more than 8000 hectares: « Officials said wildfires have scorched more than 20,000 acres (8,000 hectares)...» [The Guardian, Nov. 17, 2008, p.1]. In The Economist we read: «...fires raged from Santa Barbara to Los Angeles and Orange County, burning a total of 35,000 acres (14,000 hectares)» [The Economist, Nov. 17, 2008, p.1]. The next day The International Herald Tribune reported 17,000 hectares: «... and burned 42,000 acres (17,000 hectares), or 65 square miles (168 square kilometers), forcing thousands to flee» [The IHT, Nov. 18, 2008, p.1]. A similar variation in information can be traced in reports regarding destroyed houses. On the 16th of November The International Herald Tribune reported about 1,000 houses damaged by the fire: « ..around Southern California on Sunday although calmer winds slowed flames that have destroyed almost 1,000 houses, forced tens of thousands to evacuate» [The IHT, Nov. 16, 2008, p.1]. The very same day The Guardian reported approximately 800 houses damaged by the fire. «California wildfires: «... destroying more than 800 houses...» [The Guardian, Nov. 16, 2008, p.1]. In various printed publications the information concerning the number of people injured and killed is different. On November 14th, the BBC website reported 13 injured people and the absence of dead people: «No deaths have been reported but 13 people have been treated for burns or smoke inhalation» [BBC, Nov. 14, 2008]. On November 17th The Guardian confirms this information: «.missing persons and no evidence of loss of life». On the same day The Guardian reported the death of one person: «Residents return to
areas ravaged by California wildfires»: «Just one death was reported in the fires...» [The Guardian, Nov. 17, 2008, p.1]. On November 19th The Internatinal Herald Tribune reported more than 20 victims: «injuring more than two dozen people...» [The IHT, Nov. 19, 2008, p.2].
In times of natural disasters, catastrophes, conflicts the mass media, relying on dubious, unreliable sources and claiming possession of the information earlier than others or exclusive information, actually represents conflicted information on the level of rumors that does not reassure people or bring them relief, but, on the contrary, misinforms them, exacerbates their anxiety.
In the process of actualization of the above-described types of discourse in the resonance communication an addressant pursues the following objectives: to senisitize the addressee in a certain way before important political events; to explode the reputation/ raise credibility of political leaders, political organisations, parties; distract people's attention from solving major problems; to form a recipient's o pinion about a stable situation in the country; to prevent disorders; to gain political \ economic benefits; to implant panic and fear in minds; discredit the opponent's/organization's/institution's activity in the eyes of the majority; to provoke the opponent to make hasty steps; to prepare the addressee for the worst times; to misinform the opponent; to provoke the recipient to act in a way favorable to one of the parties to dispute; to draw public attention to the definite event; draw readers' attention to a newspaper, to boost its rating.
Resonance information transmitted by the mass media - is, as it was mentioned above, an important means of influence on the public consciousness in order to impose some opinions, points of view on a recipient, to create mindsets, to form certain representations of reality, that is, to form a certain attitude and emotional state of a recipient. In the process of resonance communication the addressant uses a variety of strategies and tactics, as well as a variety of language means, in this way he indirectly influences on the recipient. The main strategies and tactics are: concealing of the information, the information hoax, the misinformation, the discredit, "the addressee naming", tactics of threats and intimidation, the relieving of responsibility, "the initiation of an information wave", the creation of the illusion of credibility, the indirect citation, the manipulation of facts, the exception of a subject as a source of information, references to the source of information, the accusation, the criticism and contesting, the "mockery" and "labeling" tactics, the engaging of witnesses, the generalization.
The information incompetence is a specific characteristics of resonance communication, it's marked by various linguistic means: abstract nouns instead of nominations of concrete facts and people; abstract nouns, that nominates the very act of resonance communication; evaluative adjectives and adverbs, verbs that mean "opportunities", "probability", "lack of confidence in the truth" of reports; verbs of speech, intellectual and sensory activity implying the unexpressed subject of the speech; renaming, changing of names of certain objects or phenomena; incorrect comparative constructions; the excessive use of keywords; words that have a positive or negative connotation; different stylistic figures of speech (neologisms, irony, rhetorical questions, metaphors and etc.).
The regulative activity is actualized in the resonance communication. In this research work the regulative activity (regulation) is defined as a system of speech acts carried out by an addressant in accordance with chosen strategies, aimed at coordinating the activities of a recipient in order to achieve an addressant's goals with the desired effect. The regulatory activity is characterized by flexibility, carried out in a certain pragmatic context, apart from which it can not be perceived and interpreted by a recipient, and has a number of properties, the most important of which are the dynamics, stability, continuity, discretion, consistency, circularity (Romanova, 1998). Depending on
the interpersonal interactions the regulation is carried out in different directions. In the studied types of discourse it is presented in its linear, corrective, branched or search varieties. The regulative activity is focused on the management of views, beliefs, estimates, verbal \ nonverbal behavior of the recipient in accordance with the addressant's objectives and strategies and tactics.
Thus resonance communication is a special form of interpersonal interaction widely actualized in the English printed media.
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