Algirdas Makarevicius. Doctoral Dissertation
(Abstract)
The Feature Article as a Genre of English Newspaper (Linguo-Stylistic Research)
Germanic Languages. Number of pages: 208
The dissertation comprises an introduction, three chapters, a conclusion, and a bibliography. It focuses on the linguo-stylistic peculiarities of the feature article as an independent genre in English newspaper style. The research aimed to investigate the feature article's relevant structural, compositional, and linguo-pragmatic peculiarities. First, the researcher examined the general characteristics of the feature article as a genre and a specific text type. The second step involved comparing the compositional and semantic structures. Third, the study explored pragmatic factors that influence the selection and use of different language means and stylistic devices in feature-article texts. Finally, the study compared leading articles and short news items with the feature articles.
The introduction established the novelty of the research methods and the work's theoretical and practical significance. The study described and employed the following research methods: investigation of theme-rheme relationships at the text level, comparative analysis, stylistic analysis, contrastive analysis, and statistical research methods. Chapter I investigated the elements of the feature article's formal structure. Chapter II explored the linguo-pragmatic and compositional peculiarities of the feature article. Chapter III focused on a comparative analysis of the following newspaper genres: the feature article, the short news item, and the leading article. For the research, I used 1,500 feature articles from the following British newspapers: The Times, The Sunday Times, The Guardian, The Daily Telegraph, The Daily Mirror, The Daily Express, The Daily Mail, and The Sun. For contrastive analysis, I studied 800 short news items and 800 leading articles.
The results showed that feature articles differ from other newspaper genres in their compositional, semantic, structural, and pragmatic peculiarities. The study identified two types of feature articles: expressive and logical. In addition, the study identified nine subtypes of semantic development in expressive and logical feature articles: ordo artificialis, parallelism, spiral development, illustration, amplification, dotted development, detachment, stepped development, and argumentation. Finally, the research results showed that the feature article is a distinct genre in English newspaper style.
The research results can be applied to further develop theoretical disciplines in text linguistics and to develop practical solutions for specific problems in functional stylistics and English language teaching methodology.
(Abstract)
The Feature Article as a Genre of English Newspaper (Linguo-Stylistic Research)
Germanic Languages. Number of pages: 208
The dissertation comprises an introduction, three chapters, a conclusion, and a bibliography. It focuses on the linguo-stylistic peculiarities of the feature article as an independent genre in English newspaper style. The research aimed to investigate the feature article's relevant structural, compositional, and linguo-pragmatic peculiarities. First, the researcher examined the general characteristics of the feature article as a genre and a specific text type. The second step involved comparing the compositional and semantic structures. Third, the study explored pragmatic factors that influence the selection and use of different language means and stylistic devices in feature-article texts. Finally, the study compared leading articles and short news items with the feature articles.
The introduction established the novelty of the research methods and the work's theoretical and practical significance. The study described and employed the following research methods: investigation of theme-rheme relationships at the text level, comparative analysis, stylistic analysis, contrastive analysis, and statistical research methods. Chapter I investigated the elements of the feature article's formal structure. Chapter II explored the linguo-pragmatic and compositional peculiarities of the feature article. Chapter III focused on a comparative analysis of the following newspaper genres: the feature article, the short news item, and the leading article. For the research, I used 1,500 feature articles from the following British newspapers: The Times, The Sunday Times, The Guardian, The Daily Telegraph, The Daily Mirror, The Daily Express, The Daily Mail, and The Sun. For contrastive analysis, I studied 800 short news items and 800 leading articles.
The results showed that feature articles differ from other newspaper genres in their compositional, semantic, structural, and pragmatic peculiarities. The study identified two types of feature articles: expressive and logical. In addition, the study identified nine subtypes of semantic development in expressive and logical feature articles: ordo artificialis, parallelism, spiral development, illustration, amplification, dotted development, detachment, stepped development, and argumentation. Finally, the research results showed that the feature article is a distinct genre in English newspaper style.
The research results can be applied to further develop theoretical disciplines in text linguistics and to develop practical solutions for specific problems in functional stylistics and English language teaching methodology.