The frequency and range of personal pronouns in academic texts

Ekaterina V. Martynova; Marina I. Solnyshkina; Elzara V. Gafiyatova; Mariia B. Kazachkova

doi:10.29051/el.v7iesp.7.16335

Authors

Ekaterina V. Martynova Kazan Federal University, Kazan, Tatarstan, Russia https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5883-0718
Marina I. Solnyshkina Kazan Federal University, Kazan, Tatarstan, Russia https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1885-3039
Elzara V. Gafiyatova Kazan Federal University, Kazan, Tatarstan, Russia https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3190-4566
Mariia B. Kazachkova Moscow State Institute of International Relations, Moscow, Russia https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0357-3010

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.29051/el.v7iesp.7.16335

Keywords:

Personal pronouns, Academic texts, Russian academic discourse, Text complexity, Corpus, Disciplinary differences

Abstract

Researchers have been researching English text complexity and the impact of text metrics upon its challenge for various categories of readers for years and years. Significant measures have been taken lately towards a more excellent knowledge of changes in Russian texts of multiple genres. The present survey is a pilot corpus-based investigation concentrated upon variations in academic literature in Russian as represented in 2 books for the 9th-grade learners of secondary schools in Russian : (1) Biology. Human and health by A. M. Tsuzmer, O L. Petrishina, (2) Social Studies by Nikitin A.F., Nikitina T.I. The study subject that leads this research is: Are there notable diversity in the number of the personal and possessive pronouns applied in Russian classroom courses upon Social studies and Science? The obtained outcomes exhibit a significant trend of impersonality in the Science textbooks (TSU) under investigation. This means that the book writers on Science (TSU) prefer depersonalization strategies: they employ impersonal constructions and agentless passive, which decrease texts’ narrativity and hamper students’ understanding of the texts. The research findings present an influential guide that the current variations in the distribution of personal, possessive and reflective, pronouns in science and social coursebook examples are associated with text complexity. Moreover, those conclusions have significant connections for comprehending variations among social and Science texts and similar metrics. They suggest the language structures employed by authors of various disciplines differ considerably. The variations in the number and relative frequencies of pronouns are significant and compatible to indicate that each subcorpora can hold a different linguistic profile of characteristics. Additional examinations in the related sphere are recommended to resolve deficiencies in the size and range of texts adopted for the prevailing study.

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Author Biographies

Ekaterina V. Martynova, Kazan Federal University, Kazan, Tatarstan, Russia

Teaching assistant of the Department of theory and practice of teaching foreign languages, Institute of Philology and Intercultural Communication

Marina I. Solnyshkina, Kazan Federal University, Kazan, Tatarstan, Russia

Doctor of philological Science, Professor of the Department of theory and practice of teaching foreign languages, Institute of Philology and Intercultural Communication

Elzara V. Gafiyatova, Kazan Federal University, Kazan, Tatarstan, Russia

Doctor of philological Science, associate Professor of the Department of theory and practice of teaching foreign languages, Institute of Philology and Intercultural Communication

Mariia B. Kazachkova, Moscow State Institute of International Relations, Moscow, Russia

Candidate of Philolological Sciences, associate Professor of Department of English, Moscow State Institute of International Relations

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