FUNCTIONAL STYLISTICS

FUNCTIONAL STYLISTICS Functional stylistics is a branch of linguistics which studies functional varieties of the literary language determined by specific spheres and aims of communication. In modern society every person constantly finds himself in regularly recurring situations typical of the given culture, in which he has to play a definite social role, i.e. to behave according to norms accepted in the given society for such situations. One of the manifestations of a social role of a person is his speech behavior – specific ways of speech organization characteristic of definite spheres of communication. Whenever we use language, we choose language means in accordance with the social-linguistic situation which is constituted by many factors: sphere of human activity (administration, science, business, law, religion, every day life); situation of communication and social roles of the communicants; social and personal, psychological characteristics of the communicants: social standing, profession, educational and cultural level, age, sex, temperament, emotional state; relationships between communicants in terms of familiarity; common stock of experience. Under the influence of these factors the national language develops numerous forms of linguistic variation: different forms of speech (written or oral), different functional varieties of language (functional styles, sublanguages, registers). Opinion of linguists is divided as to the number and forms of linguistic variation. Halliday singles out 3 varieties (tenors): official, neutral, non-official. According to V.A.Maltsev, there are two varieties: formal and informal. Criteria for distinguishing between varieties of the language are also different. Thus, I.R.Galperin proposes a two-level classification of styles and substyles based on the functions of language in the given sphere of communication:
1. The belles-lettres functional style with the substyles of: 1) poetry, 2) emotive