Bulletin of the Transilvania University of Brasov. Series IV: Philology and Cultural Studies

The struggle for life in Charles Dickens’s novel Great Expectations

Raluca-Andreea Petrus — Mon, 20 Nov 2023 00:00:00 +0000

In the Dickensian novel “Great Expectations” (1861), characters pursue various aims and typically achieve both gains and losses through their efforts. This research will textually examine their struggles in order to better comprehend the difficulties Pip and other significant characters have as they (re)construct their (self)identities, seek their ambitions, and either ascend to or preserve their social status. The analysis illustrates how characters struggle for existence both psychologically and physically: one’s struggle, at times, equals a coming of age. According to the study’s findings, the novel’s characters re-imagine their convictions as reality changes their prior ideals.

Victimization or self-inflicted hurt: Double narrative movements in Katherine Mansfield’s The Little Governess

Sufen Wu — Mon, 20 Nov 2023 00:00:00 +0000

The paper aims to study the double narrative movements in Katherine Mansfield’s short story “The Little Governess” which has received limited critical attention because of its seemingly simple plot. Most of the previous interpretations concentrate on the victimization of the little governess by patriarchal forces. But the study of Mansfield’s subtle stylistic choices, together with intertextual comparison and the connection with the author’s personal life, reveals that behind the ‘overt plot,’ there exists a ‘covert progression’ in which another countervailing theme springs out: the victimization of the little governess by her class prejudice. By laying bare the heroine as a girl who is victimized by her distinct class consciousness, this essay exposes Mansfield’s criticism of the deep-rooted class division.

Phraseological predicatives in Bulgarian

Maria A. Todorova — Mon, 20 Nov 2023 00:00:00 +0000

This research represents a group of phraseological constructions with predicatives expressing the meaning of state in the Bulgarian language. It is a stage of the work on the study of the syntactic and semantic structure of the predicates for state in Bulgarian with a view to the ontological presentation of the meanings of state. The interest is focused on the description of the varieties and characteristics of phraseological constructions with predicatives expressing state semantics, their functions, and specifics through the prism of the mutual overflow between the free constructions and idioms.

A sociolinguistic perspective on the subdialect spoken in the Upper Valley of the Mures

Violeta Ioana Rus — Mon, 20 Nov 2023 00:00:00 +0000

The present research falls within the domain of variational linguistics, it is focused on the study of the variability of the language used by the inhabitants of the Upper Valley of the Mureș and is a sociolinguistic approach from a synchronic and diachronic perspective. In a previous linguistic study (Rus 2012, 219) it has been noted that within the subdialect spoken in the Upper Valley of the Mureș, the influences of the Moldavian subdialect, as well as those of Hungarian can be traced. However, the influence of the standard language among young people, but also among the people who have a higher social status, is obvious. In the determination of the physiognomy of the dialect, one must take into account not only its formation mechanisms but also the transformations occurring as a result of the influence of the standard language or the contact with other languages. Therefore, I will consider the degree to which the dynamics of the subdialect are influenced by the standard language or by neologisms, but also the determination of the dialectal linguistic competence and performance according to sociolinguistic criteria (gender, age, and social status). In the Upper Valley of the Mures, there are common and distinctive features of the use of language between members of different ages, statuses, and genders. However, older people tend to use more frequently the specific particularities of the subdialect, whereas the younger ones or those who have a higher social status use constantly literary language or even neologism, even though they know the subdialect.

“Marked as seen” – Considerations on role ambiguity in social media

Eugen Istodor — Mon, 20 Nov 2023 00:00:00 +0000

crush marked you as seen!” is a language hybrid encountered on the internet, with two English words poured into a Romanian expression. A pun copied after a Romanian folk saying is, in posthumanism (Braidotti 2016) a representation and symbolising formula (Todorov, apud Răutu 2021). A pun, but without humour, more like a cynical ascertainment (Iftode, Voinea 2016) that imposes a sociological research, in which linguistics, communication sciences, and behavioural psychology can bear adequate witness. We’ll analyse the phrase “marked as seen” in social media contexts and the explanations of those involved. We’ll try a linguistic explanation as to its formation and we’ll establish borders and resemblances with similar phrases in Romanian. Then, starting from details and general characteristics of virtual communication, we shall observe the community implications, the emotional participation rate and the depression signs, and the marginalisation status. A simple question is asked in the communication field: Is “marked as seen” a limit of the virtual communication system automatization? Also, is “marked as seen” a point of view towards the ethics conceived by Ricoeur (1994)? “Our own interpretation mediated by the ethic evaluation of our actions”. The dramatization through denial and the confession of the nude truth that hides untruths (Sloterdijk 2000) sends towards the idealism and the fragility of social media relations. In a territory of efficient communication, “marked as seen” creates behavioural breaks. In an area lacking “free will” (Lernier 2018), there is an inadequacy between technology and the individual. Where there is a supremacy of automatisms (Lernier 2018) individual will or disregard creates ambiguity. “Marked you as seen” can be, despite the “cancel culture” statements, at least a community gesture of post-humanity explained with the means of modernity.

Argumentation through narrative

Gabriela Chefneux — Mon, 20 Nov 2023 00:00:00 +0000

The paper analyzes the way in which narratives are used in argumentation. The theoretical part is divided into two subsections – argumentation and narrative - both presented in terms of theories and functions. The practical part is based on the transcription of a training course organized by an insurance company. The aim of the analysis is to study the way in which argumentative stories can be used in a formal setting, by identifying the type of argument, the part played in it by the story, and the function the story has in the structure of the argument.

Political action and inaction. Identity co-construction in the face of modern crises

Adrian Toader — Mon, 20 Nov 2023 00:00:00 +0000

The purpose of this research is to examine how the topic of migration is viewed under the political lenses of the European Parliament, and how the identity of both the in-group (characterized by the European Community) and the out-groups (represented by Ukrainian and Syrian refugees) are negotiated in parliamentary discourse. The corpus comprises 20 follow-up interventions dealing with the refugee crisis (from 2015 to 2023). To address these aspects, the paper is based on a multidisciplinary approach rooted in fields such as Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) and pragma-rhetoric. Looking at how collective identities are projected through pronominal references provides a better understanding of the plurality of voices that shape the process of identity formation. Based on the findings, the last part of the research will draw a comparison between how the identities of the in-group and out-group are discursively constructed and co-constructed and will draw attention to the subsequent strategic effects of group categorizing.

The correlation between the socio-economic variants and the EFL educational gain of video gaming in light of the VLT test results of secondary school students

R. Arnold-Stein , I. Hortobagyi — Mon, 20 Nov 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Nowadays learning English is offered at all schooling levels as this language has proved to be necessary in almost all walks of life. Nevertheless, with regard to the student’s socioeconomic status, the ultimate goal of reaching the highest skills is rarely attainable for all. Research has revealed that better-educated parents, with a wider mother tongue (L1) vocabulary, may supply room for their children’s second (L2) or third (L3) language acquisition, thus setting higher demands for their children. Parents with higher socioeconomic status can also provide special education to their children, such as extracurricular classes or fee-paying schools. Such educative options may give deeper perceptions of the target language and culture, therefore gifted students living in a disadvantaged situation should not be abandoned by the educational system. This research seeks answers to the facilitative factors of foreign language learning in relation to the student’s socioeconomic status and video gaming. The collected data of the secondary school students (n= 890) also provides their school grades in their English language courses, which are used as indicators of correct language use and the devices on which the video gamer students can play. The results indicate that the VLT test results of the participants correlate highly with their socioeconomic status and school grades in English.

Investigating challenges in thesis writing for non-native MA students of English: The case of second-year MA students of English in Algeria

Fatiha Sadouki — Mon, 20 Nov 2023 00:00:00 +0000

The present study aims to investigate the challenges that non-native English-speaking students face when writing a thesis. In order to explore this issue, a quantitative research method was used, by means of a survey questionnaire, which addresses MA students of English in three universities in Algeria. Consequently, in order to find out the challenges they face when writing a thesis, a questionnaire was designed and administered as the main instrument of the study. The total number of participants was 120 second-year MA students. The data was analyzed statistically using the SPSS program. The findings show that second-year MA students face challenges in writing a thesis, such as citing references and following the academic guidelines while the discussion section of a thesis is considered the most difficult part to write during this process.

Attitudes towards minority and non-official languages in Spain

A.L. Ciltan, V.E. Ciuciuc — Mon, 20 Nov 2023 00:00:00 +0000

This paper presents a literature review that investigates the attitudes towards minority and non-official languages in Spain, such as Aranese, Asturian, Basque, Catalan, Valencian, and Galician, which play an important role in shaping regional identities and cultural expressions. The research methodology involved a comprehensive examination of previous studies, surveys, and academic papers, providing valuable insights into the perspectives of the inhabitants towards these languages in their respective regions. The findings of these studies reveal that language serves as a key element of identity and cultural belonging in the Aranese community of Valle de Arán. Moreover, factors such as educational linguistic models, regional spoken languages, and historical contexts influence attitudes toward Catalan and Valencian. The paper also explores the intricate relationship between the terms “Valencian” and “Catalan”, highlighting the complexities of linguistic identity. Overall, the research indicates a predominantly favorable outlook towards these minority languages. Despite certain challenges, the prevailing positive sentiment contributes to strengthening community cohesion, enhancing educational opportunities, and promoting cultural interactions.