The problem of introducing tabooed topics in English conversation classes

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Bashkir State University

Sterlitamak Branch

The chair of Germanic languages

The problem of introducing tabooed topics in English conversation classes

senior teacher

Salimova Guzaliya Nazifovna

Abstract

The present article is devoted to the problem of taboo - one of the most controversial and topical issues of modern linguistic science. Each sphere of human activity has its own taboos - verbal, non-verbal and thematic. Nowadays it is necessary to study thematic taboos in English practical classes for forming the linguistic and sociocultural competence of students. Students' awareness of the national and cultural peculiarities of the country of the studied language, the ability to conduct verbal behavior in accordance with social norms, rules and prohibitions, and the willingness and ability to live and interact in a modern multicultural world contribute to the goals of effective communication and will avoid communicative failures in real communication.

Keywords: thematic taboos, social and cultural ban, communicative etiquette, restrictions, prohibitions

Аннотация

Данная статья посвящена проблеме табу - одной из самых противоречивых и актуальных вопросов современной лингвистической науки. Каждая сфера человеческой деятельности имеет свои табу - вербальные, невербальные и тематические. В настоящее время необходимо изучение тематических табу на практических занятиях по английскому языку с целью формирования у студентов языковой и социокультурной компетенции. Знание студентами национально-культурных особенностей страны изучаемого иностранного языка, умение осуществлять речевое поведение в соответствии с социальными нормами, правилами и запретами, а также готовность и способность жить и взаимодействовать в современном поликультурном мире способствует достижению целей эффективного общения и позволит избежать коммуникативных неудач в реальном общении.

Ключевые слова: тематические табу, социальные и культурные запреты, коммуникативный этикет, ограничения, запреты

The present article is devoted to the problem of taboos in general and discussing taboo topics in English conversation classes in particular.

The necessity of studying thematic taboos at English lessons is conditioned by the tasks of forming the linguistic and sociocultural competence of students. Students' awareness of the national-cultural peculiarities of the country, ability to implement speech behavior in accordance with social norms, rules and bans as well as readiness and capability to live and interact in the modern multicultural world contribute to achieving the aim of effective communication and allows avoiding communicative failures in real conversation.

In the researches on communicative etiquette, taboo is considered as prohibitions and restrictions connected “with the necessity of retaining the addressee's individuality, with the ban on inflicting, first of all, emotional harm to another person (not necessarily the participant of this communicative situation), with the injunction to restrain negative emotions, to soften and veil negative information, not to permit the humiliation or offense of human dignity, to exclude rudeness and violence” [2, p. 79]. taboo linguistic language competence

The term “taboo” implies non-desirable lexis which is deliberately and purposefully avoided. The reason for this is the norms of culture and etiquette prohibiting the speaker to use the words and expressions that can insult, offend or humiliate the listener. If in ancient times taboo mainly existed on a religious basis, over time this notion “enriched” itself with connotations depending on the sphere of application. Nowadays taboo is interpreted as ban on using definite words or performing definite actions conditioned by political, historical, cultural, ethic and emotional factors [1, p. 345].

According to the above given definitions, we can differentiate three kinds of taboo - verbal, non-verbal and thematic. Non-verbal taboo is part of the social codex of some society that defines which actions and behavior are inadmissible in it [3, p. 15-35]. The term “non-verbal taboo” includes not only paralinguistic phenomena such as gesture, motion, voice characteristics (timbre, tempo, rhythm, height etc.), involuntary actions and behavior (cry, cough, sneezing, loud laugh, yawning etc.) but also proxemics, olphactics etc.

Verbal taboo is ban on using obscene, rude, abusive words and expressions. Not notions but their external language manifestations suffer language ban: “The starting point in classifying these manifestations is their semantic value or content which must be transmitted to the interlocutor by the speaker, implementing the basic principle of language communication” [2, p. 270]. We should note that verbal taboo embraces only verbs, adjectives and nouns which must be paraphrased or substituted by other lexical means.

Thematic taboos hold a special position in this classification. Agreeing with O.A. Leontovich, we consider that violation of thematic taboo is the most dangerous form of communicative influence on communicants because it “cuts communicants to the heart and is able to cause unpredictable emotional reaction” [5, p. 43]. Any communicative situation has its own thematic taboo. According to T.V. Larina, in English linguocultural community one shouldn't ask questions about the family, salary, relations, i.e. everything that constitutes the private life of the interlocutor because all this concerns only him. Such questions may be accepted as excess curiosity, invasion of privacy and violation of communicative norms [4, p. 158]. It is undesirable to discuss intimate relationships, diseases connected with the intimate parts of the body, religious and political opinions, and the themes of national and ethnic belonging.

As for the discussion of taboos in English conversational classes, one of the most frequent complaints that teachers face with ready-made materials is that there is a strong tendency to avoid the typical topics we actually discuss in everyday settings. There exists a good reason for this: certain issues will be more controversial for our learners than they are for us. This can lead to friction, anger and embarrassment in the classroom and can also do irreparable damage to the classroom dynamic. As new teachers, it is natural to be hesitant when broaching `dangerous' topics in class. However, more experienced teachers are able to recognize the motivational value of subjects which better reflect real world issues [6].

Any teacher should know that at the modern stage of society development we can observe changes in the content of prohibitive norms in world cultures which are realized in both the violation of prohibited themes and appearance of new thematic taboos. For instance, in most cultures the theme of intimate relationship doesn't cause public denunciation anymore because early and premarital relationships have become an everyday occurrence. Group intimate relationships and gay love are becoming less convicted today. The discussion of diseases connected with the intimate parts of the body (for example, sound advertisement of medicine for treating hemorrhoids and prostatitis at supermarkets, advertisement of remedy for increasing men's potency and pills for alleviating women's condition during menstruation days on TV) is not a shock for anybody today.

Besides, a teacher should follow the tendencies of modern society where new taboos appear year by year. Now it is prohibited to discuss somebody's age (we can observe total rejection of old age signs), the negative phenomena of reality and many others. The process of tabooing concerns the spheres connected with racial, national, gender, age, physical characteristics of the individual.

We can differentiate three basic themes that require a careful approach in conversation classes:

1. Taboos proper: here belong such issues as religion, death, prostitution, acceptability of alcohol and many others;

2. Serious issues: it is undesirable to touch such themes as racism, sexism and other points like genetic engineering. These themes are culturally bound;

3. Personal matters: one shouldn't discuss another person's physical appearance, hygiene, private life in the presence of others. Moreover, we mustn't put somebody any questions concerning the above mentioned issues.

There are several ways of introducing tabooed themes in conversation classes. First of all, the teacher should clarify if the students have ever discussed this or that concrete theme. If they have already discussed this issue before, it will be much easier to develop it. If it is a new topic for them, the students can seek for the vocabulary and find necessary information concerning the chosen topic. At the next stage it would be better to organize class work in pairs. During this stage, the teacher will get a feeling for how the topic is going. Only then the teacher can start the discussion of the tabooed theme, involving all the students of the group.

It goes without saying that a teacher should remain neutral throughout any discussions. It is not an easy task, of course, because ever person has his own opinion. But the role of a teacher is to encourage students to express their views in English but not to impose his personal opinion on others. A teacher should also keep in his mind that if someone doesn't want to express his views, he has the right to do so. It is inadmissible to make students speak on tabooed subjects.

Thus, taboo is a prohibited or undesirable issue which should be avoided in conversation. However these prohibited issues (above mentioned) have always been topical for centuries, therefore it is really impossible to ignore them at all. The purpose of the educational system is to introduce tabooed themes to students in a special way, without causing negative consequences. But it is clear that these topics must be discussed in class in order to make students understand the adverse effect of violating social and cultural norms.

Literature

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4. Ларина Т.В. Категория вежливости и стиль коммуникации: Сопоставление английских и русских лингвокультурных традиций. - М.: Рукописные памятники Древней Руси, 2009. - 512 с.

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6. Discussing taboo topics in an English conversation class. [Электронный ресурс]. URL: https://how-to-teach-english.ontesol.com/discussing-taboo-topics-in-an-english-conversation-class/ (дата обращения: 11.05.2018).

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