Satire, humour, and parody in 21st century Nigerian women’s poetry

Author(s): Bartholomew Chizoba Akpah / Language(s): English Issue: 4/2018

21st century Nigerian women poets have continued to utilise the aesthetics of literary devices as linguistic and literary strategies to project feminist privations and values in their creative oeuvres. There has been marginal interest towards 21st century Nigerian women’s poetry and their deployment of artistic devices such as satire, humour, and parody. Unequivocally, such linguistic and literary devices in imaginative works are deployed as centripetal force to criticise, amidst laughter, the ills of female devaluation in the society. The major thrust of the study, therefore, is to examine how satire, humour and parody are deployed in selected Nigerian women’s poetry to reproach and etch the collective ethos of women’s experience in contemporary Nigerian society. The study utilises qualitative analytical approach in the close reading and textual analysis of the selected texts focusing mainly on the aesthetics of humour, satire, and parody in challenging male chauvinism in contemporary Nigerian women’s poetry. Three long poems: “Nuptial Counsel”, “Sadiku’s Song”, and “The Sweet, Sweet Mistress’ Tale” by Mabel Evweirhoma and Maria Ajima respectively were purposively selected. The choice of the selected poems hinges on the artistic vigour, especially the evoking of laughter, mockery and condemnation of hegemonic structures through the use of satire, humour, and parody. The paper employs Molara Ogundipe’s Stiwanism, an aspect of Feminist theory in the analysis of the selected poems. The poets have shown the interventions of humour, satire, and parody as linguistic devices in condemning and highlighting peculiarities of women peonage in Nigeria.

Typowy Janusz and Bad Luck Brian:

Author(s): Joanna Szerszunowicz / Language(s): English Issue: 2/2018

The Poles’ observations regarding the reality of the last decades motivated the creation of certain meme characters deeply set in the Polish culture and reflecting the new social phenomena which have come into existence recently. The examples of such persons include the characters named Janusz, Grażyna, Seba and Karyna. Previously, the names had no connotative potential and they were not used as components of idiomatic expressions. In the modern Polish, the names function as labels evoking many features (personality, given intellectual potential, appearance, stereotypical behaviour etc.). For instance, Janusz is a man in his fifties, with a beer belly and reddish face, unattractive, with very limited knowledge in a field in which he himself considers to be an expert, complaining and stressing that life was much better in communist times, wearing unfashionable clothes, putting on sandals and white socks. It is worth adding that because of the connotations, the name is used in the expression typowy Janusz/janusz and in the construction Janusze/janusze + a discipline/area of activity, e.g. janusze biznesu. Both in informal communication and in the journalese discourse, their belonging to labels is of importance – the names evoke complex pictures. As culture-bound items, such units are interesting from a cross-linguistic and cross-cultural perspective. They will be analyzed and compared with the character of the English-language Bad Luck Brian memes.

Differences in Research Abstracts written in Arabic, French, and English

Author(s): Abdelmajid Bouziane,Fatima Ezzahra Metkal / Language(s): English Issue: 2/2020

The proliferation of publications, mainly the digital ones, makes it necessary to write well-structured abstracts which help readers gauge the relevance of articles and thus attract a wider readership. This article investigates whether abstracts written in three languages, namely Arabic, French and English, follow the same patterns within or across languages. It compares 112 abstracts in the areas of (applied) linguistics. The English abstracts include 36 research article (RA) abstracts from an Arab journal mostly written by non-natives and 10 by native speakers from British universities. Those produced in French are 36 divided into two sets, 23 from North African journals and the remaining 13 from French journals. The Arabic abstracts consist of 30 abstracts, 15 from North African journals mainly from Tunisia, Algeria, and Morocco and the other 15 from the Middle East with a focus on Qatari and Saudi texts. Results emanating from the frequency of moves show that the abstracts written in English by natives and non-natives and those produced in Arabic by Middle Eastern writers show conformity with the existing conventions of abstract writing in English. However, those from North Africa, be they Arabic or French, do not share any specific patterns which can be attributed to the language in which they are written. Further research is needed to check whether abstract writing is part of the academic writing curriculum in these two latter languages.

Gertrude Bonnin on Sexual Morality

Author(s): Tadeusz Lewandowski / Language(s): English Issue: 1/2021

This paper examines attitudes to sexual morality held by the Yankton Dakota author and activist Gertrude Bonnin (1876–1938), better known by her penname Zitkála-Šá (Red Bird in Lakota). Bonnin’s concerns encompass several themes: the victimization of Indian women, disintegration of Native courtship rituals, sexual threats posed by peyote use, and the predatory nature of Euro-American men. This critique as a whole — in which a ‘white invasion,’ in her words, leads to a corruption of Native sexuality — sometimes produces inconsistencies, particularly regarding Bonnin’s statements on the alleged sexual perils of peyote. Her investigations into the Oklahoma guardianship scandals of the 1920s, however, strongly buttress recent research by Sarah Deer (2015), whose study, The Beginning and End of Rape: Confronting Sexual Violence in Native America, highlights the tragic aspects of Native-white sexual relations under United States settler-colonialism.

Collocational Knowledge Uptake by University Students under Online Learning

Author(s): Svetlana Danilina / Language(s): English Issue: 1/2021

The article discusses an experiment that looked into the acquisition of collocational knowledge in three university groups studying online, each subjected to different learning conditions: incidental acquisition, intentional acquisition, and intentional acquisition with an extra productive output (essay), the latter having been assessed for the amount and accuracy of target lexis usage in their texts. The aim of the study was to see how well upper-intermediate university students could identify collocations in an input text, and how the text-based output affected the collocational uptake outcomes. The study showed that the productive output group outperformed the other intentional learning group, while incidental acquisition group failed to complete a productive knowledge posttest. Although the study revealed only slightly higher gains in the output group, their results appeared more consistent than those demonstrated by the other intentional uptake group, whose retention rate decreased by the time of delayed posttest.

За слона в хладилника, за друдлите, за емоджитата и още нещо

Author(s): Elena Savova–Tsolova / Language(s): Bulgarian Issue: 3/2020

This paper offers a discussion on the specifics of various contemporary forms of riddles on examples including both linguistic and visual representations. The author traces the ways in which these riddles have spread and evolved from the 1980s until the present day. Attention is also given to the varying levels of formal similarity between modern riddles and traditional riddles and to the tendency of the new forms to get close to the genre of the modern joke.

Пространствена структура и хронологическо развитие на праисторическия солодобивен комплекс Провадия-Солницата

Author(s): Vassil Nikolov / Language(s): Bulgarian Issue: 3/2021

The prehistoric complex of Provadia-Solnitsata is located close to the modern-day town of Provadia in Northeastern Bulgaria. The remains represent the oldest salt-production site in Europe (5600 – 4350 BC) from which emerged the earliest prehistoric urban settlement on the continent (4700 – 4350 BC). The complex occupies an area of approximately 30 hectares. The emergence and development of the site were closely related to the largest and in fact the only rock salt deposit in the Eastern Balkans, the so-called Mirovo salt deposit on which the settlement sits. Salt production on the site was based on the brine (thick saline water) that flowed out of this salt deposit. Brine boiling in ceramic pots at Provadia-Solnitsata is the earliest example on record in Europe for the use of this technology in salt production. It was practiced on this site for longer than one millennium. The heat needed for the process was generated in advance in a special installation or alternatively, was directly provided мby an open fire, in both cases by burning firewood. At the end of the Chalcolithic, a change of technology had to be introduced – the water from the brine was then evaporated in a large ‘basin’ by using heat from solar radiation. The development of the five parts of the complex is presented: the tell with deposits from the Late Neolithic and the Chalcolithic, a cemetery from the Early Bronze Age, a Thracian ‘ruler’s residence’ from the 2nd – 1st centuries BC and a very large tumulus on top; a salt-production center from the Late Neolithic and the Chalcolithic together with ritual facilities from that time; a Late Neolithic pit sanctuary and a cemetery from the Middle Chalcolithic over it; a pit sanctuary from the Late Chalcolithic; a cemetery from the Late Chalcolithic.

Един различен поглед към морското образование в България

Author(s): Tina Georgieva / Language(s): Bulgarian Issue: 3/2021

Adapting fiscal polities for the Covid 19 pandemic

Author(s): Lilian Florescu,Daniela Florescu / Language(s): English Issue: 02/2021

In the current context generated by the Covid 19 pandemic, Member States need secure tax revenues to invest in people and businesses affected by the health crisis. At the same time, we need to remove the tax barriers and make it easier for EU businesses to innovate, invest and grow. To achieve this, in July 2020, the EU Commission adopted the Action Plan, which includes measures to reduce the administrative burdens, improve tax compliance and combat fraud. The Action Plan is helping to create a more fair, easier tax system to be used and adapted to our digital world. In case of this article there were used tools like as: classification, synthesis, comparative analysis, induction and deduction methods, graphic representation of events and investigated phenomenons. The article is addressed to the university and the academic world, as well as to fiscal administration officials and to the decision-making factors for correcting inequalities, created by the Covid 19 pandemic.

Entrepreneurship and Interdisciplinary Education – Semiotic Aspects

Author(s): Diana Kotova,Christo Kaftandjiev / Language(s): English Issue: 3/2021

Marketing communications, which are part of the entrepreneurship’ discipline, can integrate the most important school disciplines with the help of semiotics. Several relevant scientific articles and books in the following areas: business education, integrations between different school (educational) disciplines, semiotics and advertising, metaphor, synecdoche, etc. are analyzed in the Literature Review. The main text of the article studies different examples of corporate style and corporate identity. They are important part of business and entrepreneurship. Admen (artists, designers, etc.) in marketing communications created this corporate style and corporate identity on the basis of various visual metaphors, synecdoche and other stylistic figures. The authors of textbooks for primary and secondary school and the teachers can integrate the education of native language, foreign languages, literature, art and entrepreneurship with the help of these and other stylistic figures.

Defining the Components of Student Training for Participation in International Programs

Author(s): Iryna Liashenko / Language(s): English Issue: 3/2021

The integration of Ukraine into the European and transatlantic community is increasingly becoming more dynamic and vital. Ukrainian scholars, students, and professionals establish new diversified educational, business, cultural, scientific contacts in all spheres of life with European countries and throughout the world, which requires a number of special communication and activities skills. This paper investigates the student training process components, such as language learning, social and cultural skills development, psychological training, and patriotic attitude towards Ukraine abroad for developing a specific course for students. The students of Sumy National Agrarian University were surveyed about the ideal state of completing the international programs, both those who participated in the international programs and those who did not, but could assume the challenges they would encounter. The main problems which related to the participation in the international programs were found to be associated with language proficiency and social and cultural skills (about 45%), psychological and cultural adaptation to the foreign environment (about 25%), as well as the attitude towards Ukraine and the ability to represent oneself abroad adequately (about 30%). Many factors could influence the successful participation in international programs. However, we found clear indications that besides the language acquiring the course on preparing for the international programs should also include the social and cultural, psychological, and patriotic components.

В новите книжки на научните списания на издателство ,,АЗ-БУКИ“ четете

Author(s): Author Not Specified / Language(s): Bulgarian Issue: 3/2021

Wittgenstein on Other Minds

Author(s): Kailashkanta Naik / Language(s): English Issue: 2/2021

When philosophy of mind goes into every detail in explaining about consciousness and its every aspect, the problem of other minds being its part is not spared. In such context going against the traditional way of giving justification Wittgenstein novel approach to other minds is remarkable and is close to the phenomenological understanding. The analysis of the sensation of pain as one of its important factors in solving the other minds problem is unique and it is this that proves how Wittgenstein dissolves the problem rather than giving a solution. This article focuses Wittgenstein’s two important factors: Private Language Argument and the concept of the sensation of pain in dissolving the issue. And in this I have made an attempt to show how his novelty in approaching this problem gains importance even today.

Facets of the Hospitality Philosophy: Filotexnia

Author(s): Yevhenii Bortnykov,Roman Oleksenko,Inna Chuieva,Olena Konoh,Andriy Konoh / Language(s): English Issue: 2/2021

Purpose. Considers the possibility of establishing the Hospitality Philosophy as an independent field of philosophical knowledge. Theoretical basis. Theoretical basis for this issue is the numerous philosophical researches on the topic of hospitality (anthropological, phenomenological, ethical, social-philosophical etc.) and the analysis of its essence and paradigmatic antinomy in the historical-philosophical way. Scientific novelty. The article attempts to revitalise the notion of philotechnics (φιλοτεχνία) as 'the art of taking care of the guest's welfare' as a possible basic concept of contemporary philosophy of hospitality, which is able to reflect its nature most concisely, including its utilitarian and extra-utilitarian functions – not only a high service level, but also a “humane” attitude towards the guest. Findings. It has been summarized that modern hospitality as a specific human activity needs its own philosophy, which would comprehensively analyze the concept, study the facets and forms of its manifestations, define the worldview paradigm, form a methodology and be able to lead to an understanding of the goals of hospitality, to orient modern hospitality models to achieve certain and clear quality indicators while respecting historically verified value constants.

Сотириологията на православната аскетическа традиция в Древната църква и днес въз основа на словата на св. Доротей Газски (+560) и св. Порфирий Кавсокаливит (+1991)

Author(s): Stoyan Chilikov / Language(s): Bulgarian Issue: 2/2021

The text aims to explore the soteriological nature of the ascetic views of two of the most remarkable ascetic fathers. Based on a comparative analysis, are traced the general moments in their writings, as well as their differences, which outline the development of the ascetic tradition from antiquity to the present day. Abba Dorotheos conveys the ascetic experience of the Egyptian ascetics of the sixth century, the core of which is the spiritual struggle, the cutting off of passions and the acquiring of virtues. At the heart of the Christian feat, St. Porphyrios places the love for God, which transforms passions, converts evil and deifies man, with the focus being not on the fight against the passions, but on Christ and the communion with Him. Sacraments, prayer, worship lead one to praise and contemplation of God. In the words of St. Porphyrios of Kavsokalivia the correlation between soteriology and ecclesiology is much more clearly expressed.

Vojvodovo – ein vergessenes Kapitel der tschechischen Gegenwart in Bulgarien

Author(s): Lenka J. Budilová,Marek Jakoubek / Language(s): German Issue: 1-2/2021

The contribution is devoted to the history of Vojvodovo, a Czech village in North-western Bulgaria, sixteen kilometres from the Danube port town of Oryahovo. It was founded in 1900 mostly by migrants from another Czech village, Svata Helena, located in today’s Romanian part of the Banat region. The history of Czech Vojvodovo was a short one: it lasted only for fifty years until 1950. At the end of the period, following post-war inter-state agreements on ‘returns of co-nationals to their fatherland’, Czech Vojvodovans left the village and settled in the region of south Moravia in Czechoslovakia. A local legend says that it was Tsar Ferdinand I of Bulgaria who invited Czechs to come to Bulgaria to show local villagers how to work their land. True or not, the fact is Vojvodovans were living as if they sought to fulfil Ferdinand’s wish – during the Czech period, Vojvodovo became an exemplary village (not only) in the regional context. It had become well-known for tidiness and orderliness of the communal space as well as of the inhabitants. Vojvodovans were renowned for their diligence and ascetic ethic of Protestantism, for being outstanding farmers, horse breeders and stallholders.

Szocioanalízis, avagy játék a társadalmi egyenlőtlenségekkel

Author(s): Cecília Kovai,Melinda Kovai,Eszter Neumann,György Mészáros / Language(s): Hungarian Issue: 28/2021

The paper presents the methodology behind and some lessons from a small group training course developed by the members of the Working Group for Public Sociology (Helyzet Műhely). Our training, named after Pierre Bourdieu’s socioanalysis, primarily targets active or future professionals in supportive roles such as social workers, health care professionals, teachers and psychologists. The objective of the training is making participants capable of deciphering the social space in reflective ways: by learning to understand their perceptive, action and cognitive schemes stemming from their own social positions and family socialization patterns; and by exploring the ways in which the social space is perceived differently from different social positions. One of our presumptions is that – similarly to other relations driven by solidarity – the choice of helping professions, the social protection institutional system, and the supporting relationship itself (who and why deserves support and who can decide about it) are fundamentally shaped by the social positions of the participants, and those involved in these relations are only partially aware of these determinations. In fact, the unreflected working mechanisms of our social positions – or in psychoanalytic terms, the operation of our unconscious – sustains the status quo. The paper presents the theoretical insights behind our training syllabus (focusing on the perception of the social, the intersection of ethnic and class relations and racism, the social context and internal hierarchy of supportive professions) as well as the analysis of some concrete examples from our trainings.

La didactique du FLE à la croisée des sciences cognitives et discursives

Author(s): Elena G. Tareva,Elena Porshneva,Indira Abdulmianova / Language(s): French Issue: 3/2021

The interdisciplinary aspect of Language teaching allows it to always remain in the active phase of its development. This communication aims to analyze the variants of coexistence of the acquired knowledge of several sciences in the organization of the teaching of modern languages. The authors study the epistemological origins of the current processes guiding the functioning of the teaching of French as a foreign language, analyze key concepts, which emergence is due to the combination of ideas from different fields, and share experiences of teaching French based on the interaction of avant-garde approaches. The recourse to the theory of language activity, cognitive and discursive sciences, emerged in this new anthropocentric paradigm where the learner is placed at the center of the educational process, reshapes the methodological pillars of the didactics of FFL, namely its object, its objectives. , its content and methods. At the same time, these areas offer tools for building a language teaching system best suited to current axiological values.

Совершенствование иностранного (русского) языка в школе посредством пословиц и поговорок

Author(s): Marzanna Karolczuk / Language(s): Russian Issue: 3/2021

The results of research on proverbs and sayings in such areas as linguistics, psychology, didactics and teaching methodology show that paremia has cognitive, educational and pedagogical functions in almost all areas of science and life. Understanding proverbs and sayings contributes to a better understanding of other cultures in the context of their interaction. Introduction proverbs and sayings to educational process develops students’ intercultural skills and a positive attitude to other people, as well as constitutes creative atmosphere in the classroom. The use of paremia in the learning process also enables the development of language knowledge and abilities, as well as speaking skills. The purpose of the article is to discuss the use of paremia in language education and propose kinds and types of exercises that can be used in the process of teaching a foreign language.

Маршрути на книжовното общуване между източните и южните славяни (ХI – XX век)

Author(s): Elena Tomova / Language(s): Bulgarian Issue: 42/2021