Summary

The current paper is devoted to a problem of colloquial or informal speech which has recently moved into the foreground of both theoretical interest of the world's linguists and scholars and practical attempts of language teachers and students. Its significance and practical value in the age of mass communications are axiomatic. Yet, paradoxically many aspects of contemporary informal English (Standard Educated Colloquial/Informal English, SECE in this case) including its status and role in the system of national language (British English), its specific properties as distinct from the so-called “standard English”, according to G. Brown and other prominent colloquialists, “at an infant stage of research and investigation”. Practically underinvestigated are also the basic types of SECE; major settings and motives determining the choice of SECE in a particular communicative situation.

Finally, it's worthy to note an absolutely rudimentary stage of research in Britain and in our country into the status of SECE in modern media, including the British “quality and “popular” press and BBC radio and television broadcasting. Moreover, some pioneer attempts in this direction are sometimes assessed with a considerable share of scepticism.

It would hardly be surprising then that these and other problems relevant to the essentials of contemporary colloquial English and its functioning and analyzed in the current paper may facilitate a serious approach to SECE as a sociolinguistic phenomenon worth of theoretical investigating and practical studying and the course itself be used by scholars and students of English as a kind of theoretic introduction into the topic.

Most research papers dealing with informal English published recently in Great Britain and elsewhere concentrate on specifics of SECE in a chosen field. And that is only too natural and rewarding considering an extremely complex nature of informal English and absolutely insufficient level of its investigation. Understandable as it may be at the present stage of accumulation of knowledge of colloquial speech, the level-oriented approach invariably adds to the mosaic picture of SECE, barring its understanding as a real self-contained sociolinguistic system as a whole. Guided by these considerations the author attempts to follow a systematic approach to the problem in question (undertaken in a number of fundamental works by E. Zemskaya, Y. Skrebnev, B. Gavranek, T. van Dijk, M. Stubbs and other Russian Western scholars) and tries to present a comprehensive outline of SECE as an entity, relying on an interdisciplinary approach. It is for the reader to judge, however, to what extent such an approach is justifiable and beneficial.

One of the sociocultural consequences of contemporary scientific-technological revolution is that in many, if not most, «prestigious» communicative situations of today, a speaker may use SECE alongside MESE and the problem of the choice between the two cannot but stimulate a researcher to get to the bottom of it. On the basis of analysis of some modern relevant concepts the author dares to offer his understanding of the problem.

These considerations have basically predetermined the structure and make-up of the paper, offering the following parts: introductory part, three chapters, conclusions, bibliography, supplement.

The prevailing method of problem examination in the book is that of discourse analysis. The absolute majority of SECE illustrations are the chunks of real conversations (rather, their transcripts' presented in the manner adopted in the works of prominent colloquialists). Also included are the examples of talks recorded by the author during the latter's stay in Great Britain and other English-language countries.

The paper is tailored along the programmes of foreign language institutes and departments and may be used by students, postgraduates, teachers and scholars, by all those whose line of activity is linked to English.

The author is fully aware of the futility “to embrace unembraceable” as regards such a complex (and underinvestigated) phenomenon as contemporary colloquial or informal language, therefore the given paper on SECE may only serve as an attempt in the right direction, at best. The author would be very much undebted to any critical remark facilitating further studies of SECE.

Now speak on your research paper dwelling upon the following issues.

• composition of the dissertation;

• problems discussed in the introductory part;

• topicality and novelty of your research;

• methods of scientific analysis applied;

• your findings (anticipated results);

• assessment of the results obtained;

• practical application;

• possibility for further research;

• your reports, articles on the problem under research.