Germany’s image formed by magazine headlines (on the materials of the youth magazine vitamin de)

Abstract

This article analyzes the headlines of vitamin de magazine as an image forming tool, which contributes to the formation of the idea of Germany as one of the best educational centres in Europe, for foreign students as well. A headline, as the substantive and intentional core of the whole magazine article, is able to convey the image of the country and its values relevant to the 12+ readership. The study showed that the features of the magazine such as Another View, Country Studies, Life, Vitamin de in Regions, Dialogue, Profession, German Inventors, Tradition, Psychological Test, Recipe, (Professional) Training generate the image characteristics of the country of the target language. The headlines of the articles in these features create an image of Germany as a country with an advantageous geographical position, a country with rich cultural traditions and values accepted by the Russian audience. Headlines about joint German-Russian educational, creative and environmental activities, accessible to all age groups of Russian youth, contribute significantly to the image of Germany as a country with a high research potential, where theory and practice are inextricably linked. The image properties of Germany, practically ideological paradigms “outwardly” directed, are critically reinterpreted in the headlines of those articles in which students with the experience of living in the country share their impressions. Thus, a more realistic view of the destination country with educational objectives is created. Another View feature, as the results of the study show, is designed to balance the ideal and the realistic picture of the country of the target language.