Linguacultural Determination of German Scientific Linguistic Discourse in the Genre “Scientific Article”

Abstract

The research focuses on the relevant linguistic problem of scientific texts genre organization analysis aimed at identification of their common and distinctive features in different languages, and specifics of their linguistic means determination. The article represents the peculiarities of research paper carried out in the frameworks of German scientific discourse by a native German speaker and a non-native one. The research material is comprised of the German-language scientific articles on linguistics published in the collection of scientific works of an international conference. Three categories of scientific articles underwent the analysis: the article written by a native German speaker; the article written by a non-native German speaker; the co-authored article by native and non-native German speakers. The text array of the considered discourse has been studied in order to identify structural and verbal peculiarities of the text of scientific article, written by the representatives of different linguacultures – a native or a non-native speaker. Similarities and differences in dictum and modus components, thematic affiliation, research paradigm are established. The communicative purpose, the image of the author and the addressee, the elements of formal organization of the scientific text are determined. The most frequent verbal means, which indicate discursive parameters of a scientific article, are revealed. The analysis showed significant divergences in the use of linguistic means. The author argues that the articles of non-native German speakers demonstrate grammatical and genre interference of their native language: the author of a scientific publication in a foreign language applies linguistic means peculiar to the language system of the native language and adjusts their use to the genre conventions of the native language. It signifies linguacultural determination of scientific discourse and holds out prospects for further studies.