Ethnic linguistic worldviews: “the devil is in the detail”

Elena Napolnova

Ozyegin University, Turkey

elenapolnova@yahoo.com

Abstract

Modern Turkish has a threefold system of demonstrative pronouns –  bu – şu – o, but their distribution is rather specific: the zone closer to the speaker is represented by one pronoun, while the further zone is represented by two. We have determined the conditions for use of each pronoun based on experiments with the speakers of the language, the choice is governed by categories unusual for foreigners. Linguistic data contained in the present report point at the necessity for special contrastive research, which would help the instructors of native language as foreign who don't have good command of their students' native language. Such research can help determine  points of nonconcurrence between languages, and from the beginning of instruction concentrate on preventing related mistakes and communicative failures.

Keywords

deixis, demonstratives, demonstrative pronouns, Turkish language

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