ABBREVIATIONS AS A LEXICAL COMPONENT OF PEDAGOGICAL DISCOURSE (ON THE MATERIAL OF “UPSTREAM” SERIES OF TEXTBOOKS)

Abstract

The article addresses the issue of abbreviations as a lexical component of English-language textbooks. Given the widespread use of abbreviations in contemporary scientific, political, conversational, and media discourse, their role acquires new significance as an essential element to be introduced in the process of learning English. An analysis of numerous publications devoted to abbreviation does not provide a uniform definition of the term «shortening» or «abbreviation». The classification and typology of such lexical units also remain open questions. The article demonstrates the difference between an initalisms and an acronym. The research also substantiates the equivalence of the terms «abbreviation» and «shortening» To achieve the research aim, an analysis and classification of existing abbreviations in the «Upstream» series of English-language textbooks was carried out. In addition, the role and significance of abbreviations in pedagogical discourse are examined. The sample includes the following types of abbreviations: graphic, lexical, apocope, mixed type, Latin-origin forms, alphabetic abbreviations, and acronyms. It was found that the largest group of abbreviations consists of acronyms and initialisms. According to thematic criteria, abbreviations are distributed across various domains of use: education, technology, sports, environment, conversational style, and proper names of companies and organizations. Abbreviations represent an integral part of the vocabulary at the corresponding levels. Their communicative-pragmatic function lies in familiarizing learners with this authentic lexical phenomenon of the English language and contributing to the development of cultural competence. Abbreviations may also be regarded as internationalisms, since their graphic forms are easily recognizable and readily adopted by other languages. The study concludes that further research into abbreviations as an important lexical element of English-language textbooks is necessary. The investigation of abbreviations within the context of pedagogical discourse is likewise considered a promising direction.