Коллектив авторов: Молодежь о проблемах изучения иностранных языков в современном мире

Just as importantly, people often bring to a cross-cultural meeting ethnocentric prejudices regarding what they believe to be proper dress. Thus, a European or American may condemn as somehow less than civilized a Saudi or Iranian in traditional garb. Conversely, a Saudi or Iranian may well consider as flagrantly immoral the bare face, arms, and legs of a European or American woman in business attire.

Nonverbal behavioral differences in kinesics may be less obvious than dress differences. How people walk, gesture, bow, stand, or sit are all, to a large part, culturally determined. In many cases, a kinesic sign well understood in one culture is totally unknown in another culture. In Indonesia and in much of the Arab world, for example, it is offensive to show the soles of one's feet to another. In Japan, a relatively elaborate system of bowing is common but has no counterpart in the United States. This entire system of nonverbal communication is therefore generally lost on most U.S. businesspeople.

Some kinesic behavior may carry distinctly different meanings in more than one culture. In such cases, all parties recognize the gesture, but interpret it differently. During George Bush's visit to Australia while he was president, he held up two fingers in a V sign. In both countries the symbol is widely understood, but in the United States the "V" emblem is a sign of good will, victory, and solidarity, while in Australia it carries a lewd, sexual meaning.

Haptics or touching behavior also reflects cultural values. In a generally nonhaptic society such as Japan, touching another person in a business setting even with a handshake is traditionally considered foreign. While those Japanese familiar with U.S. handshaking may adapt to its use, one can expect that such cultural compromise would not easily extend to so haptic a response as a pat on the back.

Oculesics or the use of eye contact also varies significantly depending on the culture involved. In several cultures, for example, it is considered disrespectful to prolong eye contact with those who are older or of higher status. In many cultures, it is considered improper for women to look men in the eye. By contrast, in the United States, studies have shown that eye contact has less to do with age or rank than with a person's credibility or sense of belonging. While fairly steady eye contact in the United States may indicate the listener's interest and attentiveness, intense eye contact may prove disconcerting.

Finally, proxemics or how far apart people stand when speaking or how far apart they sit in meetings carries significant information to people who share the same culture. Personal space is also culturally determined. In the United States, for instance, people tend to feel most comfortable in business settings when speaking at approximately arm's length apart from each other.

In many Latin American, southern European, central African and Middle Eastern cultures, however, a comfortable conversational distance would be much closer.

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KOVALEVA N., SHAKIRJANOV I.

Ufa State University of Economics and Service (Ufa)

Today mass media are one of the main channels of obtaining information on which views, outlook, population stereotypes depend. Mass media are one of the most influential institutes participating in formation of public consciousness.

Among methods which are used by mass media for influence on consciousness of society it is possible to allocate funds of emotional influence (sensational nature, media violence, an intimidation method), change of the communicative and substantial party of information (distortion, information concealment, manipulation over time and a place of its giving, mystification), linguistic receptions (fragmentation, simplification, repetition, a metaforization, etc.). One of the most effective methods is a mythologization – purposeful introduction in public consciousness of socio-political myths – illusory model of reality. The myth in modern society carries out a number of functions:

• Completion of shortage of knowledge in need of an explanation of the unclear phenomena of political life, also it carries out also other functions:

• Orientation to the values broadcast by the myth,

• Association of individuals in society,

• Consolation function,

• Outlook formation,

• Impact on behavior

All this becomes possible thanks to low educational level of the population, shortage of knowledge about public political system, to trust to mass media and authoritative persons, unwillingness of own judgment of events of reality and received information.

For example, during elections, mass media on advantage to a certain political force create such image, image of the candidate which can make the most positive impact on electorate. Political struggle is won by that who managed to induce the majority of voters via various channels of mass media to make a choice in own favor.

The myth can be developed and the various commercial organizations, seeking to expand the markets, to increase extent of the influence, to win competitive fight or to increase profit.

It should be noted, as mass media in the majority – projects commercial, therefore, they try to maximize the profit. The enterprises of mass media with it are helped by the socio-political myth about pluralism of mass media. Exactly thanks to this myth it is possible to manipulate with mass consciousness; the pluralism means possibility of a choice, but if subjects of a choice aren't present, or illusion of their existence is created, the choice initially has manipulative character. There is also more global purpose of a mythologization of consciousness – to weaken, "to spread out from within" public system of the geopolitical rival on the international scene, differently the purpose is conduct information war successfully.

The structure of the myth and nature of his perception are well studied by public consciousness that allowed creating the whole industry fabricating and introducing myths for the purpose of manipulation with consciousness and behavior of audience in the democratic states.

Thus, creation of myths in mass media has under itself a number of the bases: on the one hand, society in its current state creates opportunity for successful introduction of the myth, on the other hand the myth is one of the most effective methods of conducting fight for economic and political resources therefore it is actively used by the power, the commercial organizations, participants of geopolitical processes.

1. Mass media and modern myths: http://www.moluch.ru/archive/46/5601/

2. Media industry academy" Science" Messenger of electronic and print media" magazine Archive" Release No. 2" A.A. Kashchuk. Television myths – one of ways of manipulation with consciousness of audience: http://www.ipk.ru/index.php?id=1535

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KRAINEVA A., ERUSHENKOV D.*

Ufa State University of Economics and Service (Ufa)

* Saint-Petersburg State University of Aerospace Instrumentation (St. Petersburg)

The English language is now the first language of about 400 million people, the native language of 12 nations and the official or semiofficial language of 33 nations. Geographically, it is the most wide-spread language on the Earth; one in every seven people in the world speaks English. In many respects, it is quiet actual to learn it. We start studying English by learning spelling and reading, though English spelling and pronunciation system is very confusing and often puzzles even the native speaker. The majority of pupils of different age are at a loss in reading and writing new English words.