О некоторых трудностях изучения терминов и их сочетаемости в техническом вузе

МОКСЛО КАЛБОС КУЛЬТУРОС ИР ТЕРМИНОЛОГИЈОС ПРОБЛЕМОС ЛИЕТУВИŲ КАЛБОТЫРОС КЛАУСИМАИ, XXIV(1985) ULYANA YEPIFANOVNA POPKOVA ON SOME DIFFICULTIES IN STUDYING TERMS AND THEIR COLLOCABILITY AT A TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY In the age of the scientific and technological revolution, terminology occupies a significant place in the literary language. Terms are incorporated into speech on a variety of topics. Mastering terms and using them correctly in speech is one of the main tasks of teaching Russian at technical universities in the national republics. When teaching Russian to students, it is important not only to explain the meanings of terms but also to develop the skills needed to use them correctly in speech. For this reason, terms are presented in combination with other words, for example: urban construction, construction of new residential districts, a gigantic construction project, a major all-Union construction project, to work in construction and on a construction site. The range of meanings of the word строительство is broader than that of the word стройка, whereas in Lithuanian these two words correspond to a single word—statyba (latc statyba, laič statyba). The Russian expressions внешний вид (the exterior appearance of a building or structure) and внешность (beautiful appearance—used only of a person) are rendered in Lithuanian by one word, išvaizda (gražios išvaizdos žmogus, Že-tė turi rūtulio išvaizdą). In a non-Russian-speaking classroom, when studying terms, greater attention should be paid to collocability where it differs between the native language and Russian. All terms can be divided into two groups: technical and scientific. There is a clear boundary between science and technology: «… science operates with knowledge related to abstract concepts, whereas technology operates with concrete objects related to concrete concepts»1. Technical terms denote the names of parts, machines, instruments, and so on. When explaining such terms, subject-situational collocability is used (what kind of object it is and what functions it performs, what it serves or is intended for). Scientific terms denote scientific concepts. In explaining this type of terminology, logical-conceptual collocability is of considerable importance. Concepts are denoted not only by words but also by word- 1 Figon E. B. Semantic Structure of Technical Terms and Terms of Science.—In: Semantic Structure of the Word and Phraseological Unit. Ryazan, 1978, p. 49. 118 combinations (carbon dioxide, coefficient of performance, etc.). This gives rise to certain difficulties in explaining compound terms. Collocational modifiers may refer either to a word or to entire combinations denoting concepts, e.g.: a gas that is light, transparent, sulfurous, but carbon dioxide. Concepts denoted by individual words and by word combinations should not be confused. One meaning of a polysemous word may become terminologized: “a terminological meaning begins to emerge from some node in the semantic structure of a commonly used word, <…> the structure of numerous terminological systems is built on the foundation of ordinary, commonly used vocabulary”2, e.g.: angle in its general usage (a dirty, clean, furniture-cluttered… corner); angle in mathematics (acute, obtuse, right, adjacent, and equal to a certain number of degrees). Terminologized meanings of polysemous words differ in their collocability. Consequently, collocability helps distinguish an ordinary word in general usage from the scientific definition of a term. Core terms (or one of their components) are often international or have the same meaning in the native language and in Russian; therefore, when explaining such terms, it is appropriate to use translation (sound insulation — garso izoliacija, specific weight — savitasis svoris, productive forces — gamybinės jėgos, brake drum — stabdžių būgnas, gearbox — pavarų dėžė). The following errors are often found in students’ speech: 1) using a term with the wrong gender or number, e.g.: this (=this [feminine]) model was equipped (=was equipped [feminine]), there was not enough equipment units (=equipment); 2) verb government, e.g.: a sign instructing the driver (=the driver [dative]), power increased by nine percent (=by nine percent); 3) incorrect use of case forms because the Lithuanian language lacks the category of animacy/inanimacy, e.g.: repaired the engine (=engine), repairing this bodywork (=this body) is impossible, one must =clean the car well, cf. a horse; 4) incorrect use of synonyms and synonymous constructions, e.g.: a new car was built (=manufactured, created), the appearance (=exterior) of a house, the building (=construction) of cities; 2 Денисов П. Н. Системность и связность в лексике и система словарей.— В кн.: Тезисы докладов на совещании, посвященном проблеме определений терминов в словарях. Л., 1974, с. 21. 119 5) use of an incorrect derivational suffix, e.g.: рыболовническое (=рыбное) хозяйство, пересажение (=пересадка) кожи, руководительство (=руководство) учреждения; 6) use of a different word because of phonetic similarity, e.g.: изменяется щетка (=щиток приборов), искусственный музей (=музей искусств). The incorrect use of terms by students from national groups at technical universities is explained mainly by interference from their native language. New words in another language, and those that are difficult to learn, are usually formed in speech according to the rules of the native language. At the Vilnius Civil Engineering Institute, the following activities are carried out to promote the correct use of terms in students’ speech: reading and retelling texts related to their specialty; student presentations on issues related to their specialty; completing practice exercises in forming word combinations and sentences with terms; translating them into the native language; translating technical texts from the native language into Russian; and other exercises. The main task of the Russian-language teacher is to teach students to use terms correctly in speech. Students gain a thorough understanding and a comprehensive definition of a term in classes in specialized subjects. They can provide these definitions in their native language.