ASPECTS OF METALINGUISTIC ACTIVITY

Abstract

The naive language user acts as the subject investigating (and creating) language. The metalinguistic component is singled out as one of those components of language activity that exercise an essential influence upon its organization and process. Anyhow, metalanguage activity is also carried out in a more explicit manner: from clearly expressed "personal theories" of language study and activity, to less obvious beliefs concerning the essence and the character of language units and actions – mythologemes of language activity. As well as any other activity, metalanguage activity is governed by dynamic stereotyped patterns, which form a mythological picture of the life of language and of the life in language as environment. It is essential for understanding human language activity to disclose these implicit mechanisms. All words in language seem to possess a mythological nature. Besides, one can also distinguish mythologemes of general systemic and procedural character, without which language would not be able to exist and to be executed. Mythologemes of this kind constitute the language game as such: the "thingness" of words and the natural discreteness of their meanings. The mythological character of the users’ attitude to the words of language comes to light when roles are changed: when the included observer who is usually within the limits of the 'circle of language' (Humboldt’s metaphor) changes his role to that of a meta-observer. The negative influence of mythologemes on language activity is associated with the swap of positions and temporary moments of the actual language process. Many mythologemes in language teaching are formed on the basis (or bias) of the mechanistic determinism not only of everyday knowledge, but also that of school grammars. A systematic study of proto-scientific and implicit knowledge of language should bring its contribution both to understanding the essence of language activity, and to the task of optimizing linguistic technologies (in language teaching, mass communication etc.).