War in the east of Ukraine through the eyes of students of Vinnytsia region and Donetsk region: associative dictionary (2014 - 2021) 

Abstract.

WAR IN THE EAST OF UKRAINE THROUGH THE EYES OF STUDENTS OF VINNYTSIA REGION AND DONETSK REGION: ASSOCIATIVE DICTIONARY (2014 - 2021)

Zahnitko Anatolii

Department of General and Applied Linguistics and Slavonic Philology, Vasyl’ Stus Donetsk National University, Vinnytsia, Ukraine.

Zhyhai Anastasiya

Department of General and Applied Linguistics and Slavonic Philology, Vasyl’ Stus Donetsk National University, Vinnytsia, Ukraine.

Abstract

Background: the peculiarities of language behavior of schoolchildren affected by the war in the East of Ukraine are investigated. At the same time, language materials of students of Vinnytsia region and Donetsk region are compared. Based on the results, an associative dictionary was created.

Purpose: The aim of the study is to compare linguopsychological portraits of students by geographical and chronological parameters, to compare language materials of students of the Donetsk region and students of the Vinnytsia region in the period from 2014 to 2021 with the disclosure of the main trends in the influence of the situation in the East of Ukraine on their speech and thinking through changes in the mental health of the student and to determine the levels of stress resistance and preparedness for the perception of the fact of hostilities to predict and/or model new forms of behavior and forecasting moral values unusual for modern youth in the future, to create an associative glossary.

Results: The article analyzes 532 online questionnaires of students of secondary schools of grades 5-11 of Donetsk region and of Vinnytsia region. The participation in the associative experiment of children from different regions - eastern and central, with different peculiarities of the experience and the perception of the military conflict made it possible to trace the specific dynamics of changes in the language and thought of the child under the influence of the traumatic situation, as well as to structure the picture of the emotional attitude to the armed conflict, which is an integral part of the pupils' speech portrait.

The obtained results of the associative experiment reflect the dynamic features of the speech and thought activity of the child, determine its active vocabulary, as well as the peculiarities of children's understanding of the meaning and meaning of the word.

One can confidently build a linguosocial picture of a modern pupil of the Donetsk region: a child, under the impact of extreme critical events that require efforts to overcome the consequences, is characterized by secrecy, increased excitability, indiscriminacy, difficulty talking about the traumatic situation, anxiety about death, which is reflected in thinking and speaking. A student who is not a resident of the territory of hostilities but is constantly under the authoritative hand of the means of "information" war, can be described as freer in their thoughts, ambitious and open to discussion of complex topics. Confidence is accompanied by a sense of helplessness. The written speech of children (front-line and peaceful territories) is distinguished by confusion and uncertainty, at the same time conciseness and categorical.

Discussion: Comparison of speech activity of pupils of Donetsk region and pupils of Vinnytsia region showed the determination and categorical manifestation of characteristics both in linguistic and psychological plans, which are caused by the development of their mental, emotional-volitional spheres, as well as the conditions for the formation of personality. The synthesis of psycholinguistics and lexicography results in a linguistic product organized into an associative glossary. The glossary has its own perspective of development, which is its value. There are many variations of the expansion of the structure, the simplest of them are the appropriate directions: to add the age and gender category of recipients, chronological boundaries, the status of the respondent within the state, etc.

Keywords: psycholinguistics, psycholinguistic analysis, language, thinking, armed conflict, associative dictionary.

Vitae

Anatoliy Zahnitko is Doctor of Philology, Professor, Corresponding Member of NAS of Ukraine, Head of Department of General and Applied Linguistics and Slavonic Philology at Vasyl’ Stus Donetsk National University. His areas of research interests include functional linguistics, cognitive linguistics, comparative linguistics, categorical linguistics, lexicographic linguistics, and text linguistics.

Correspondence: a.zagnitko@donnu.edu.ua 

Anastasiya Zhyhai is student of Master’s degree, Educational Programme: Applied Linguistics. Her areas of research interests include psycholinguistics, cognitive linguistics and lexicographic linguistics.

Correspondence: zhyhai.a@donnu.edu.ua  

Article.

References. 

1.    Бочкор, Н.П., Дубровська, Є.В., Залеська, О.В. Соціально-педагогічна та психологічна робота з дітьми у конфліктний та постконфліктний період. Київ: МЖПЦ «Ла Страда-Україна», 2014. 84 c.

[Bochkor, N.P., Dubrovska, Ye.V., Zaleska, O.V. Sotsialno-pedahohichna ta psykholohichna robota z ditmy u konfliktnyi ta postkonfliktnyi period. Kyiv: MZhPTs «La Strada-Ukraina», 2014. 84 c.]

2.    Жигай, А.С. Зміна світобачення дитини під час збройного конфлікту на сході України: лінгвопсихологічний аналіз. Лінгвокомп’ютерні дослідження: Донецький нац. ун-т ім. Василя Стуса 14, гол. ред. А. Загнітко. Вінниця: ДонНУ ім. Василя Стуса, 2021, 82–87.

[Zhyhai, A.S. Zmina svitobachennia dytyny pid chas zbroinoho konfliktu na skhodi Ukrainy: linhvopsykholohichnyi analiz. Linhvokompiuterni doslidzhennia: Donetskyi nats. un-t im. Vasylia Stusa 14, hol. red. A. Zahnitko. Vinnytsia: DonNU im. Vasylia Stusa, 2021, 82–87.]

3. Загородня, О. «Система опрацювання асоціативних результатів “STIMULUS”». Українська мова 2, 2018: 115–130.

[Zahorodnia O. «Systema opratsiuvannia asotsiatyvnykh rezultativ “STIMULUS” ». Ukrainska mova 2, 2018: 115–130.]

4. Мартінек, С. Український асоціативний словник: В 4-х т. Вид. 2-ге, стер. Львів: ПАЇС, 2008. Т. 1‒2: Від стимулу до реакції. Т. 1. 468 с.; Т. 2: 471 с.; Львів: ПАЇС, 2021. Т. 3‒4: Від реакції до стимулу. Т. 3. 544 с.; Т. 4. 648 с.

[Martinek, S. Ukrainskyi asotsiatyvnyi slovnyk: V 4-kh t. Vyd. 2-he, ster. Lviv: PAIS, 2008. T. 1‒2: Vid stymulu do reaktsii. T. 1. 468 s.; T. 2:  471 s.; Lviv: PAIS, 2021. T. 3‒4: Vid reaktsii do stymulu. T. 3. 544 s.; T. 4. 648 s.]

5. Терехова, Д.І. Особливості сприйняття лексичної семантики слів (психолінгвістичний аспект). Київ, 2000.

[Terekhova, D.I. Osoblyvosti spryiniattia leksychnoi semantyky sliv (psykholinhvistychnyi aspekt). Kyiv, 2000.]

6. Терехова, Д.І. «Урахування соціолінгвістичних чинників у психолінгвістичному дослідженні». Проблеми семантики слова, речення та тексту 22, 2009: 399‒411.

[Terekhova, D.I. «Urakhuvannia sotsiolinhvistychnykh chynnykiv u psykholinhvistychnomu doslidzhenni». Problemy semantyky slova, rechennia ta tekstu 22, 2009: 399‒411.]

7. Jung C. Studies in Word ‒ Association. New-York, 1919.