Representation of the stereotypical image of an englishman based on the english and german-language fiction

Koljada Nanalija Alexandrowna, Osipova Elena Igorevna

The stereotypical image of an ethnic representative existing in our mind influences the course and outcome of intercultural communication. One of the sources of such an image is fiction, where stereotypical representations are embodied in the image of specific characters endowed with typical character traits, appearance, manners, etc. of the ethnic group in question. This article is devoted to the study of language means of representing the stereotypical image of an Englishman based on English and German works of fiction containing stereotypical ideas and judgments about the English. The work defines the number of elements that make up the stereotypical image of an Englishman, identifies and analyzes the language means of its explication and describes the stereotypical ideas about the English occurring in foreign literature. The study uses such research methods as selective, descriptive-interpretative, structural, textual, culture-historical methods, as well as the method of contextual analysis. The authors conclude that the stereotypical image of an Englishman presents a combination of a number of elements: character, appearance, communicative behavior, the realities of the life and culture of the English, and is represented by certain artistic, compositional and language means. The results can be used for further studies of the stereotypical image of an ethnic representative from a linguistic point of view, as well as for preparation of lectures and special courses on intercultural communication, cultural linguistics, ethnolinguistics, linguistic analysis of the text, the country studies of the UK, and in practice of teaching a foreign language.

Keywords:stereotypical image, ethnic representative, image of an Englishman, English character, appearance of an Englishman.