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Introduction.The paper reviews features and main problems of feminist linguistics. The novelty of the study is an unparalleled take on feminist linguistics in contradistinction to gender linguistics; the identification of their fundamental differences as well as emphasizing arguments in favour of both scholarly importance and practical value of feminist linguistic studies. The relevance of the study is conditioned by the lack of academic papers concerning the subject; the growing interest in studying the language as an anthropocentric sociocultural phenomenon; and the increasing significance of the feminist movement world-wide.Methodology and data sources.The theoretical foundation of the study constitutes Russian and foreign gender studies (works of А. V. Kirilina, А. М. Kuznetsov), feminist sociological and sociolinguistic studies (L. N. Kaznin, R. Lakoff, M. Fuko) as well as feminist linguistic studies (N. A. Antropova, E. Gorshko, O. A. Voronina, E. Zdravomyslova, A. V. Tolstokorova). The methods of the study include both analysis and synthesis of theoretical material; polling research; the analysis of the collected data.Results and discussion.The latest results on feminist linguistics research are showing inadequacy of the attempts of proving the existence of either «women's language», «men's language», or genderlect. This is in fact entirely sociocultural phenomenon of the replicating women's and men's behavioral patterns in a particular culture, including the patterns of speech. Feminist linguistics uses a more in-depth approach in the studies and addresses the language system directly, identifying gender asymmetry that is evident in the androcentrism of a language; it also develops strategies against language sexism and suggests concrete ways of its elimination, such as the introduction of gender-neutral lexical units and feminine gender-specific job titles, the implementation of inclusive language. All of that is possible with feminist language reforms and appropriate feminist language planning.Conclusion.An overview of conventional gender linguistics findings draws to a conclusion that feminist linguistic studies introduce lots of new ideas of a special value to linguistics. Feminist language critique is a progressive course of modern linguistics that draws attention to the most vital language issues of the society and suggests effective means of addressing them.

Introduction. The paper reviews dynamics of language feminisation and inclusive writing emergence in the context of social change in Russia and France, identification of common patterns for the languages of the countries, adaptation difficulties of new elaborated spelling and punctuation rules, as well as indentification of sources of resistance to gender reforms in languages considered. The relevance of the study is conditioned by the growing interest of sociolinguists to the issues under consideration and by the importance of scientific record of changes in Russian and French against the backdrop of gender processes of recent years (the analysed material covers the period from 2017 to 2020). The features of direct correlation between social and language changes are reviewed not only within the context of language feminisation and feminism relationship, but also regarding historical aspects.Methodology and data sources. The study was conducted using the materials of French and Russian Internet articles, legal acts gouverning gender linguistic issues in France, statistical research data, explanatory and etymological dictionaries, Russian National Corpus, inclusive writing Instructional materials, video footages, official statements, interviews. During the selection of language material continuous sampling technique was applied; the analysis of the instances was carried out using both synchronic and diachronic approaches, allowing to look at the historical development of the languages in terms of containing feminitives. The study of language processes is carried out within the framework of sociolinguistic approach. The main methodology of language feminisation and inclusive writing study included comparative, descriptive, stylistic, and semantic- syntactic analysis.Results and discussion. The main result of the study is a review of the gender linguistic features of French and Russian. The collected and analysed language material allowed to draw the conclusion about an ongoing predominance of masculine grammatical gender over feminine in cases where using feminine grammatical gender would be reasonable and logically sound. Legal acts gouverning the use of feminitives and inclusive writing were also looked at. An inconsistency between language norm and current society needs, as well as the existence of misconception of feminist movement within society and misinterpretation of its objectives, including those related to language feminisation, are identified.Conclusion. Language is a social phenomenon that provides members of society with successful communication. Over the years people have been observing language changes that may have at first be prejudiced or may have faced rejections, but relented over time and became imperceptible and natural for native speakers. The feminisation of language is a logical process that meets civil, political and personal needs of 21st century people.

Introduction. The article reveals a complicated language situation in the Flemish region of Belgium - a progressing extinction of Germanic dialects, which are historically spread on this territory. Each dialectal group has its unique features, and the West-Flemish and Limburgish groups might have become grounds for particular languages.Methodology and sources. The methodological base consists in a complex approach, combining the comparative-historical and contrastive methods with the method of sociolinguistic interpretation. The investigation is conducted on the language material, collected from different dialectal dictionaries of Dutch, as well as from special linguistic papers on the language situation in Flanders.Results and discussion. The article represents a multiplicity of Germanic dialects, existing on the territory of modern Flanders. A short revue is given on lexical and grammatical peculiarities of four main dialectal groups, as well as on their peculiar phonetics. A special attention is, respectively, paid to the urban dialects of Antwerp, Gent, Bruges and Hasselt. There are analyzed some interferential phenomena, caused by the contact of the investigated dialects with Romanic and Germanic environment and occurring on all language levels - from phonetic to the syntactic ones. It has been suggested, that certain specific grammar forms in Flemish dialects may be result of phonetic interference. For Marols, which originally belongs to the group of Brabant dialects, the juncture between Germanic morphosyntactic structure and Roman lexis is discussed.Conclusion. For the last 20 years the percentage of persons, speaking the Germanic dialects of Flanders, has demonstrated a catastrophic decrease. Along with that, the main features of these dialects (mostly of the Brabant ones) have gone over to an intermediate language "tussentaal", in both lexis and grammar. This language is being formed inbetween the Germanic dialects and Dutch; the latter is represented in the Flemish region by two variants – standard (common) Dutch and Belgian Dutch. The progressing decrease in the number of persons, speaking the autochthonous dialects of Flanders, is thoughtprovoking towards the exigency to fix the disappearing language variants through a strict scientific way.

Introduction. Throughout several decades, English has been strengthening its position as lingua franca in international communication. The relevance of the given study is justified by the examination of the English language from the perspective of contact variantology and in the context of gradually emerging new version of English – Euro-English. The aim of the presented work is to consider the socio-political prerequisites for the strengthening of the English language role for intra-European communication, as well as to try to explain the significance of Brussels for this process. Methodology and sources. Scientific publications of domestic and foreign linguists, sociolinguists (D.S. Borodina, Z.G. Proshina, B. Kachru, D. Crystal, E. Edwards), as well as interviews with European politicians and public figures (Michel Guerin, Pascal Smet, Sven Gatz) all comprise the research material. The method of synthesis and analysis, descriptive method, comparative language analysis is used in the process of work on this article. Results and discussion. The widespread usage of English in Europe has led to the creation of several mixed language variants and intra-European communication in English gives the latter the status of a supranational communication language. Belgium is seen as the center for the formation of this new language variant, which is explained by the representation of a significant number of international organizations and corporations in Brussels. In the context of the competition between French and Dutch, the difficult linguistic situation in Belgium finds a peculiar resolution in the regular use of English which some activists propose to make the third official language of the Brussels-Capital Region. Euro-English has already acquired several characteristic lexical, morphosyntactic and phonetical features, whilst the withdrawal of Great Britain from the European Union has provided serious possibilities for Euro-English to continue its formation as an independent language variant free from "care" and control of English native speakers. Conclusion. The existence of the English language variants involves the preservation of uniqueness for each nation where these are used, as well as the enrichment of the language from which these variants are derived from. Gradual formation of Euro-English confirms the presence of high number of professional and everyday communications under which the representatives of various European nations find common language – and that is English.

Introduction. At the moment the territory of the Russian Federation comprises 138 endangered languages, which determines the relevance of studying the influence of the state's language policy on the development of the Karelian language. The purpose of the study is to analyze the way language contacts influenced Karelian. The novelty of the study lies in the consideration of linguistic interference in the historical context.Methodology and sources. The study is conducted using the publications in Karelian of the pre-Soviet and Soviet periods, as well as articles from modern electronic periodicals. The research material was broadened by interviewing several informants. The data was collected and analyzed using the method of continuous sampling, questioning, participant observation, and comparative analysis. The theoretical basis of the research is the social typology of languages and the typology of language situations.Results and discussion. Different historical periods ended in changing Karelian in different ways and making it adopt some features of Finnish, Vepsian and Russian. The texts of the pre-Soviet period show that lexical units of Russian origin denote everyday realities or religious concepts. The Soviet period texts demonstrate the maximum number of Russianbased lexical units, that are related to everyday life or Soviet ideology and realities. In the texts of the modern period, there is the least number of words of Russian origin, that are mostly borrowings that have long been a part of the language norm of Karelian.Conclusion. With the distinctive features relevant to the typology of language situations taken into account, the present language situation in the Republic of Karelia can be defined as multicomponent multilingual, being demographically out of equilibrium and communicatively unbalanced. In different historical periods Karelian was influenced, in varying degrees, by Russian; this is clearly reflected in the vocabulary. Nowadays professional and amateur activists striving to revitalize the Karelian language are oriented mainly towards its Baltic-Finnish basis.

Introduction.The paper reviews features of the French language policy inFrance,Belguim,Canada, andSwitzerland. The novelty of the study is implied by the fact that features of the language policy are analyzed with previously unknown circumstances taken into account: the circumstances that allow French to be seen as a pluricentric language. The relevance of the study is conditioned by the necessity of observing the sociopolitical space of language functioning, as well as the importance of both analyzing the dynamics of pluricentric languages spreading and identifying mechanisms of using a single language for either uniting disparate nations or countries manipulating.Methodology and sources.The method of the study is a comprehensive approach with a number of linguistic and social variables correlations. The study was conducted using official websites of Organisation international dela Francophonie describing official bodies and institutions responsible for language policy implementation, as well as articles of various publications (Le soir, The Guardian, Ethnologies), devoted to the discussion of French norm regulation problems as the material of the study.Resultsanddiscussion.The main result of the study is a review of the status of French as a pluricentric language worldwide, particularly in countries considered to be centres of French variants development and having French as an official language. Main features of a pluricentric language, as well as the factors that turn a monocentric language into a pluricentric one (through the example of French) are looked at. The actions taken by the Organisation internationale dela Francophonie and aimed at the strengthening of relations between French-speaking countries and the promoting of the French language worldwide are described. The study also illustrates the dependence of peripheral language centres fromFrance. An emphasis is put on the politics of the Académie Française aimed at the French language unification in all the countries having it as an official language. An assumption on the reasons of different deviation extent of French variants inCanada,Belgium, andSwitzerland from Standard French is made.Conclusion.It is impossible to consider language to be an independent and isolated phenomenon as it exists and evolves within society serving its needs. Institutions pursuing a language policy are in position to affect its development directly, yet in the context of pluricentric languages it is insufficient to have a single centre of linguistic regulation. Local institutions may have a policy that runs contrary to the language policy of the centre. Gender reforms can also become a new wave of linguistic changes leading to further distancing of different language variants.

Introduction. The relevance of the study is explained by the necessity to preserve Frenchspeaking culture and language on the territory of Canada in the conditions of globalization, the spread of American mass culture and the significant impact of English as a global language. The purpose of the work is to describe and analyze the sociolinguistic particularities of the existence of the French language in the English-speaking competitive environment in Canada.Methodology and sources. During the study, the following sociolinguistic methods were used: descriptive method, comparison method, continuous sampling method, sociolinguistic analysis method, quantitative data processing method, questionnaire survey. The research is based on the material of Сanadian media, legislative acts regulating the state's language policy, data obtained through surveys of Canadian citizens, and 5,234 inscriptions in five Canadian cities which were selected to examine the country's linguistic landscape.Results and discussion. Under Canadian laws, French and English have equal status in parliamentary readings, in public services and in everyday life, as well as in education, radio and television. However, English is the dominant language and has great prestige throughout Canada. All of the evidence collected shows the decisive superiority of English as the primary means of communication in media, advertising and politics. Existing legislation to protect and promote the use of both official languages is not fully enforced, as evidenced by numerous complaints from Canadians to the Commissioner of Official Languages.Conclusion. In Canada, a multi-component exoglossic linguistic situation has developed with two official languages – English and French, which is characterized by the existence of natural bilingualism. Linguistic minorities, such as Anglophones in Quebec and Francophones outside Quebec, may experience linguistic discrimination, creating tensions between residents of the same country. French is significantly influenced by the majority English and immigrant languages that dominate the linguistic landscape of Canadian cities.

Introduction. The language situation in Russia is unique with a fair number of languages spoken on its territory and all of them having different status and scope of use. This implies the relevance of the study that focuses on the analysis of code-switching in the spoken language of the bilinguals speaking Komi and Russian and Karelian and Russian. The novelty of the study is implied by the analysis of the code-switching in the language pairs mentioned above. This contributes to the development of the code-switching theory.Methodology and sources. The methods of language data collection and processing are sociolinguistic methods of interviewing, questionnaire, observation, quantitative and descriptive methods. The research material are scripted dialogues with bilinguals as well as the "Komi mu" and "Parma gor" 2022 issues.Results and discussion. The study of the Komi-Russian and Karelian-Russian code-switching was conducted using P. Muysken's topology of code-mixing. P. Muysken sees code-switching as alternation, insertion, and congruent lexicalization according to the degree of the foreign word assimilation in the matrix language. The features of the spoken language of the Komi-Russian bilinguals are the frequent use of Russian discursive and introductory lexical items and adverbs; the nouns and the adjectives usually following the grammatical rules of Komi; the respondents giving preference to Russian versions when using numerals. For the spoken language of the Karelian-Russian bilinguals it is typical to address to Russian vocabulary, especially when mentioning dates, numbers, and using introductory words and phrases; Russian words are also being quite easily transformed according to the Karelian grammar through its case system.Conclusion. Spontaneous speech of the bilingual interviewees contains a great number of code-switching, that could be a convincing demonstration of the language shift and is conditioned by a number of extralinguistic and linguistic factors, such as language prestige, language functionality, language situation, the native language of the interlocutor, and the willing of the respondent to use a certain language.

Introduction.Language situation in Belgium is considered unique because, despite several state languages, a dozen minority languages, and hundreds of dialects being in constant contact with each other, the Belgian language community is also actively influenced by the English language. The relevance of this research is dictated by the growing importance of the English language in Europe, where the latter is frequently used as a lingua franca, by the developing mutual influence of the French and the Dutch languages in Belgium, and also by the linguists' interest towards the matter of code-switching. The purpose of this research lies in analyzing the examples of code-switching in Belgian media, and in exploring their functions and the strategies of forming them in the context of the difficult language situation in Belgium. Methodology and sources. The material of this research consists of publications in Belgian newspapers and journals and materials of Belgian informational resources in the social network "Instagram". The following methods are used in this research: continuous sampling method, synthesis method, descriptive method, classification method, and comparative language analysis. Results and discussion. The research briefly describes the features of sociolinguistic situation in Belgium, particularly in three regions: Flanders, Wallonia, and the BrusselsCapital Region. Analysis of the found in Walloon and Flemish examples of code-switching showed that in Belgian newspapers and journals code-switching in French – Dutch and Dutch – French pairs is very rare, and the absolute majority of examples is in English. Switching to English adds some emotional aspect to a text and is used when addressing to precedent statements, situations, and names that entered the international discourse in English. According to P. Muysken, among the strategies of code-switching the most frequently used are insertion and alternation. Conclusion. Sociocultural, economical and linguistic differences lead to the autonomy and certain independence of Belgian regions. They also provoked the willing to turn to English as a mediatory language during interpersonal communication. Analysis of the written sources allowed to document the cases of mostly motivated switching to English and study their stylistic, functional and linguistic features.

Introduction. Charles de Coster's "Flemish Legends" were published in 1858 in French. With the growth of the national consciousness of the Flemings, this book, having particular artistic and cultural meaning, had to be translated, anyhow, into the Flemish variant of Dutch. There have been several translations, which differ significantly. To understand the specifics and success of a particular translation, it is necessary to analyze the cultural-linguistic and socio-political circumstances of its creation, to study the personalities of the translators, their artistic biographies, and also to assess the impact of the culture-forming factors.Methodology and sources. The research methodology is based on the descriptive method. At that we take into account a lot of linguistic, historical, social and cultural variables. As a study material two translations of "Flemish Legends" into Dutch (1917 and 1998) are chosen, as well as several sources describing the history of Belgium after 1830. For collating the translations the comparative method is used, taking into account the lexical, grammatical and stylistic features of the analyzed texts.Results and discussion. Charles De Coster, being a bilingual, preferred the French language. This can be explained by his desire to make folklore an asset of the upper social class, mainly bilinguals and francophones, upon these legends being already known among the Flemings. In addition, for the proper resonance, it was more profitable to publish the book in French. It can also be assumed that the legends were collected throughout Flanders; therefore, there were significant dialectal differences and problems for choosing a unified version of the Flemish language. To convey the medieval flavor, Charles de Coster used a deliberately archaized language. At the beginning of the 20th century S. Streuvels created a specific translation, more reminiscent of calque from French and preserving the features of the original text. At the end of the 20th century, W. Spillebeen translated the French text into a modern language, which was not the Belgian Dutch, but the standard Dutch.Conclusion. The translations discussed are quite different. S. Streuvels retained the style and structure of the original text, so his work was difficult for perception even by his contemporaries, and today the translation has become practically unreadable. W. Spillebeen tried to translate the legends into a modern language, bringing the structural components in line with the modern norm and preserving only the most necessary archaisms. Nevertheless, the text of the "Flemish legends" in the Belgian Dutch does not exist: they are written either in dialects, or in the "Frenchified" Dutch, or in the standard Dutch.

Introduction. The article considers the case, when no subject is present in an impersonal English sentence. Many linguists believe that the subject in this case is implicit, because the sentence preserves its predicativity. In addition, the subject "it" is sometimes substituted in impersonal English sentences by the formal particle "there". However, the question whether this particle performs the function of subject is still open. That is why it is rather pertinent to consider all cases of subject, both explicit and implicit one, including the cases, when the sentence contains the formal particle "there". The objective of this work is to build a formal logical model of implicit subject in impersonal English sentence. Implicit subject is often named as zero subject.Methodology and sources. The research methodology is based on traditional approaches towards studying the phenomenon of zero subject, as well as on the binomiality idea, having been developed since 1993 at ETU. On the material of English the status of the issue, whether it is eligible to consider the implicit subject as the zero one, is investigated. The examples illustrating the functional features of the implicit subject in English sentence were selected by means of the method of continuous sampling from 7 corpora. To represent the structural features of the implicit subject the method of formal logical modelling is applied.Results and discussion. The article presents the diversity of subject structures in English sentence. There is dealt with the question on the functions of the formal particle "there" in hypothetical comparison with the formal particle "it". In this regard, a formal logical modelling of English subject is undertaken, for declarative and interrogative sentences. Herewith both independent and dependent sentences are modelled. Questions to the subject are out of the present consideration. The implicit subject has been assumed to be a "trace" of the explicit subject and may not be recognized as the absolute zero subject.Conclusion. Linguistics has elaborated a variety of original views on the reasons, why "incomplete" subjects emerge. Our language models allow, however, to come to more original and, as we hope, objective conclusions. Dependent on its environment the subject in English can be implicit fully or partly. If the subject is fully implicit, it is a strong or weak implicit semifinitive, fixed in the weak specifier. If the subject is partly implicit, it is a weak implicit semifinitive, fixed in the strong specifier. The English subject appears to be fully implicit much less frequent, than partly implicit. Making the subject fully implicit is possible by means of additional elements. Making the subject partly implicit is possible by means of the strong specifier "there"; no additional elements are then needed.