The use of linguistic analysis of British literature titles as a method of forming students' philological and intercultural competencies

Abstract

In the pedagogical context, the use of linguistic analysis of British literature titles is an innovative method for the formation of philological and intercultural competencies among students. The study focuses on the classification and functions of titles in novels by British authors, emphasizing their role as microtexts that promote the development of predictive reading, critical thinking, and cultural adaptation skills. The relevance of the topic is due to the need to integrate authentic materials into educational programs, where titles serve as a tool to stimulate interest in the text and understand the authors' communication strategies. The aim of the work is to develop a typology of titles and propose methods of their analysis to increase students' motivation in learning language and literature, helping to overcome cultural barriers and develop reflection on the text. The methodological framework includes a descriptive, contextual, stylistic and comparative analysis of titles from the works of Agatha Christie, Jane Austen, Charles Dickens and others, taking into account their structural (sentences vs. phrases), semantic and pragmatic features. For the pedagogical bias, elements of project activity were applied: students classified titles by type (informational, problematic, symbolic), compared the originals with Russian translations and created hypotheses about the content of the texts. The analysis covered the functions of titles (nominative, informative, and appellate) adapted to educational scenarios for Bachelor of Philology groups. The results show that titles in British literature are predominantly represented by phrases (for example, Pride and Prejudice) reflecting cultural allusions and genre features, with a predominance of symbolic and descriptive types. It is revealed that such titles perform a dual role: as independent microtexts and as integrative elements influencing perception. From a pedagogical point of view, the analysis enhances the understanding of intercultural codes, where titles with the possessive case (for example, Midnight's Children) encourage discussion of colonial themes. The discussion emphasizes that the implementation of the results in pedagogy contributes to the formation of key competencies: analytical (through classification), creative (creating alternative titles) and intercultural (comparing translations). It is recommended to use titles in interactive lessons to develop translation and interpretation skills, which increases student engagement and prepares them for global communication. The study offers a model for courses where titles become a bridge between linguistics and cultural studies, enhancing personal growth and critical perception of literature.