The Means of Language Objectivation of the Controlling Strategy of English Fitness Discourse

Abstract

The intensification of globalization inevitably leads to the change of people’s values, the emerging of new social institutions, and, as a consequence, new institutional discourses. Thus, the dominating values of the ХХth and ХХІst centuries are strong health and good looks, which are embodied in the notion “healthism” – the high level of medical (physiological and nutritional) awareness. The popularization of healthy lifestyle and a beautiful body, as well as the promotion of fitness clubs resulted in the appearance of such a type of a discourse as fitness discourse, which we define as a variety of sports discourse that comes as a unique independent cognitive-communicative phenomenon, a relatively soft and flexible type of institutional communication which at the same time possesses the features of individual-oriented communication. It is a generally acknowledged fact that any discourse has its communicative tasks and aims, realizes basic needs and values of its participants, hence, it is based on a standard set of strategically oriented utterances. Discourse of fitness classes is not an exception. The article deals with the language means which realize the informative-teaching strategy within the framework of English fitness discourse that can be defined as an independent social practice that reflects certain mental and verbal characteristics of speakers and realises the communicative intentions of individuals aimed at satisfying diverse lower and higher needs. Basing on the research of the contextual semantics of the typical language units set, characteristic of a specific communicative tactics of English fitness discourse, as well as using the systemic-functional and stylistic methods along with semantic-syntactical analysis, we identified the textual implications and connotations of certain verbal units, that possess the potential to influence the addressee of English fitness discourse. The research resulted in singling out the following communicative tactics of the controlling strategy: the tactics of monitoring, check-back, reminding, approval / disapproval, which realize the main communicative intention that is to control the correctness of performing the workout techniques, as well as eliminating the available mistakes during fitness lessons and to ensure the result of workouts. The control strategy alongside with the means of its implementation is considered to be one of the dominant ones in the discourse of physical activities and is aimed at ensuring the effectiveness of the instructor and the clients during the physical activities. The results of the research can be used to study and strengthen the communicative strategies and tactics of other discourses.