The experiment in linguistics

Abstract

The article deals with the role and significance of the experiment in linguistics. Human perception of the world largely depends on language to provide a semantic connection between different spheres of human existence. Language is a social phenomenon. Language acts as a means of communication because language units are realized, coded and accepted by a human. Language is a special phenomenon with its own secrets. The language itself expresses various human worldviews, which are reproduced in the language with the help of vocabulary. The world in the mind of the speaker is reflected linguistically and conceptually. The structure of the conceptual worldview is reproduced by the system of associative connections. The linguistic worldview is formed by the lexical meaning of the corresponding word concepts. Phenomena in language can be investigated with the help of experiments as the most productive method to obtain material in this way. The goal of an experimental study is to investigate how some element or elements, the independent variable(s), affect some behavior or outcome, the dependent variable. There are four types of association experiments: pair associations; serial associations; verbal differentiation; free associations. There are following steps in carrying out an experimental: formulate the hypothesis; determine the experimental design; get participants and run the study; analyze and interpret the data. The obtained data can be studied with the help of various techniques involving digital media. Using the experiment has advantages: the concept of active dictionary implies an assessment of the degree of mastery of relevant words, which can naturally be obtained by interviewing an average speaker; the experiment can be used when other methods are not very effective; it is easier to conduct an experiment than to do a painstaking analysis of dictionaries. The worldview is a fundamental concept that expresses the specificity of human existence. Its formation is influenced by all types of human mental activity and takes place in the language. The results of the experiments make it possible to reproduce the worldview and reveal specific features in the language. The prospect of further research is in a detailed study of the experiment in linguistic practice.