Abstract:

Linguistic variability is an essential feature of the language structure which is conditioned by its nature and purpose. Without variability the language cannot exist and develop. Variability is to be found at all levels of each individual language and its units, depending on the specifics of the issue at hand, although the perceptual barriers hinder to find the different lexical units’ variability.

It is obvious that the main cultural element is embodied in the vocabulary: these are words and word combinations. They form a linguistic picture of the world, which determines the perception of the world by the speakers, including the linguistic units of English, German and Chinese.

The linguistic picture of the world established in different ethnic groups can facilitate as well as prevent the successful understanding of variation in English, German, and Chinese.

This analysis includes an elaborate study of these languages, educational barriers' factors and their subsequent comparison.

The general provisions of the variation theory find themselves applicable enough to language as well. This article deals with an attempt to investigate the particular problems of linguistic variation and perceptual barriers in intercultural communication, which made it possible to accumulate and generalize a vast practical material from the reviewed languages. Despite this, there is no generally recognized understanding of the term "variation" in modern linguistics. Variability is a characteristic of any natural language and is observed at every level of its functioning. This study will focus on the lexical level of language, identifying lexical units that differ in perception of English, German and Chinese speakers. This survey is relevant due to the rising amount of multicultural representatives in the learning process and growing diversity along with the increasing communication barriers.

The purpose of the study is to highlight possible barriers impeding the perception as a result of specific selection of lexical elements in cultural aspects and of particularities in the English, German and Chinese speakers' pronunciation.

The study was conducted using the descriptive method, which found its application in familiarization with possible variants of individual lexical items; the method of contextual analysis involved studying of linguistics units in contexts, and comparative method, which helped to detect the similarities and differences of the English, German and Chinese languages’ lexical structure.

The sociological survey has proved that ethnic and cultural peculiarities cause different perceptions of the variative units. The research has determined that the variation of linguistic units in the English, German and Chinese languages accurately provides the functioning of the language systems. Thus, due to the variation, particularly due to the semantics, the limited number of linguistics units, such as words, word combination and grammar constructions, can shape the infinite number of meanings. Furthermore, it’s vital to fix the new ones and convey the evaluative and emotive attitude of the speaker to the message’s subject in the communication process, which prevents the right understanding between nations.

Keywords:

Linguistic variation, ethnic barriers, English language, German language, Chinese language.