Abstract:

The present exploratory study reports on the analysis of typical etiquette formulas and addresses that are usually used in the academic environment in different cultures. It is known that in different cultures there are different norms of language etiquette, which contribute to the establishment of a favorable atmosphere for communication between teacher and student. The specific objective of the research is to identify how the norms of educational language etiquette affect the learning process, establishing or overcoming the distance between teacher and student.

The study is conducted on the material of English, Spanish and Russian languages. The study involved educational letters addressed by teachers to students and vice versa in English, Spanish and Russian, as well as personal observations of the authors using personal experience of communicating with teachers in classes in various linguistic disciplines. The study is based on the method of comparative analysis of examples in different languages.

The results of this research illustrate that in all cultures, the strictest in terms of compliance with speech etiquette is the Russian-speaking culture of communication, since the vertical model of communication between teachers and students is more common in it. It was also revealed that different cultures have their own etiquette formulas and ways of addressing a teacher. While in Spanish it is acceptable to address the teacher using the pronoun “tú” (more intimate form of pronoun “you”), in Russian it is customary to use exclusively the pronoun “Вы” (analogous to the Spanish “Usted”). These findings contribute to the research on cultural diversity in the academic environment. The results can be used in working with foreign students who find themselves in a foreign language environment and are undergoing adaptation at universities abroad.

Keywords:

Language etiquette, academic environment, teacher-student communication, English, Spanish, Russian.