Language culture of a city in cyberspace

Chelyabinsk State University, Department of Theoretical and Applied Linguistics, 129, Bratiev Khashirinykh, 454001, Chelyabinsk, Russia

^* Corresponding author: lana-dvinska@mail.ru

Abstract

The article attempts at studying language culture of a city on the material of the two leading websites, www.74.ru of Chelyabinsk and www.66.ru of Yekaterinburg. The choice of websites of the two main Ural cities is conditioned by their geographical position, similar role in the country as leading industrial centres. Language and cultural approach to website study has resulted in revealing general and special characteristics of the local city space and city image. Cognitive and discourse approach to city cyberspace research has shown the tendencies to choose both local and global issues for discussion widening the boarders of the local city culture by including actual issues for Russia and the whole world. Place names, local place names and city space verbal markers are frequently used in both websites creating true to life language and cultural message for the websites users, making city image recognizable and language culture of a city specific by using a few folk place names. City space markers have been outlined and grouped. The sites are characterized by similar content representation but differ in its realization. Diagrams and tables help verify the results of the city space analysis and website dynamics.