FOLKLORE AS A MEANS OF LINGUISTIC ENVIRONMENT FORMING (ON THE EXAMPLES OF NEW ZEALAND AND BRITISH NATIONS)

Abstract. The Internet emergence and its subsequent booming use have undoubtedly immense impact on changing the linguistic culture. Hence, it is crucial nowadays to immerse research on folklore as a genuine instrument of language formation. The relevance of this article attributes to the fact that little research has been done on the folkloric nuances of comparisons between British and New Zealand culture.

Folklore is folk art. The people’s artistic collective creativity reflects their life, views, ideals and principles. The most significant feature of folklore, unlike literature and modern book culture, is its traditional nature and focus on the oral way of information transmitting. Consequently, folklore is one of the language formations means. This survey aims to analyse the difference between British and New Zealand folklore. The paper clarifies that English folklore has its roots in Celtic and Germanic tribes. Moreover, Scandinavian and French folklore, introduced after the Norman Conquest of England, influenced it to some extent. The article examines the legends of King Arthur, Beowulf and Robin Hood as examples of traditional British folklore. Additionally, ballads are highlighted as the most common form of English oral poetry. Regarding New Zealand traditional lore, this research presents the influence of the Māori tribes on its folklore. Furthermore, the article touches upon Māori oral art, since it constitutes the bulk of New Zealand folklore.

This research includes a survey conducted among students of the Institute of Foreign Languages at the Russian University of People’s Friendship to determine their awareness of British and New Zealand folklore. As a result, it revealed difficulties of linguists-bachelors to interpret British and New Zealand folklore traditional styles.

The generalisation, comparative-analytical and statistical methods and techniques are used in this study.

The research findings have proved that folkloric customs and traditions lead to a better origins’ perception of the specific linguistic environment formation. For this reason, the understanding relevance of the different countries folklore is apparent and essential.

Keywords: folklore, language environment, Great Britain, New Zealand, Māori traditions, ballads, myths